diff --git a/bin/sh/Makefile b/bin/sh/Makefile
index 1b0738b4dfbd..a606c9be9716 100644
--- a/bin/sh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/sh/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ PROG=	sh
 INSTALLFLAGS= -S
 SHSRCS=	alias.c arith.y arith_lex.l cd.c echo.c error.c eval.c exec.c expand.c \
 	histedit.c input.c jobs.c mail.c main.c memalloc.c miscbltin.c \
-	mystring.c options.c output.c parser.c redir.c show.c \
+	mystring.c options.c output.c parser.c printf.c redir.c show.c \
 	test.c trap.c var.c
 GENSRCS= builtins.c init.c nodes.c syntax.c
 GENHDRS= builtins.h nodes.h syntax.h token.h
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ WARNS?=	2
 WFORMAT=0
 
 .PATH:	${.CURDIR}/bltin \
-	${.CURDIR}/../test
+	${.CURDIR}/../test \
+	${.CURDIR}/../../usr.bin/printf
 
 CLEANFILES+= mkinit mkinit.o mknodes mknodes.o \
 	mksyntax mksyntax.o
diff --git a/bin/sh/builtins.def b/bin/sh/builtins.def
index 75f83b54e526..b72f8873386b 100644
--- a/bin/sh/builtins.def
+++ b/bin/sh/builtins.def
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ histcmd -h	fc
 jobidcmd	jobid
 jobscmd		jobs
 localcmd	local
-#printfcmd	printf
+printfcmd	printf
 pwdcmd		pwd
 readcmd		read
 returncmd	-s return
diff --git a/bin/sh/sh.1 b/bin/sh/sh.1
index 7b1eb611f71d..ba06a0c60579 100644
--- a/bin/sh/sh.1
+++ b/bin/sh/sh.1
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 .\"	from: @(#)sh.1	8.6 (Berkeley) 5/4/95
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd November 12, 2010
+.Dd November 19, 2010
 .Dt SH 1
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -2049,6 +2049,9 @@ line.
 See the
 .Sx Functions
 subsection.
+.It Ic printf
+A built-in equivalent of
+.Xr printf 1 .
 .It Ic pwd Op Fl L | P
 Print the path of the current directory.
 The built-in command may
@@ -2470,6 +2473,7 @@ will return the argument.
 .Xr echo 1 ,
 .Xr ed 1 ,
 .Xr emacs 1 ,
+.Xr printf 1 ,
 .Xr pwd 1 ,
 .Xr test 1 ,
 .Xr vi 1 ,
diff --git a/share/man/man1/builtin.1 b/share/man/man1/builtin.1
index cbfc873d01dd..5a6b5ae739ea 100644
--- a/share/man/man1/builtin.1
+++ b/share/man/man1/builtin.1
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd May 9, 2010
+.Dd November 19, 2010
 .Dt BUILTIN 1
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 .Nm onintr ,
 .Nm popd ,
 .Nm printenv ,
+.Nm printf ,
 .Nm pushd ,
 .Nm pwd ,
 .Nm read ,
@@ -263,6 +264,7 @@ but are implemented as scripts using a builtin command of the same name.
 .It Ic onintr Ta \&No Ta Yes Ta \&No
 .It Ic popd Ta \&No Ta Yes Ta \&No
 .It Ic printenv Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta \&No
+.It Ic printf Ta Yes Ta \&No Ta Yes
 .It Ic pushd Ta \&No Ta Yes Ta \&No
 .It Ic pwd Ta Yes Ta \&No Ta Yes
 .It Ic read Ta No** Ta \&No Ta Yes
@@ -313,6 +315,7 @@ but are implemented as scripts using a builtin command of the same name.
 .Xr nice 1 ,
 .Xr nohup 1 ,
 .Xr printenv 1 ,
+.Xr printf 1 ,
 .Xr pwd 1 ,
 .Xr sh 1 ,
 .Xr test 1 ,
diff --git a/usr.bin/printf/printf.1 b/usr.bin/printf/printf.1
index 6caea65c6df2..6008b68b4cbd 100644
--- a/usr.bin/printf/printf.1
+++ b/usr.bin/printf/printf.1
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 .\"	@(#)printf.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd September 5, 2010
+.Dd November 19, 2010
 .Dt PRINTF 1
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -306,6 +306,13 @@ character is defined in the program's locale (category
 In no case does a non-existent or small field width cause truncation of
 a field; padding takes place only if the specified field width exceeds
 the actual width.
+.Pp
+Some shells may provide a builtin
+.Nm
+command which is similar or identical to this utility.
+Consult the
+.Xr builtin 1
+manual page.
 .Sh EXIT STATUS
 .Ex -std
 .Sh COMPATIBILITY
@@ -316,7 +323,9 @@ with a digit to the
 .Tn ASCII
 code of the first character is not supported.
 .Sh SEE ALSO
+.Xr builtin 1 ,
 .Xr echo 1 ,
+.Xr sh 1 ,
 .Xr printf 3
 .Sh STANDARDS
 The
diff --git a/usr.bin/printf/printf.c b/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
index 5e7a9353aa32..4ac23c65fb38 100644
--- a/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
+++ b/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 #define main printfcmd
 #include "bltin/bltin.h"
 #include "memalloc.h"
+#include "error.h"
 #else
 #define	warnx1(a, b, c)		warnx(a)
 #define	warnx2(a, b, c)		warnx(a, b)
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 } while (0)
 
 static int	 asciicode(void);
-static char	*doformat(char *, int *);
+static char	*printf_doformat(char *, int *);
 static int	 escape(char *, int, size_t *);
 static int	 getchr(void);
 static int	 getfloating(long double *, int);
@@ -114,8 +115,11 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int ch, chopped, end, rval;
 	char *format, *fmt, *start;
 
-#ifndef BUILTIN
+#if !defined(BUILTIN) && !defined(SHELL)
 	(void) setlocale(LC_NUMERIC, "");
+#endif
+#ifdef SHELL
+	optreset = 1; optind = 1; opterr = 0; /* initialize getopt */
 #endif
 	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "")) != -1)
 		switch (ch) {
@@ -132,6 +136,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return (1);
 	}
 
+#ifdef SHELL
+	INTOFF;
+#endif
 	/*
 	 * Basic algorithm is to scan the format string for conversion
 	 * specifications -- once one is found, find out if the field
@@ -154,9 +161,13 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 					putchar('%');
 					fmt += 2;
 				} else {
-					fmt = doformat(fmt, &rval);
-					if (fmt == NULL)
+					fmt = printf_doformat(fmt, &rval);
+					if (fmt == NULL) {
+#ifdef SHELL
+						INTON;
+#endif
 						return (1);
+					}
 					end = 0;
 				}
 				start = fmt;
@@ -166,11 +177,18 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		if (end == 1) {
 			warnx1("missing format character", NULL, NULL);
+#ifdef SHELL
+			INTON;
+#endif
 			return (1);
 		}
 		fwrite(start, 1, fmt - start, stdout);
-		if (chopped || !*gargv)
+		if (chopped || !*gargv) {
+#ifdef SHELL
+			INTON;
+#endif
 			return (rval);
+		}
 		/* Restart at the beginning of the format string. */
 		fmt = format;
 		end = 1;
@@ -180,7 +198,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 
 static char *
-doformat(char *start, int *rval)
+printf_doformat(char *start, int *rval)
 {
 	static const char skip1[] = "#'-+ 0";
 	static const char skip2[] = "0123456789";