diff --git a/src/gitolite.pm b/src/gitolite.pm
index a6dba92..9f2193f 100644
--- a/src/gitolite.pm
+++ b/src/gitolite.pm
@@ -78,6 +78,18 @@ sub check_ref {
     die "$perm $ref $repo $ENV{GL_USER} DENIED by fallthru\n";
 }
 
+# ln -sf :-)
+sub ln_sf
+{
+    my($srcdir, $glob, $dstdir) = @_;
+    for my $hook ( glob("$srcdir/$glob") ) {
+        $hook =~ s/$srcdir\///;
+        unlink                   "$dstdir/$hook";
+        symlink "$srcdir/$hook", "$dstdir/$hook" or die "could not symlink $hook\n";
+    }
+}
+
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #       where is the rc file hiding?
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -124,7 +136,7 @@ sub new_repo
     wrap_chdir("$repo.git");
     system("git --bare init >&2");
     # propagate our own, plus any local admin-defined, hooks
-    system("cp $hooks_dir/* hooks/");
+    ln_sf($hooks_dir, "*", "hooks");
     chmod 0755, "hooks/update";
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gl-install b/src/gl-install
index 9494fc6..9159ed5 100755
--- a/src/gl-install
+++ b/src/gl-install
@@ -71,14 +71,16 @@ chdir("$repo_base_abs") or die "chdir $repo_base_abs failed: $!\n";
 for my $repo (`find . -type d -name "*.git"`) {
     chomp ($repo);
     # propagate our own, plus any local admin-defined, hooks
-    system("cp $GL_ADMINDIR/src/hooks/* $repo/hooks/");
+    ln_sf("$GL_ADMINDIR/src/hooks", "*", "$repo/hooks");
     chmod 0755, "$repo/hooks/update";
 }
 
 # oh and one of those repos is a bit more special and has an extra hook :)
 if ( -d "gitolite-admin.git/hooks" ) {
     print "copying post-update hook to gitolite-admin repo...\n";
-    system("cp $GL_ADMINDIR/src/ga-post-update-hook gitolite-admin.git/hooks/post-update");
+    unlink "gitolite-admin.git/hooks/post-update";
+    symlink "$GL_ADMINDIR/src/ga-post-update-hook", "gitolite-admin.git/hooks/post-update"
+        or die "could not symlink post-update hook\n";
     chmod 0755, "gitolite-admin.git/hooks/post-update";
 }