diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c52b4a1e..d630faf3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
 .PHONY: dist mips-dist cleaner test test-all test-dist checkdefs
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := all
 
-VERSION ?= $(shell cat VERSION)
-SOVERSION ?= $(shell echo "$(VERSION)" | sed "s/^\(\(\.\?[0-9]\+\)*\).*$$/\1/")
+SOVERSION ?= $(shell cat VERSION)
 SOVERSION_MAJOR ?= $(shell echo "$(SOVERSION)" | sed "s/\..*//")
 
 CHIBI_FFI ?= $(CHIBI) -q tools/chibi-ffi
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ libchibi-sexp$(SO): $(SEXP_OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(CLIBFLAGS) $(CLINKFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(XLDFLAGS)
 
 libchibi-scheme$(SO).$(SOVERSION): $(SEXP_OBJS) $(EVAL_OBJS)
-	$(CC) $(CLIBFLAGS) $(CLINKFLAGS) -Wl,-soname,libchibi-scheme$(SO).$(SOVERSION_MAJOR) -o $@ $^ $(XLDFLAGS)
+	$(CC) $(CLIBFLAGS) $(CLINKFLAGS) $(LIBCHIBI_FLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(XLDFLAGS)
 
 libchibi-scheme$(SO).$(SOVERSION_MAJOR): libchibi-scheme$(SO).$(SOVERSION)
 	$(LN) -sf $< $@
diff --git a/Makefile.detect b/Makefile.detect
index cb78d7c0..7deb968d 100644
--- a/Makefile.detect
+++ b/Makefile.detect
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ EXE =
 CLIBFLAGS =
 CLINKFLAGS = -dynamiclib
 STATICFLAGS = -static-libgcc -DSEXP_USE_DL=0
-LDFLAGS += -install_name $(DESTDIR)$(SOLIBDIR)/libchibi-scheme.dylib
+LIBCHIBI_FLAGS = -install_name $(DESTDIR)$(SOLIBDIR)/libchibi-scheme.dylib.$(SOVERSION)
 else
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM),bsd)
 SO  = .so
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ CC = gcc
 CLIBFLAGS =
 CLINKFLAGS = -shared
 CPPFLAGS += -DSEXP_USE_STRING_STREAMS=0 -DBUILDING_DLL
-LDFLAGS += -Wl,--out-implib,libchibi-scheme$(SO).a
+LIBCHIBI_FLAGS = -Wl,--out-implib,libchibi-scheme$(SO).a
 STATICFLAGS = -DSEXP_USE_DL=0
 LIBDL = 
 else
@@ -80,13 +80,14 @@ CC = gcc
 CLIBFLAGS =
 CLINKFLAGS = -shared
 CPPFLAGS += -DSEXP_USE_STRING_STREAMS=0
-LDFLAGS += -Wl,--out-implib,libchibi-scheme$(SO).a
+LIBCHIBI_FLAGS = -Wl,--out-implib,libchibi-scheme$(SO).a
 else
 SO  = .so
 EXE =
 CLIBFLAGS = -fPIC
 CLINKFLAGS = -shared
 STATICFLAGS = -static -DSEXP_USE_DL=0
+LIBCHIBI_FLAGS = -Wl,-soname,libchibi-scheme$(SO).$(SOVERSION_MAJOR)
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM),BSD)
 LIBDL=
 RLDFLAGS=-Wl,-R$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)