diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 3913b956..76704548 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 xbps-0.16 (???):
 
+ * libxbps: change the order in which package files are removed:
+
+	current: files, conf_files, links, directories.
+	previous: links, files, conf_files, directories.
+
+   This is required to avoid removing working symlinks, which could be
+   owned by another installed package. Now only dangling symlinks are now
+   removed.
+
  * libxbps: when removing package files and if metadata files.plist wasn't
    found, do not error out and rather just continue until the package is
    fully removed.
diff --git a/include/xbps_api.h b/include/xbps_api.h
index 2d032a52..b4de93b4 100644
--- a/include/xbps_api.h
+++ b/include/xbps_api.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
  */
 #define XBPS_PKGINDEX_VERSION	"1.4"
 
-#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20120521"
+#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20120525"
 #define XBPS_VERSION		"0.16"
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/package_remove.c b/lib/package_remove.c
index 45cf0053..d6cdd331 100644
--- a/lib/package_remove.c
+++ b/lib/package_remove.c
@@ -131,11 +131,13 @@ xbps_remove_pkg_files(prop_dictionary_t dict,
 		      const char *pkgver)
 {
 	struct xbps_handle *xhp;
+	struct stat st;
 	prop_array_t array;
 	prop_object_iterator_t iter;
 	prop_object_t obj;
 	const char *file, *sha256, *version, *curobj = NULL;
 	char *path = NULL, *pkgname = NULL;
+	char buf[PATH_MAX];
 	int rv = 0;
 
 	assert(prop_object_type(dict) == PROP_TYPE_DICTIONARY);
@@ -220,6 +222,22 @@ xbps_remove_pkg_files(prop_dictionary_t dict,
 				free(path);
 				break;
 			}
+		} else if (strcmp(key, "links") == 0) {
+			/*
+			 * All regular files from package were removed at this
+			 * point, so we will only remove dangling symlinks.
+			 */
+			if (realpath(path, buf) == NULL) {
+				if (errno != ENOENT) {
+					free(path);
+					rv = errno;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			if (stat(buf, &st) == 0) {
+				free(path);
+				continue;
+			}
 		}
 		/*
 		 * Remove the object if possible.
@@ -329,15 +347,15 @@ xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version, bool update)
 
 	pkgd = xbps_dictionary_from_metadata_plist(pkgname, XBPS_PKGFILES);
 	if (pkgd) {
-		/* Remove links */
-		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg_files(pkgd, "links", pkgver)) != 0)
-			goto out;
 		/* Remove regular files */
 		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg_files(pkgd, "files", pkgver)) != 0)
 			goto out;
 		/* Remove configuration files */
 		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg_files(pkgd, "conf_files", pkgver)) != 0)
 			goto out;
+		/* Remove links */
+		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg_files(pkgd, "links", pkgver)) != 0)
+			goto out;
 		/* Remove dirs */
 		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg_files(pkgd, "dirs", pkgver)) != 0)
 			goto out;