diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/link.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/link.rb
index 3f84329730..dac871ade3 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/link.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/link.rb
@@ -27,49 +27,62 @@ module Homebrew
 
     ARGV.kegs.each do |keg|
       keg_only = Formulary.keg_only?(keg.rack)
-      if HOMEBREW_PREFIX.to_s == "/usr/local" && keg_only
-        if keg.name.start_with?("openssl", "libressl")
-          opoo <<~EOS
-            Refusing to link: #{keg.name}
-            Linking keg-only #{keg.name} means you may end up linking against the insecure,
-            deprecated system OpenSSL while using the headers from Homebrew's #{keg.name}.
-            Instead, pass the full include/library paths to your compiler e.g.:
-              -I#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/include -L#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/lib
-          EOS
-          next
-        elsif (MacOS.version >= :mojave ||
-               MacOS::Xcode.version >= "10.0" ||
-               MacOS::CLT.version >= "10.0") &&
-              keg.to_formula.keg_only_reason.reason == :provided_by_macos
-          opoo <<~EOS
-            Refusing to link macOS-provided software: #{keg.name}
-            Instead, pass the full include/library paths to your compiler e.g.:
-              -I#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/include -L#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/lib
-          EOS
-          next
-        end
-      elsif keg.linked?
-        opoo "Already linked: #{keg}"
-        puts "To relink: brew unlink #{keg.name} && brew link #{keg.name}"
-        next
-      elsif keg_only && !ARGV.force?
-        opoo "#{keg.name} is keg-only and must be linked with --force"
-        puts "Note that doing so can interfere with building software."
-        puts_keg_only_path_message(keg)
-        next
-      elsif mode.dry_run && mode.overwrite
-        puts "Would remove:"
-        keg.link(mode)
 
+      if keg.linked?
+        opoo "Already linked: #{keg}"
+        name_and_flag = if keg_only
+          "--force #{keg.name}"
+        else
+          keg.name
+        end
+        puts "To relink: brew unlink #{keg.name} && brew link #{name_and_flag}"
         next
-      elsif mode.dry_run
-        puts "Would link:"
+      end
+
+      if mode.dry_run
+        if mode.overwrite
+          puts "Would remove:"
+        else
+          puts "Would link:"
+        end
         keg.link(mode)
         puts_keg_only_path_message(keg) if keg_only
-
         next
       end
 
+      if keg_only
+        if HOMEBREW_PREFIX.to_s == "/usr/local"
+          if keg.to_formula.keg_only_reason.reason == :provided_by_macos &&
+             (MacOS.version >= :mojave ||
+              MacOS::Xcode.version >= "10.0" ||
+              MacOS::CLT.version >= "10.0")
+            opoo <<~EOS
+              Refusing to link macOS-provided software: #{keg.name}
+              Instead, pass the full include/library paths to your compiler e.g.:
+                -I#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/include -L#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/lib
+            EOS
+            next
+          end
+
+          if keg.name.start_with?("openssl", "libressl")
+            opoo <<~EOS
+              Refusing to link: #{keg.name}
+              Linking keg-only #{keg.name} means you may end up linking against the insecure,
+              deprecated system OpenSSL while using the headers from Homebrew's #{keg.name}.
+              Instead, pass the full include/library paths to your compiler e.g.:
+                -I#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/include -L#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/#{keg.name}/lib
+            EOS
+            next
+          end
+        end
+
+        unless ARGV.force?
+          opoo "#{keg.name} is keg-only and must be linked with --force"
+          puts_keg_only_path_message(keg)
+          next
+        end
+      end
+
       keg.lock do
         print "Linking #{keg}... "
         puts if ARGV.verbose?
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/link_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/link_spec.rb
index 565de5b537..27ccd0bd5b 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/link_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/link_spec.rb
@@ -37,9 +37,8 @@ describe "brew link", :integration_test do
 
     expect { brew "link", "testball1", "SHELL" => "/bin/zsh" }
       .to output(/testball1 is keg-only/).to_stderr
-      .and output(a_string_matching(/Note that doing so can interfere with building software\./)
-        .and(matching("If you need to have this software first in your PATH instead consider running:")
-        .and(including("echo 'export PATH=\"#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/testball1/bin:$PATH\"' >> ~/.zshrc")))).to_stdout
+      .and output(a_string_matching(/If you need to have this software first in your PATH instead consider running:/)
+        .and(including("echo 'export PATH=\"#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/testball1/bin:$PATH\"' >> ~/.zshrc"))).to_stdout
       .and be_a_success
   end
 end