diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 4d0a5ebad5..c8a84065f5 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -2053,12 +2053,12 @@ CCC = $(CCC_NF) $(ALL_CFLAGS)
 
 # Link the target for normal use or debugging.
 # A shell script is used to try linking without unnecessary libraries.
-$(VIMTARGET): auto/config.mk objects $(OBJ) version.c version.h
-	$(CCC) version.c -o objects/version.o
+$(VIMTARGET): auto/config.mk $(OBJ) objects/version.o
 	@$(BUILD_DATE_MSG)
 	@LINK="$(PURIFY) $(SHRPENV) $(CClink) $(ALL_LIB_DIRS) $(LDFLAGS) \
 		-o $(VIMTARGET) $(OBJ) $(ALL_LIBS)" \
 		MAKE="$(MAKE)" LINK_AS_NEEDED=$(LINK_AS_NEEDED) \
+		PROG="vim" \
 		sh $(srcdir)/link.sh
 
 xxd/xxd$(EXEEXT): xxd/xxd.c
@@ -2267,32 +2267,32 @@ testclean:
 
 # Unittests
 # It's build just like Vim to satisfy all dependencies.
-$(JSON_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk objects $(JSON_TEST_OBJ)
-	$(CCC) version.c -o objects/version.o
+$(JSON_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk $(JSON_TEST_OBJ) objects/version.o
 	@LINK="$(PURIFY) $(SHRPENV) $(CClink) $(ALL_LIB_DIRS) $(LDFLAGS) \
 		-o $(JSON_TEST_TARGET) $(JSON_TEST_OBJ) $(ALL_LIBS)" \
 		MAKE="$(MAKE)" LINK_AS_NEEDED=$(LINK_AS_NEEDED) \
+		PROG="json_test" \
 		sh $(srcdir)/link.sh
 
-$(KWORD_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk objects $(KWORD_TEST_OBJ)
-	$(CCC) version.c -o objects/version.o
+$(KWORD_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk $(KWORD_TEST_OBJ) objects/version.o
 	@LINK="$(PURIFY) $(SHRPENV) $(CClink) $(ALL_LIB_DIRS) $(LDFLAGS) \
 		-o $(KWORD_TEST_TARGET) $(KWORD_TEST_OBJ) $(ALL_LIBS)" \
 		MAKE="$(MAKE)" LINK_AS_NEEDED=$(LINK_AS_NEEDED) \
+		PROG="kword_test" \
 		sh $(srcdir)/link.sh
 
-$(MEMFILE_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk objects $(MEMFILE_TEST_OBJ)
-	$(CCC) version.c -o objects/version.o
+$(MEMFILE_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk $(MEMFILE_TEST_OBJ) objects/version.o
 	@LINK="$(PURIFY) $(SHRPENV) $(CClink) $(ALL_LIB_DIRS) $(LDFLAGS) \
 		-o $(MEMFILE_TEST_TARGET) $(MEMFILE_TEST_OBJ) $(ALL_LIBS)" \
 		MAKE="$(MAKE)" LINK_AS_NEEDED=$(LINK_AS_NEEDED) \
+		PROG="memfile_test" \
 		sh $(srcdir)/link.sh
 
-$(MESSAGE_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk objects $(MESSAGE_TEST_OBJ)
-	$(CCC) version.c -o objects/version.o
+$(MESSAGE_TEST_TARGET): auto/config.mk $(MESSAGE_TEST_OBJ) objects/version.o
 	@LINK="$(PURIFY) $(SHRPENV) $(CClink) $(ALL_LIB_DIRS) $(LDFLAGS) \
 		-o $(MESSAGE_TEST_TARGET) $(MESSAGE_TEST_OBJ) $(ALL_LIBS)" \
 		MAKE="$(MAKE)" LINK_AS_NEEDED=$(LINK_AS_NEEDED) \
+		PROG="message_test" \
 		sh $(srcdir)/link.sh
 
 # install targets
@@ -3503,6 +3503,9 @@ objects/usercmd.o: usercmd.c
 objects/userfunc.o: userfunc.c
 	$(CCC) -o $@ userfunc.c
 
+objects/version.o: version.c
+	$(CCC) -o $@ version.c
+
 objects/vim9class.o: vim9class.c
 	$(CCC) -o $@ vim9class.c
 
diff --git a/src/link.sh b/src/link.sh
index 71ee061e31..e4030de861 100755
--- a/src/link.sh
+++ b/src/link.sh
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@
 # Otherwise this script is fail-safe, falling back to the original full link
 # command if anything fails.
 
-echo "$LINK " >link.cmd
+echo "$LINK " >link_$PROG.cmd
 exit_value=0
 
 if test "$LINK_AS_NEEDED" = yes; then
   echo "link.sh: \$LINK_AS_NEEDED set to 'yes': invoking linker directly."
-  cat link.cmd
-  if sh link.cmd; then
+  cat link_$PROG.cmd
+  if sh link_$PROG.cmd; then
     exit_value=0
     echo "link.sh: Linked fine"
   else
@@ -49,53 +49,53 @@ else
 # - Don't remove the last -lm: On HP-UX Vim links OK but crashes when the GTK
 #   GUI is started, because the "floor" symbol could not be resolved.
 #
-  cat link.cmd
-  if sh link.cmd; then
+  cat link_$PROG.cmd
+  if sh link_$PROG.cmd; then
     touch auto/link.sed
-    cp link.cmd linkit.sh
+    cp link_$PROG.cmd linkit_$PROG.sh
     for libname in SM ICE nsl dnet dnet_stub inet socket dir elf iconv Xt Xmu Xp Xpm X11 Xdmcp x w perl dl pthread thread readline m crypt attr; do
       cont=yes
       while test -n "$cont"; do
-        if grep "l$libname " linkit.sh >/dev/null; then
-          if test ! -f link1.sed; then
+        if grep "l$libname " linkit_$PROG.sh >/dev/null; then
+          if test ! -f link1_$PROG.sed; then
             echo "link.sh: OK, linking works, let's try omitting a few libraries."
             echo "link.sh: See auto/link.log for details."
             rm -f auto/link.log
           fi
-          echo "s/-l$libname  *//" >link1.sed
-          sed -f auto/link.sed <link.cmd >linkit2.sh
-          sed -f link1.sed <linkit2.sh >linkit.sh
+          echo "s/-l$libname  *//" >link1_$PROG.sed
+          sed -f auto/link.sed <link_$PROG.cmd >linkit2_$PROG.sh
+          sed -f link1_$PROG.sed <linkit2_$PROG.sh >linkit_$PROG.sh
           # keep the last -lm
-          if test $libname != "m" || grep "lm " linkit.sh >/dev/null; then
+          if test $libname != "m" || grep "lm " linkit_$PROG.sh >/dev/null; then
             echo "link.sh: Trying to omit the $libname library..."
-            cat linkit.sh >>auto/link.log
+            cat linkit_$PROG.sh >>auto/link.log
             # Redirect this link output, it may contain error messages which
             # should be ignored.
-            if sh linkit.sh >>auto/link.log 2>&1; then
+            if sh linkit_$PROG.sh >>auto/link.log 2>&1; then
               echo "link.sh: Vim doesn't need the $libname library!"
-              cat link1.sed >>auto/link.sed
+              cat link1_$PROG.sed >>auto/link.sed
               rm -f auto/pathdef.c
             else
               echo "link.sh: Vim DOES need the $libname library."
               cont=
-              cp link.cmd linkit.sh
+              cp link_$PROG.cmd linkit_$PROG.sh
             fi
           else
             cont=
-            cp link.cmd linkit.sh
+            cp link_$PROG.cmd linkit_$PROG.sh
           fi
         else
           cont=
-          cp link.cmd linkit.sh
+          cp link_$PROG.cmd linkit_$PROG.sh
         fi
       done
     done
     if test ! -f auto/pathdef.c; then
       $MAKE objects/pathdef.o
     fi
-    if test ! -f link1.sed; then
+    if test ! -f link1_$PROG.sed; then
       echo "link.sh: Linked fine, no libraries can be omitted"
-      touch link3.sed
+      touch link3_$PROG.sed
     fi
   else
     exit_value=$?
@@ -107,29 +107,29 @@ fi
 #
 if test -s auto/link.sed; then
   echo "link.sh: Using auto/link.sed file to omit a few libraries"
-  sed -f auto/link.sed <link.cmd >linkit.sh
-  cat linkit.sh
-  if sh linkit.sh; then
+  sed -f auto/link.sed <link_$PROG.cmd >linkit_$PROG.sh
+  cat linkit_$PROG.sh
+  if sh linkit_$PROG.sh; then
     exit_value=0
     echo "link.sh: Linked fine with a few libraries omitted"
   else
     exit_value=$?
     echo "link.sh: Linking failed, making auto/link.sed empty and trying again"
-    mv -f auto/link.sed link2.sed
+    mv -f auto/link.sed link2_$PROG.sed
     touch auto/link.sed
     rm -f auto/pathdef.c
     $MAKE objects/pathdef.o
   fi
 fi
-if test -f auto/link.sed -a ! -s auto/link.sed -a ! -f link3.sed; then
+if test -f auto/link.sed -a ! -s auto/link.sed -a ! -f link3_$PROG.sed; then
   echo "link.sh: Using unmodified link command"
-  cat link.cmd
-  if sh link.cmd; then
+  cat link_$PROG.cmd
+  if sh link_$PROG.cmd; then
     exit_value=0
     echo "link.sh: Linked OK"
   else
     exit_value=$?
-    if test -f link2.sed; then
+    if test -f link2_$PROG.sed; then
       echo "link.sh: Linking doesn't work at all, removing auto/link.sed"
       rm -f auto/link.sed
     fi
@@ -141,7 +141,8 @@ fi
 #
 # cleanup
 #
-rm -f link.cmd linkit.sh link1.sed link2.sed link3.sed linkit2.sh
+rm -f link_$PROG.cmd linkit_$PROG.sh link1_$PROG.sed link2_$PROG.sed \
+  link3_$PROG.sed linkit2_$PROG.sh
 
 #
 # return an error code if something went wrong
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 33d4bf3ef6..997acf39dc 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -704,6 +704,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    2028,
 /**/
     2027,
 /**/