diff --git a/lib/init.py b/lib/init.py
index 18da1da..49ac3b2 100644
--- a/lib/init.py
+++ b/lib/init.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ def init():
     config_parser.add_argument('--mpi', help='Select compiler (hpcx, intelmpi, openmpi) [hpcx]', default='hpcx')
     config_parser.add_argument('--threads', help='Number of threads used for make [8]', default='8')
     config_parser.add_argument('--verbose', help='Print build output to screen instead piping it to logile', action='store_true')
-
+    config_parser.add_argument('--separate-lib64', help='Do not create symbolic links of files from lib64 in lib', action='store_true')
+    
     parser.add_argument('--config', help='Path to config directory [$pwd/config]', default=os.getcwd()+"/config")
     parser.add_argument('--prefix', help='Path where install directory should be generated [$pwd]', default=os.getcwd())
     parser.add_argument('--src', help='Path where to download source  code to [$pwd/src]', default=os.getcwd()+"/src")
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@ def init():
     parser.add_argument('--mpi', help='Select compiler (hpcx, intelmpi, openmpi) [hpcx]', default='hpcx')
     parser.add_argument('--threads', help='Number of threads used for make [8]', default='8')
     parser.add_argument('--verbose', help='Print build output to screen instead piping it to logile', action='store_true')
-
+    parser.add_argument('--separate-lib64', help='Do not create symbolic links of files from lib64 in lib', action='store_true')
+    
     # run config parser and search config/*.json to add a build and version argument for it to the full parser
     config_dir = config_parser.parse_known_args()[0].config
     for cf in glob.glob(config_dir+"/*.json"):
diff --git a/libinstaller b/libinstaller
index 7248ec2..d1bb3c1 100755
--- a/libinstaller
+++ b/libinstaller
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import shutil
 import json
 import os
+import glob
 from lib.ui import progressbar, bordered, underlined, print_welcome
 from lib.shell import get_from_command
 from lib.toolchain import get_compiler_version, get_mpi_version, set_toolchain
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ compiler = arg_namespace.compiler
 mpi = arg_namespace.mpi
 build_threads = arg_namespace.threads
 verbose = arg_namespace.verbose
+separate_lib64 = arg_namespace.separate_lib64
 
 # extract libraries and versions selected for installation
 selected_libs = []
@@ -65,6 +67,16 @@ if len(sorted_libs) > 0:
 else:
     print("NO LIBRARIES SELECTED FOR INSTALLATION")
 
+# create symbolic links
+if not separate_lib64:
+    lib_dir = inst_dir + "/lib"
+    lib64_dir = inst_dir + "/lib64"
+    if os.path.exists(lib_dir) and os.path.exists(lib64_dir):
+        print("Creating symbolic links...")
+        for file in glob.glob(lib64_dir+"/*.*"):
+            if not os.path.exists(file.replace("lib64","lib")):
+                os.symlink(file, file.replace("lib64","lib"))
+
 # cleanup
 if (not keep_work and os.path.exists(work_dir)):
     print("Cleaning up work directory...")