diff --git a/lib/homesick.rb b/lib/homesick.rb
index fd7a050..09647f9 100644
--- a/lib/homesick.rb
+++ b/lib/homesick.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ class Homesick < Thor
   end
 
   desc "symlink NAME", "Symlinks all dotfiles from the specified castle"
+  method_option :force, :default => false, :desc => "Overwrite existing conflicting symlinks without prompting."
   def symlink(name)
     check_castle_existance(name, "symlink")
 
diff --git a/lib/homesick/actions.rb b/lib/homesick/actions.rb
index f42bcf4..603ad68 100644
--- a/lib/homesick/actions.rb
+++ b/lib/homesick/actions.rb
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Homesick
           say_status :conflict, "#{destination} exists and points to #{destination.readlink}", :red unless options[:quiet]
 
           if options[:force] || shell.file_collision(destination) { source }
-            system "ln -sf #{source} #{destination}" unless options[:pretend]
+            system "ln -nsf #{source} #{destination}" unless options[:pretend]
           end
         end
       elsif destination.exist?
diff --git a/spec/homesick_spec.rb b/spec/homesick_spec.rb
index 672a223..5dd2b6d 100644
--- a/spec/homesick_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/homesick_spec.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ describe "homesick" do
   let(:castles) { home.directory(".homesick/repos") }
 
   let(:homesick) { Homesick.new }
+
   before { homesick.stub!(:repos_dir).and_return(castles) }
 
   describe "clone" do
@@ -104,6 +105,21 @@ describe "homesick" do
       home.join("bin").readlink.should == dotfile
     end
 
+    context "when forced" do
+      let(:homesick) { Homesick.new [], :force => true }
+
+      it "can override symlinks to directories" do
+        somewhere_else = create_construct
+        existing_dotdir_link = home.join(".vim")
+        FileUtils.ln_s somewhere_else, existing_dotdir_link
+
+        dotdir = castle.directory(".vim")
+
+        homesick.symlink("glencairn")
+
+        existing_dotdir_link.readlink.should == dotdir
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "list" do