diff --git a/package/netcat/netcat.mk b/package/netcat/netcat.mk
index 6c7c4b8f29..d8b3c930b9 100644
--- a/package/netcat/netcat.mk
+++ b/package/netcat/netcat.mk
@@ -9,10 +9,17 @@ NETCAT_SITE = http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/netcat/netcat/$(NETCAT_VE
 NETCAT_LICENSE = GPL-2.0+
 NETCAT_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
-# Ensure Busybox gets built/installed before, so that this package overrides
-# Busybox nc.
+# Ensure Busybox gets built/installed before, so that this package
+# overrides Busybox nc.
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX),y)
 NETCAT_DEPENDENCIES += busybox
 endif
 
+# Netcat doesn't overwrite a pre-existing 'nc' (e.g. from busybox) so
+# force-remove it.
+define NETCAT_RMOVE_NC_LINK
+	rm -f $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/nc
+endef
+NETCAT_PRE_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += NETCAT_RMOVE_NC_LINK
+
 $(eval $(autotools-package))