diff --git a/core/executable_prefer_symlink.mk b/core/executable_prefer_symlink.mk
index 2326e83a0..a2b759cf7 100644
--- a/core/executable_prefer_symlink.mk
+++ b/core/executable_prefer_symlink.mk
@@ -1,55 +1,48 @@
-# include this makefile to create the LOCAL_MODULE symlink to the primary version binary.
-# but this requires the primary version name specified via LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32 or LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64,
-# and different with the LOCAL_MODULE value
+# Include this makefile to create the LOCAL_MODULE symlink to the primary version binary.
+# Include this file only after "include $(BUILD_EXECUTABLE)".
+# It requires the primary version name specified via LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32 or LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64,
+# and different from the LOCAL_MODULE value.
 #
-# Note: now only limited to the binaries that will be installed under system/bin directory
+# Note: now only limited to the binaries that will be installed under system/bin directory.
 
 # Create link to the one used depending on the target
 # configuration. Note that we require the TARGET_IS_64_BIT
 # check because 32 bit targets may not define TARGET_PREFER_32_BIT_APPS
 # et al. since those variables make no sense in that context.
 ifneq ($(LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE),true)
-  my_symlink := $(addprefix $(TARGET_OUT)/bin/, $(LOCAL_MODULE))
+  my_symlink := $(TARGET_OUT)/bin/$(LOCAL_MODULE)
   ifeq ($(TARGET_IS_64_BIT),true)
     ifeq ($(TARGET_SUPPORTS_64_BIT_APPS)|$(TARGET_SUPPORTS_32_BIT_APPS),true|true)
       # We support both 32 and 64 bit apps, so we will have to
       # base our decision on whether the target prefers one or the
       # other.
       ifeq ($(TARGET_PREFER_32_BIT_APPS),true)
-        $(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
+        my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
       else
-        $(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
+        my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
       endif
     else ifeq ($(TARGET_SUPPORTS_64_BIT_APPS),true)
       # We support only 64 bit apps.
-      $(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
+      my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
     else
       # We support only 32 bit apps.
-      $(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
+      my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
     endif
   else
-    $(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
+    my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
   endif
 else
-  my_symlink := $(addprefix $(HOST_OUT)/bin/, $(LOCAL_MODULE))
+  my_symlink := $(HOST_OUT)/bin/$(LOCAL_MODULE)
   ifneq ($(HOST_PREFER_32_BIT),true)
-$(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
+    my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64)
   else
-$(my_symlink): PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
+    my_symlink_tgt := $(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32)
   endif
 endif
 
-$(my_symlink): $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE) $(LOCAL_MODULE_MAKEFILE)
-	@echo "Symlink: $@ -> $(PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME)"
-	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	@rm -rf $@
-	$(hide) ln -sf $(PRIVATE_SRC_BINARY_NAME) $@
-
-# We need this so that the installed files could be picked up based on the
-# local module name
-ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).INSTALLED += $(my_symlink)
-
-# Create the symlink when you run mm/mmm or "make <module_name>"
-$(LOCAL_MODULE) : $(my_symlink)
+# Create the symlink as a post-install command.
+$(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE): PRIVATE_POST_INSTALL_CMD += \
+    ln -sf $(my_symlink_tgt) $(my_symlink)
 
+my_symlink_tgt :=
 my_symlink :=