diff --git a/src/optional/swig/Makefile.am b/src/optional/swig/Makefile.am
index 1f27bd71e2..c356769938 100644
--- a/src/optional/swig/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/optional/swig/Makefile.am
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ SWIG_INPUT_HDRS := \
 ## same as the .pm file, and automake won't tolerate libraries that
 ## aren't named lib*.so...
 install-data-local: libgncswig.la
+	cd ${perllibdir} && rm -f gnucash.so
 	cd ${perllibdir} && ln libgncswig.so gnucash.so
 
 uninstall-local:
diff --git a/src/optional/swig/Makefile.in b/src/optional/swig/Makefile.in
index 1b92fe02eb..fafa5aa8b7 100644
--- a/src/optional/swig/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/optional/swig/Makefile.in
@@ -430,6 +430,7 @@ maintainer-clean-generic clean mostlyclean distclean maintainer-clean
 
 
 install-data-local: libgncswig.la
+	cd ${perllibdir} && rm -f gnucash.so
 	cd ${perllibdir} && ln libgncswig.so gnucash.so
 
 uninstall-local: