diff --git a/app/config/drupal10-dev/download.sh b/app/config/drupal10-dev/download.sh
index 0a4291e0..e8f0f9e0 100644
--- a/app/config/drupal10-dev/download.sh
+++ b/app/config/drupal10-dev/download.sh
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ pushd "$WEB_ROOT" >> /dev/null
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-core"                                -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-core
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-drupal-8"                            -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-drupal-8
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-packages"                            -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-packages
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-core '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-core", "options": { "symlink": false } }'
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-drupal-8 '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-drupal-8", "options": { "symlink": false }}'
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-packages '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-packages", "options": { "symlink": false }}'
-  ## The symlink:false helps when running the installation step. We should probably fix that...
+
+  if civicrm_check_requested_ver '<' 5.81.alpha1 ; then _composer_symlink=false ; else _composer_symlink=true ; fi
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-core '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-core", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' } }'
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-drupal-8 '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-drupal-8", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' }}'
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-packages '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-packages", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' }}'
 
   civibuild_apply_user_extras
   civicrm_download_composer_d8 vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core
diff --git a/app/config/drupal9-dev/download.sh b/app/config/drupal9-dev/download.sh
index 27bea5b6..ed1134b2 100644
--- a/app/config/drupal9-dev/download.sh
+++ b/app/config/drupal9-dev/download.sh
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@ pushd "$WEB_ROOT" >> /dev/null
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-core"                                -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-core
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-drupal-8"                            -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-drupal-8
   git_cache_clone "civicrm/civicrm-packages"                            -b "$CIVI_VERSION"      src/civicrm-packages
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-core '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-core", "options": { "symlink": false } }'
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-drupal-8 '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-drupal-8", "options": { "symlink": false }}'
-  composer config repositories.civicrm-packages '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-packages", "options": { "symlink": false }}'
-  ## The symlink:false helps when running the installation step. We should probably fix that...
+
+  if civicrm_check_requested_ver '<' 5.81.alpha1 ; then _composer_symlink=false ; else _composer_symlink=true ; fi
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-core '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-core", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' } }'
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-drupal-8 '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-drupal-8", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' }}'
+  composer config repositories.civicrm-packages '{"type": "path", "url": "./src/civicrm-packages", "options": { "symlink": '$_composer_symlink' }}'
 
   civibuild_apply_user_extras
   civicrm_download_composer_d8 vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core
diff --git a/src/civibuild.lib.sh b/src/civibuild.lib.sh
index e43ec22f..bcaa9d44 100644
--- a/src/civibuild.lib.sh
+++ b/src/civibuild.lib.sh
@@ -617,7 +617,8 @@ function civicrm_download_composer_d8() {
     *) echo 'No Extra Patch required' ; ;;
   esac
 
-  composer require "${EXTRA_COMPOSER[@]}" civicrm/civicrm-{core,packages,drupal-8}:"$CIVI_VERSION_COMP" --prefer-source -W
+  composer config 'preferred-install.civicrm/*' source
+  composer require "${EXTRA_COMPOSER[@]}" civicrm/civicrm-{core,packages,drupal-8}:"$CIVI_VERSION_COMP" -W
   [ -n "$EXTRA_PATCH" ] && git scan am -N "${EXTRA_PATCH[@]}"
 
   if [ -z "$CIVI_ROOT" ]; then
@@ -1013,6 +1014,23 @@ function civicrm_check_ver() {
   fi
 }
 
+###############################################################################
+## Check if the requested version of CiviCRM (*not yet downloaded*) matches some condition.
+## usage: civicrm_check_ver <op> <target>
+## example: if civicrm_check_ver '>=' '5.43' ; then echo NEW; else echo OLD; fi
+function civicrm_check_requested_ver() {
+  cvutil_assertvars civicrm_check_requested_ver CIVI_VERSION
+  local ver="$CIVI_VERSION"
+  if [[ "$ver" == "master" ]]; then
+    ver=9999999.9999.9999
+  fi
+  if env ACTUAL="$ver" OP="$1" EXPECT="$2" php -r 'exit(version_compare(getenv("ACTUAL"), getenv("EXPECT"), getenv("OP"))?0:1);'; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 ###############################################################################
 ## usage: civicrm_ext_download_bare <key> <path>
 function civicrm_ext_download_bare() {