diff --git a/include/linuxdeploy/core/appdir.h b/include/linuxdeploy/core/appdir.h
index 3c6069c..22ecf74 100644
--- a/include/linuxdeploy/core/appdir.h
+++ b/include/linuxdeploy/core/appdir.h
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
                     // deploy arbitrary file
                     void deployFile(const boost::filesystem::path& from, const boost::filesystem::path& to);
 
+                    // create an <AppDir> relative symlink to <target> at <symlink>.
+                    bool createRelativeSymlink(const boost::filesystem::path& target, const boost::filesystem::path& symlink);
+
                     // execute deferred copy operations
                     bool executeDeferredOperations();
 
diff --git a/src/core/appdir.cpp b/src/core/appdir.cpp
index 195f4a8..9ec4582 100644
--- a/src/core/appdir.cpp
+++ b/src/core/appdir.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <fnmatch.h>
 #include <subprocess.hpp>
 
+
 // local headers
 #include "linuxdeploy/core/appdir.h"
 #include "linuxdeploy/core/elf.h"
@@ -774,6 +775,10 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
                 return d->deployFile(from, to, true);
             }
 
+            bool AppDir::createRelativeSymlink(const bf::path& target, const bf::path& symlink) {
+                d->symlinkFile(target, symlink, true);
+            }
+
             std::vector<bf::path> AppDir::listExecutables() {
                 std::vector<bf::path> executables;
 
diff --git a/tests/core/test_appdir.cpp b/tests/core/test_appdir.cpp
index 39d9b00..e93b683 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_appdir.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/test_appdir.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,20 @@ namespace AppDirTest {
 
         ASSERT_TRUE(is_regular_file(destination));
     }
+
+    TEST_F(AppDirUnitTestsFixture, createSymlink) {
+        auto destination = tmpAppDir / "usr/share/doc/simple_application/test123";
+        appDir.deployFile(SIMPLE_FILE_PATH, destination);
+        appDir.executeDeferredOperations();
+
+        ASSERT_TRUE(is_regular_file(destination));
+
+        appDir.createRelativeSymlink(destination, tmpAppDir / "relative_link");
+
+        auto res = read_symlink(tmpAppDir / "relative_link");
+        auto expected = relative(destination, tmpAppDir);
+        ASSERT_TRUE(res == expected);
+    }
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {