diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 486fbd9..5c79337 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ have a defined ordering.
 ### Link
 
 Link commands specify how files and directories should be symbolically linked.
+If desired, items can be specified to be forcibly linked, overwriting existing
+files if necessary.
 
 #### Format
 
@@ -99,13 +101,23 @@ locations. Source locations are specified relative to the base directory (that
 is specified when running the installer). Source directory names should contain
 a trailing "/" character.
 
+Link commands support an (optional) extended configuration. In this type of
+configuration, instead of specifying source locations directly, targets are
+mapped to extended configuration dictionaries. These dictionaries map "path" to
+the source path, and specify "force" as true if the file or directory should be
+forcibly linked.
+
 ##### Example
 
 ```json
 {
     "link": {
         "~/.vimrc": "vimrc",
-        "~/.vim": "vim/"
+        "~/.vim": "vim/",
+        "~/.zshrc": {
+            "path": "zshrc",
+            "force": true
+        }
     }
 }
 ```
diff --git a/dotbot/executor/linker.py b/dotbot/executor/linker.py
index 60c76b5..2d14ecc 100644
--- a/dotbot/executor/linker.py
+++ b/dotbot/executor/linker.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import os
+import os, shutil
 from . import Executor
 
 class Linker(Executor):
@@ -19,7 +19,15 @@ class Linker(Executor):
     def _process_links(self, links):
         success = True
         for destination, source in links.items():
-            success &= self._link(source, destination)
+            if isinstance(source, dict):
+                # extended config
+                path = source['path']
+                force = source.get('force', False)
+                if force:
+                    success &= self._delete(destination)
+            else:
+                path = source
+            success &= self._link(path, destination)
         if success:
             self._log.info('All links have been set up')
         else:
@@ -47,6 +55,22 @@ class Linker(Executor):
         path = os.path.expanduser(path)
         return os.path.exists(path)
 
+    def _delete(self, path):
+        success = True
+        if self._exists(path) and not self._is_link(path):
+            fullpath = os.path.expanduser(path)
+            try:
+                if os.path.isdir(fullpath):
+                    shutil.rmtree(fullpath)
+                else:
+                    os.remove(fullpath)
+            except OSError:
+                self._log.warning('Failed to remove %s' % path)
+                success = False
+            else:
+                self._log.lowinfo('Removing %s' % path)
+        return success
+
     def _link(self, source, link_name):
         '''
         Links link_name to source.