diff --git a/configure/RULES_BUILD b/configure/RULES_BUILD
index 982de28cd..38f89f5da 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_BUILD
+++ b/configure/RULES_BUILD
@@ -384,10 +384,10 @@ $(INSTALL_LIB)/%.lib: %.lib
 $(INSTALL_SHRLIBS): $(INSTALL_SHRLIB)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing shared library $@"
 	@$(INSTALL_LIBRARY) -d -m $(LIB_PERMISSIONS) $< $(INSTALL_SHRLIB)
-ifneq ($(SHRLIB_SUFFIX),.dll)
+ifneq ($(SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE))
 ifneq (,$(strip $(SHRLIB_VERSION)))
-	@$(RM) $(subst .$(SHRLIB_VERSION),,$@)
-	ln -s $< $(@:.$(SHRLIB_VERSION)=)
+	@$(RM) $(subst $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE),$@)
+	ln -s $< $(subst $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE),$@)
 endif # SHRLIB_VERSION
 endif # SHRLIB_SUFFIX
 
@@ -408,10 +408,12 @@ $(INSTALL_TCLLIB)/$(TCLINDEX): $(INSTALL_TCLLIBS)
 $(INSTALL_LOADABLE_SHRLIBS): $(INSTALL_SHRLIB)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing loadable shared library $@"
 	@$(INSTALL_LIBRARY) -d -m 555 $< $(INSTALL_SHRLIB)
+ifneq ($(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE))
 ifneq (,$(strip $(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION)))
-	@$(RM) $(subst .$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION),,$@)
-	ln -s $< $(@:.$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION)=)
+	@$(RM) $(subst $(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE),$@)
+	ln -s $< $(subst $(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX),$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE),$@)
 endif # LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION
+endif # LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX
 
 $(INSTALL_CONFIG)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing config file $@"
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
index fff5a5ee5..24f9a6d9a 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ OBJ = .o
 #Library prefix and suffixes
 LIB_PREFIX = lib
 LIB_SUFFIX = .a
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .so$(addprefix .,$(SHRLIB_VERSION))
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .so$(addprefix .,$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION))
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .so
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE).$(SHRLIB_VERSION)
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE).$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_VERSION)
 LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX = lib
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
index 63eec2768..d31ad2fda 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
@@ -48,11 +48,12 @@ STATIC_CXXFLAGS_NO=  $(VISC_DLL) -D_DLL
 #	But: if there are no objects LIBRARY_LD_OBJS to include
 #	in this library (may be for e.g. base/src/libCompat
 #	on some archs), don't define (and build) any library!
-SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 SHRLIBNAME_YES = $(BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 LOADABLE_SHRLIBNAME = $(LOADABLE_BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 
 #
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
index 1a2521985..0bd045027 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -dynamiclib -flat_namespace -undefined suppress \
        -install_name $(shell perl $(TOOLS)/fullPathName.pl $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
        -compatibility_version $(EPICS_VERSION).$(EPICS_REVISION) \
        -current_version $(SHRLIB_VERSION)
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .$(SHRLIB_VERSION).dylib
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dylib
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .$(SHRLIB_VERSION)$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 
 LOADABLE_SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined suppress
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
index 4ee133578..4994ea682 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
@@ -55,11 +55,12 @@ STATIC_CXXFLAGS_NO=  $(VISC_DLL) -D_DLL
 #	But: if there are no objects LIBRARY_LD_OBJS to include
 #	in this library (may be for e.g. base/src/libCompat
 #	on some archs), don't define (and build) any library!
-SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 SHRLIBNAME_YES = $(BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 LOADABLE_SHRLIBNAME = $(LOADABLE_BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 
 #
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
index 3eda940a8..a229902a7 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
@@ -49,11 +49,12 @@ STATIC_CXXFLAGS_NO=  $(VISC_DLL) -D_DLL
 #	But: if there are no objects LIBRARY_LD_OBJS to include
 #	in this library (may be for e.g. base/src/libCompat
 #	on some archs), don't define (and build) any library!
-SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 SHRLIBNAME_YES = $(BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX=
-LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_PREFIX =
+LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 LOADABLE_SHRLIBNAME = $(LOADABLE_BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(LOADABLE_SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 
 #
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
index 454dfaf20..7e02bbf82 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -dynamiclib -flat_namespace -undefined suppress \
        -install_name $(shell perl $(TOOLS)/fullPathName.pl $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
        -compatibility_version $(EPICS_VERSION).$(EPICS_REVISION) \
        -current_version $(SHRLIB_VERSION)
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .$(SHRLIB_VERSION).dylib
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dylib
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = .$(SHRLIB_VERSION)$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 
 LOADABLE_SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -bundle -flat_namespace -undefined suppress
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-borland.win32-x86-borland b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-borland.win32-x86-borland
index c2c93e106..5be025f73 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-borland.win32-x86-borland
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-borland.win32-x86-borland
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ LINK.shrlib+= $(DLL_DEF_FLAG),$(LIBRARY_LD_RESS)
 #	But: if there are no objects LIBRARY_LD_OBJS to include
 #	in this library (may be for e.g. base/src/libCompat
 #	on some archs), don't define (and build) any library!
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 SHRLIBNAME_YES = $(BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 LOADABLE_SHRLIBNAME = $(LOADABLE_BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
index 65a2be4eb..a9fa77ca8 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ MUNCH_CMD =  $(CCC) /Fo $@ $^
 #	But: if there are no objects LIBRARY_LD_OBJS to include
 #	in this library (may be for e.g. base/src/libCompat
 #	on some archs), don't define (and build) any library!
-SHRLIB_SUFFIX=.dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dll
+SHRLIB_SUFFIX = $(SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE)
 SHRLIBNAME_YES = $(BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))
 LOADABLE_SHRLIBNAME = $(LOADABLE_BUILD_LIBRARY:%=%$(SHRLIB_SUFFIX))