diff --git a/lib/cask/app_linker.rb b/lib/cask/app_linker.rb
index d8ac5b5b4..26f092b9c 100644
--- a/lib/cask/app_linker.rb
+++ b/lib/cask/app_linker.rb
@@ -5,33 +5,29 @@ class Cask
     end
 
     def link
-      @cask.linkable_apps.each do |app|
-        link_app(app)
-      end
+      @cask.linkable_apps.each { |app| link_app(app) }
     end
 
     def unlink
-      @cask.linkable_apps.each do |app|
-        unlink_app(app)
-      end
+      @cask.linkable_apps.each { |app| unlink_app(app) }
     end
 
     def unlink_app(app)
       app_path = Cask.appdir.join(app.basename)
-      app_path.delete if app_path.exist?
-    end
-
-    def remove_app_extension(path)
-      Pathname(path.to_s.sub(/\.app$/, ''))
+      if app_path.exist? && app_path.symlink?
+        ohai "Removing link: #{app_path}"
+        app_path.delete
+      end
     end
 
     def link_app(app)
       app_path = Cask.appdir.join(app.basename)
-      if app_path.directory?
+      if app_path.directory? && !app_path.symlink?
         ohai "It seems there is already an app at #{app_path}; not linking."
         return
       end
-      `ln -s "#{app}" "#{app_path}"`
+      ohai "Linking #{app.basename} to #{app_path}"
+      system %Q(ln -hfs "#{app}" "#{app_path}")
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/cask/dsl.rb b/lib/cask/dsl.rb
index 631748d9c..fd9f51e7a 100644
--- a/lib/cask/dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/cask/dsl.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'formula_support'
+require 'set'
 
 module Cask::DSL
   def self.included(base)
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ module Cask::DSL
     end
 
     def linkables
-      @linkables ||= Hash.new([])
+      @linkables ||= Hash.new(Set.new)
     end
 
     def link(type, *files)
diff --git a/test/cask/app_linker_test.rb b/test/cask/app_linker_test.rb
index 7b756d663..92e75b49d 100644
--- a/test/cask/app_linker_test.rb
+++ b/test/cask/app_linker_test.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ describe Cask::AppLinker do
     end
 
     it "works with an application in the root directory" do
-      Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      shutup do
+        Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      end
       TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').must_equal true
     end
 
@@ -23,7 +25,9 @@ describe Cask::AppLinker do
       FileUtils.mv @app, appsubdir
       appinsubdir = appsubdir/'Caffeine.app'
 
-      Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      shutup do
+        Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      end
 
       TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').must_equal true
     end
@@ -31,7 +35,9 @@ describe Cask::AppLinker do
     it "only uses linkables when they are specified" do
       FileUtils.cp_r @app, @app.sub('Caffeine.app', 'CaffeineAgain.app')
 
-      Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      shutup do
+        Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      end
 
       TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').must_equal true
       TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/'CaffeineAgain.app').must_equal false
@@ -40,11 +46,21 @@ describe Cask::AppLinker do
     it "avoids clobbering an existing app by linking over it" do
       (Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').mkpath
 
-      shutup do
+      TestHelper.must_output(self, lambda {
         Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
-      end
+      }, "==> It seems there is already an app at #{Cask.appdir.join('Caffeine.app')}; not linking.")
+
+      (Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').wont_be :symlink?
+    end
+
+    it "happily clobbers an existing symlink" do
+      (Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').make_symlink('/tmp')
+
+      TestHelper.must_output(self, lambda {
+        Cask::AppLinker.new(@caffeine).link
+      }, "==> Linking Caffeine.app to #{Cask.appdir.join('Caffeine.app')}")
 
-      (Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').directory?.must_equal true
+      File.readlink(Cask.appdir/'Caffeine.app').wont_equal '/tmp'
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/cask/dsl_test.rb b/test/cask/dsl_test.rb
index 3d0eb7fd7..edd540278 100644
--- a/test/cask/dsl_test.rb
+++ b/test/cask/dsl_test.rb
@@ -57,6 +57,6 @@ describe Cask::DSL do
     end
 
     instance = CaskWithLinkables.new
-    instance.linkables[:app].must_equal %w[Foo.app Bar.app]
+    Array(instance.linkables[:app]).must_equal %w[Foo.app Bar.app]
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/cli/linkapps_test.rb b/test/cli/linkapps_test.rb
index 56d85f0ea..27797dbed 100644
--- a/test/cli/linkapps_test.rb
+++ b/test/cli/linkapps_test.rb
@@ -12,14 +12,18 @@ describe Cask::CLI::Linkapps do
   end
 
   it "only links casks mentioned when arguments are provided" do
-    Cask::CLI::Linkapps.run('local-transmission')
+    shutup do
+      Cask::CLI::Linkapps.run('local-transmission')
+    end
 
     TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/"Transmission.app").must_equal true
     TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/"Caffeine.app").wont_equal true
   end
 
   it "links all installed casks when no arguments supplied" do
-    Cask::CLI::Linkapps.run
+    shutup do
+      Cask::CLI::Linkapps.run
+    end
 
     TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/"Transmission.app").must_equal true
     TestHelper.valid_alias?(Cask.appdir/"Caffeine.app").must_equal true
diff --git a/test/cli/uninstall_test.rb b/test/cli/uninstall_test.rb
index 3f99de20b..a60ca5a4c 100644
--- a/test/cli/uninstall_test.rb
+++ b/test/cli/uninstall_test.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ describe Cask::CLI::Uninstall do
     caffeine.must_be :installed?
     transmission.must_be :installed?
 
-    Cask::CLI::Uninstall.run('local-caffeine', 'local-transmission')
+    shutup do
+      Cask::CLI::Uninstall.run('local-caffeine', 'local-transmission')
+    end
 
     caffeine.wont_be :installed?
     Cask.appdir.join('Transmission.app').wont_be :symlink?
diff --git a/test/cli/unlinkapps_test.rb b/test/cli/unlinkapps_test.rb
index 3c8dab3e6..80c7e8a51 100644
--- a/test/cli/unlinkapps_test.rb
+++ b/test/cli/unlinkapps_test.rb
@@ -9,14 +9,18 @@ describe Cask::CLI::Unlinkapps do
   end
 
   it "only unlinks casks mentioned when arguments are provided" do
-    Cask::CLI::Unlinkapps.run('local-transmission')
+    shutup do
+      Cask::CLI::Unlinkapps.run('local-transmission')
+    end
 
     (Cask.appdir/"Transmission.app").wont_be :symlink?
     (Cask.appdir/"Caffeine.app").must_be :symlink?
   end
 
   it "unlinks all installed casks when no arguments supplied" do
-    Cask::CLI::Unlinkapps.run
+    shutup do
+      Cask::CLI::Unlinkapps.run
+    end
 
     (Cask.appdir/"Transmission.app").wont_be :symlink?
     (Cask.appdir/"Caffeine.app").wont_be :symlink?