diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index bc761ab98b..ed5f66489b 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -199,6 +199,16 @@ if 'CFLAGS' is specified it must enable optimization.  For example:
      RELRO and a read-only global offset table (GOT), at the cost of
      slightly increased program load times.
 
+'--disable-major-minor-libraries'
+     Do not install shared objects under file names that contain the
+     major and minor version of the GNU C Library.  By default, such
+     names are used, and the names defined by the ABI are provided as
+     symbolic links only.  This causes problems with certain package
+     managers during library upgrades and (in particular) downgrades, so
+     this option can be used to install these shared objects directly
+     under their ABI-defined names, without an additional indirection
+     via symbolic links.
+
 '--enable-pt_chown'
      The file 'pt_chown' is a helper binary for 'grantpt' (*note
      Pseudo-Terminals: Allocation.) that is installed setuid root to fix
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 242d36de91..4cf422adce 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ ifeq (yes,$(build-shared))
 install: install-symbolic-link
 .PHONY: install-symbolic-link
 install-symbolic-link: subdir_install
-	$(symbolic-link-prog) $(symbolic-link-list)
+	if test -e $(symbolic-link-list) ; then \
+	  $(symbolic-link-prog) $(symbolic-link-list); \
+	fi
 	rm -f $(symbolic-link-list)
 
 install:
diff --git a/Makerules b/Makerules
index d3f29d0b89..162b92a4c2 100644
--- a/Makerules
+++ b/Makerules
@@ -989,6 +989,14 @@ versioned := $(strip $(foreach so,$(install-lib.so),\
 install-lib.so-versioned := $(filter $(versioned), $(install-lib.so))
 install-lib.so-unversioned := $(filter-out $(versioned), $(install-lib.so))
 
+# $(install-major-minor-libraries) is used within install-lib-nosubdir
+# to trigger installation of the actual implementation file.
+ifeq (yes,$(major-minor-libraries))
+install-major-minor-libraries = $(inst_slibdir)/$(L:.so=)-$(version).so
+else
+install-major-minor-libraries =
+endif
+
 # For libraries whose soname have version numbers, we install three files:
 #	$(inst_libdir)/libfoo.so	-- for linking, symlink or ld script
 #	$(inst_slibdir)/libfoo.so.NN	-- for loading by SONAME, symlink
@@ -996,7 +1004,7 @@ install-lib.so-unversioned := $(filter-out $(versioned), $(install-lib.so))
 install-lib-nosubdir: $(install-lib.so-unversioned:%=$(inst_slibdir)/%) \
 		      $(foreach L,$(install-lib.so-versioned),\
 				$(inst_libdir)/$L \
-				$(inst_slibdir)/$(L:.so=)-$(version).so \
+				$(install-major-minor-libraries) \
 				$(inst_slibdir)/$L$($L-version))
 
 # Install all the unversioned shared libraries.
@@ -1049,6 +1057,7 @@ endef
 endif
 
 ifdef libc.so-version
+ifeq (yes,$(major-minor-libraries))
 # For a library specified to be version N, install three files:
 # libc.so	->	libc.so.N	(e.g. libc.so.6)
 # libc.so.6	->	libc-VERSION.so	(e.g. libc-1.10.so)
@@ -1058,6 +1067,11 @@ $(inst_slibdir)/libc.so$(libc.so-version): $(inst_slibdir)/libc-$(version).so \
 	$(make-shlib-link)
 $(inst_slibdir)/libc-$(version).so: $(common-objpfx)libc.so $(+force)
 	$(do-install-program)
+else # !$(major-minor-libraries)
+$(inst_slibdir)/libc.so$(libc.so-version): $(common-objpfx)libc.so $(+force)
+	$(do-install-program)
+endif # !$(major-minor-libraries)
+
 install: $(inst_slibdir)/libc.so$(libc.so-version)
 
 # This fragment of linker script gives the OUTPUT_FORMAT statement
@@ -1124,6 +1138,7 @@ include $(o-iterator)
 
 generated += $(foreach o,$(versioned),$o$($o-version))
 
+ifeq (yes,$(major-minor-libraries))
 define o-iterator-doit
 $(inst_slibdir)/$o$($o-version): $(inst_slibdir)/$(o:.so=)-$(version).so \
 				 $(+force);
@@ -1138,6 +1153,15 @@ $(inst_slibdir)/$(o:.so=)-$(version).so: $(objpfx)$o $(+force);
 endef
 object-suffixes-left := $(versioned)
 include $(o-iterator)
+
+else # !$(major-minor-libraries)
+define o-iterator-doit
+$(inst_slibdir)/$o$($o-version): $(objpfx)$o $(+force);
+	$$(do-install-program)
+endef
+object-suffixes-left := $(versioned)
+include $(o-iterator)
+endif # !$(major-minor-libraries)
 endif # ifneq (,$(versioned))
 
 define do-install-so
diff --git a/config.make.in b/config.make.in
index cbf59114b0..55a8351dd2 100644
--- a/config.make.in
+++ b/config.make.in
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ have-libcap = @have_libcap@
 have-cc-with-libunwind = @libc_cv_cc_with_libunwind@
 fno-unit-at-a-time = @fno_unit_at_a_time@
 bind-now = @bindnow@
+major-minor-libraries = @major_minor_libraries@
 have-hash-style = @libc_cv_hashstyle@
 use-default-link = @use_default_link@
 have-cxx-thread_local = @libc_cv_cxx_thread_local@
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a86bcf7671..cb98b4c047 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -681,6 +681,7 @@ experimental_malloc
 enable_werror
 all_warnings
 force_install
+major_minor_libraries
 bindnow
 hardcoded_path_in_tests
 enable_timezone_tools
@@ -774,6 +775,7 @@ enable_hidden_plt
 enable_bind_now
 enable_stack_protector
 enable_static_nss
+enable_major_minor_libraries
 enable_force_install
 enable_maintainer_mode
 enable_kernel
@@ -1435,6 +1437,10 @@ Optional Features:
                           Use -fstack-protector[-all|-strong] to detect glibc
                           buffer overflows
   --enable-static-nss     build static NSS modules [default=no]
+  --enable-major-minor-libraries
+                          install most shared objects under names based on the
+                          glibc version, with symbolic links to them
+                          [default=yes]
   --disable-force-install don't force installation of files from this package,
                           even if they are older than the installed files
   --enable-maintainer-mode
@@ -3480,6 +3486,15 @@ if test x"$static_nss" = xyes || test x"$shared" = xno; then
 
 fi
 
+# Check whether --enable-major-minor-libraries was given.
+if test "${enable_major_minor_libraries+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_major_minor_libraries; major_minor_libraries=$enableval
+else
+  major_minor_libraries=yes
+fi
+
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-force-install was given.
 if test "${enable_force_install+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_force_install; force_install=$enableval
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f2588f394f..91d54e6926 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -242,6 +242,13 @@ if test x"$static_nss" = xyes || test x"$shared" = xno; then
   AC_DEFINE(DO_STATIC_NSS)
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([major-minor-libraries],
+	AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-major-minor-libraries],
+	[install most shared objects under names based on the glibc version, with symbolic links to them  @<:@default=yes@:>@]),
+	[major_minor_libraries=$enableval],
+	[major_minor_libraries=yes])
+AC_SUBST(major_minor_libraries)
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([force-install],
 	      AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-force-install],
 			     [don't force installation of files from this package, even if they are older than the installed files]),
diff --git a/elf/Makefile b/elf/Makefile
index 5389c35536..3211dbfd64 100644
--- a/elf/Makefile
+++ b/elf/Makefile
@@ -628,6 +628,7 @@ $(objpfx)trusted-dirs.st: Makefile $(..)Makeconfig
 CPPFLAGS-dl-load.c += -I$(objpfx). -I$(csu-objpfx).
 
 ifeq (yes,$(build-shared))
+ifeq (yes,$(major-minor-libraries))
 $(inst_slibdir)/$(rtld-version-installed-name): $(objpfx)ld.so $(+force)
 	$(make-target-directory)
 	$(do-install-program)
@@ -637,11 +638,16 @@ $(inst_rtlddir)/$(rtld-installed-name): \
   $(inst_slibdir)/libc-$(version).so
 	$(make-target-directory)
 	$(make-shlib-link)
+else # !$(major-minor-libraries)
+$(inst_rtlddir)/$(rtld-installed-name): $(objpfx)ld.so $(+force)
+	$(make-target-directory)
+	$(do-install-program)
+endif # !$(major-minor-libraries)
 
 # Special target called by parent to install just the dynamic linker.
 .PHONY: ldso_install
 ldso_install: $(inst_rtlddir)/$(rtld-installed-name)
-endif
+endif # $(build-shared)
 
 
 # Workarounds for ${exec_prefix} expansion in configure variables.
diff --git a/manual/install.texi b/manual/install.texi
index f1d858fb78..3e0ae46285 100644
--- a/manual/install.texi
+++ b/manual/install.texi
@@ -226,6 +226,15 @@ provides additional security hardening because it enables full RELRO
 and a read-only global offset table (GOT), at the cost of slightly
 increased program load times.
 
+@item --disable-major-minor-libraries
+Do not install shared objects under file names that contain the major
+and minor version of @theglibc.  By default, such names are used, and
+the names defined by the ABI are provided as symbolic links only.  This
+causes problems with certain package managers during library upgrades
+and (in particular) downgrades, so this option can be used to install
+these shared objects directly under their ABI-defined names, without an
+additional indirection via symbolic links.
+
 @pindex pt_chown
 @findex grantpt
 @item --enable-pt_chown
