--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ $(LIBRARY): $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
 libpython$(LDVERSION).so: $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS)
 	if test $(INSTSONAME) != $(LDLIBRARY); then \
 		$(BLDSHARED) -Wl,-h$(INSTSONAME) -o $(INSTSONAME) $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODLIBS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
-		$(LN) -f $(INSTSONAME) $@; \
+		$(LN) -sf $(INSTSONAME) $@; \
 	else \
 		$(BLDSHARED) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODLIBS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
 	fi
@@ -1971,7 +1971,7 @@ altbininstall: $(BUILDPYTHON) @FRAMEWORKPYTHONW@
 		if test -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/python$(VERSION)$(EXE) -o -h $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/python$(VERSION)$(EXE); \
 		then rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/python$(VERSION)$(EXE); \
 		fi; \
-		(cd $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR); $(LN) python$(LDVERSION)$(EXE) python$(VERSION)$(EXE)); \
+		(cd $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR); $(LN) -s python$(LDVERSION)$(EXE) python$(VERSION)$(EXE)); \
 	fi
 	@if test "$(PY_ENABLE_SHARED)" = 1 -o "$(STATIC_LIBPYTHON)" = 1; then \
 		if test -f $(LDLIBRARY) && test "$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKDIR)" = "no-framework" ; then \