diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
index 278cf65959..8fba7803bd 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ require "install_renamed"
 require "pkg_version"
 require "tap"
 require "formula_renames"
+require "keg"
 
 # A formula provides instructions and metadata for Homebrew to install a piece
 # of software. Every Homebrew formula is a {Formula}.
@@ -330,7 +331,6 @@ class Formula
   # The currently installed version for this formula. Will raise an exception
   # if the formula is not installed.
   def installed_version
-    require "keg"
     Keg.new(installed_prefix).version
   end
 
@@ -657,6 +657,30 @@ class Formula
     self.class.skip_clean_paths.include? to_check
   end
 
+  # Sometimes we accidentally install files outside prefix. After we fix that,
+  # users will get nasty link conflict error. So we create a whitelist here to
+  # allow overwriting certain files. e.g.
+  #   link_overwrite "bin/foo", "lib/bar"
+  #   link_overwrite "share/man/man1/baz-*"
+  def link_overwrite?(path)
+    # Don't overwrite files not created by Homebrew.
+    return false unless path.stat.uid == File.stat(HOMEBREW_BREW_FILE).uid
+    # Don't overwrite files belong to other keg.
+    begin
+      Keg.for(path)
+    rescue NotAKegError, Errno::ENOENT
+      # file doesn't belong to any keg.
+    else
+      return false
+    end
+    to_check = path.relative_path_from(HOMEBREW_PREFIX).to_s
+    self.class.link_overwrite_paths.any? do |p|
+      p == to_check ||
+        to_check.start_with?(p.chomp("/") + "/") ||
+        /^#{Regexp.escape(p).gsub('\*', ".*?")}$/ === to_check
+    end
+  end
+
   def skip_cxxstdlib_check?
     false
   end
@@ -1351,5 +1375,14 @@ class Formula
     def test(&block)
       define_method(:test, &block)
     end
+
+    def link_overwrite(*paths)
+      paths.flatten!
+      link_overwrite_paths.merge(paths)
+    end
+
+    def link_overwrite_paths
+      @link_overwrite_paths ||= Set.new
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb b/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
index 550fd93ada..3c19f7a149 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
@@ -589,9 +589,20 @@ class FormulaInstaller
       keg.remove_linked_keg_record
     end
 
+    link_overwrite_backup = {} # dict: conflict file -> backup file
+    backup_dir = HOMEBREW_CACHE/"Backup"
+
     begin
       keg.link
     rescue Keg::ConflictError => e
+      conflict_file = e.dst
+      if formula.link_overwrite?(conflict_file) && !link_overwrite_backup.key?(conflict_file)
+        backup_file = backup_dir/conflict_file.relative_path_from(HOMEBREW_PREFIX).to_s
+        backup_file.parent.mkpath
+        conflict_file.rename backup_file
+        link_overwrite_backup[conflict_file] = backup_file
+        retry
+      end
       onoe "The `brew link` step did not complete successfully"
       puts "The formula built, but is not symlinked into #{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}"
       puts e
@@ -616,10 +627,24 @@ class FormulaInstaller
       puts e
       puts e.backtrace if debug?
       @show_summary_heading = true
-      ignore_interrupts { keg.unlink }
+      ignore_interrupts do
+        keg.unlink
+        link_overwrite_backup.each do |conflict_file, backup_file|
+          conflict_file.parent.mkpath
+          backup_file.rename conflict_file
+        end
+      end
       Homebrew.failed = true
       raise
     end
+
+    unless link_overwrite_backup.empty?
+      opoo "These files were overwritten during `brew link` step:"
+      puts link_overwrite_backup.keys
+      puts
+      puts "They are backup in #{backup_dir}"
+      @show_summary_heading = true
+    end
   end
 
   def install_plist