diff --git a/meta/classes/package.bbclass b/meta/classes/package.bbclass
index 39c1d4b..9acc745 100644
--- a/meta/classes/package.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/package.bbclass
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 #
 # b) perform_packagecopy - Copy D into PKGD
 #
+# b.1) package_snap_lib_symlinks - snap lib symlinks when PACKAGE_SNAP_LIB_SYMLINKS is enabled.
+#      Runtime optimisation of shared object libraries is used when you use
+#      PACKAGE_SNAP_LIB_SYMLINKS = "1" in distribution configuration file. It
+#      causes removal of symbolic link indirection in final image thus speeding
+#      up loading of shared library object as well as saving inode and
+#      directory entry in file system.
+#
 # c) package_do_split_locales - Split out the locale files, updates FILES and PACKAGES
 #
 # d) split_and_strip_files - split the files into runtime and debug and strip them.
@@ -433,6 +440,72 @@ python perform_packagecopy () {
 	os.system('tar -cf - -C %s -ps . | tar -xf - -C %s' % (dest, dvar))
 }
 
+python package_snap_lib_symlinks () {
+	"""
+	Snapping of shared libraries symbolic links consists of 2 steps:
+	1) renaming shared library file so that its file name is equal to DT_SONAME
+	   See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soname for more information.
+	2) fixing of any dangling symbolic links that could be the result of previous step
+	"""
+	import re
+	import os.path as p
+
+	def get_soname(exefile):
+		cmd = d.getVar('OBJDUMP', True) + " -p " + exefile + " 2>/dev/null"
+		cmd = "PATH=\"%s\" %s" % (d.getVar('PATH', True), cmd)
+		fd = os.popen(cmd)
+		lines = fd.readlines()
+		fd.close()
+		for l in lines:
+			m = re.match("\s+SONAME\s+([^\s]*)", l)
+			if m:
+				return m.group(1)
+		return p.basename(exefile)
+
+	def get_cached_soname(exefile):
+		realfile = p.realpath(exefile)
+		if get_cached_soname.cache.has_key(realfile):
+			return get_cached_soname.cache[realfile]
+		else:
+			soname = get_soname(realfile)
+			get_cached_soname.cache[realfile] = soname
+			return soname
+	get_cached_soname.cache = dict()
+
+	def is_cyclic_symlink(target, link):
+		link_normpath = p.normpath(link)
+		if p.isabs(target):
+			return p.normpath(target) == link_normpath
+		else:
+			return p.normpath(p.join(p.dirname(link), target)) == link_normpath
+
+	top = d.getVar('PKGD', True)
+	lib_re = re.compile("^.*\.so")
+	symlinks = list()
+	renames = list()
+	for root, dirs, files in os.walk(top):
+		for file in files:
+			path = p.join(root, file)
+			if p.islink(path):
+				link_target = os.readlink(path)
+				link_target_file = p.basename(link_target)
+				if lib_re.match(link_target_file):
+					soname = get_cached_soname(path)
+					if link_target_file != soname:
+						new_target = link_target.replace(link_target_file,soname)
+						if not is_cyclic_symlink(new_target, path):
+							symlinks.append((new_target, path))
+			elif os.access(path, os.X_OK) or lib_re.match(file):
+				soname = get_cached_soname(path)
+				if file != soname:
+					renames.append((path, p.join(root, soname)))
+	for old, new in renames:
+		os.rename(old, new)
+	for src, dst in symlinks:
+		os.unlink(dst)
+		os.symlink(src, dst)
+}
+
 # We generate a master list of directories to process, we start by
 # seeding this list with reasonable defaults, then load from
 # the fs-perms.txt files
@@ -1237,8 +1310,6 @@ python package_do_shlibs() {
 						sonames.append(this_soname)
 				if libdir_re.match(root):
 					needs_ldconfig = True
-				if snap_symlinks and (file != this_soname):
-					renames.append((os.path.join(root, file), os.path.join(root, this_soname)))
 
 	def darwin_so(root, path, file):
 		fullpath = os.path.join(root, file)
@@ -1302,11 +1373,6 @@ python package_do_shlibs() {
 								needed[pkg].append(name)
 								#bb.note("Adding %s for %s" % (name, pkg))
 
-	if d.getVar('PACKAGE_SNAP_LIB_SYMLINKS', True) == "1":
-		snap_symlinks = True
-	else:
-		snap_symlinks = False
-
 	if (d.getVar('USE_LDCONFIG', True) or "1") == "1":
 		use_ldconfig = True
 	else:
@@ -1327,7 +1393,6 @@ python package_do_shlibs() {
 
 		needed[pkg] = []
 		sonames = list()
-		renames = list()
 		top = os.path.join(pkgdest, pkg)
 		for root, dirs, files in os.walk(top):
 			for file in files:
@@ -1339,9 +1404,6 @@ python package_do_shlibs() {
 					darwin_so(root, dirs, file)
 				elif os.access(path, os.X_OK) or lib_re.match(file):
 					linux_so(root, dirs, file)
-		for (old, new) in renames:
-		    	bb.note("Renaming %s to %s" % (old, new))
-			os.rename(old, new)
 		shlibs_file = os.path.join(shlibswork_dir, pkg + ".list")
 		shver_file = os.path.join(shlibswork_dir, pkg + ".ver")
 		if len(sonames):
@@ -1664,6 +1726,7 @@ PACKAGE_PREPROCESS_FUNCS ?= ""
 PACKAGEFUNCS ?= "package_get_auto_pr \	
                 perform_packagecopy \
                 ${PACKAGE_PREPROCESS_FUNCS} \
+		${@['','package_snap_lib_symlinks'][d.getVar('PACKAGE_SNAP_LIB_SYMLINKS', True) == '1']} \
 		package_do_split_locales \
 		split_and_strip_files \
 		fixup_perms \