diff --git a/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c b/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
index a47b0722e0..3279c7f444 100644
--- a/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
+++ b/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ static int generate_unit_file(SysvStub *s) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *wants = NULL;
         _cleanup_free_ char *conflicts = NULL;
         int r;
+        struct stat st;
 
         before = strv_join(s->before, " ");
         if (!before)
@@ -168,6 +169,14 @@ static int generate_unit_file(SysvStub *s) {
         if (!unit)
                 return log_oom();
 
+        /* We might already have a symlink with the same name from a Provides:,
+         * or from backup files like /etc/init.d/foo.bak. Real scripts always win,
+         * so remove an existing link */
+        if (lstat(unit, &st) == 0 && S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
+                log_warning("Overwriting existing symlink %s with real service", unit);
+                unlink(unit);
+        }
+
         f = fopen(unit, "wxe");
         if (!f)
                 return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create unit file %s: %m", unit);
@@ -343,6 +352,8 @@ static int load_sysv(SysvStub *s) {
         if (!f)
                 return errno == ENOENT ? 0 : -errno;
 
+        log_debug("Loading SysV script %s", s->path);
+
         while (!feof(f)) {
                 char l[LINE_MAX], *t;
 
@@ -492,6 +503,7 @@ static int load_sysv(SysvStub *s) {
                                                 continue;
 
                                         if (unit_name_to_type(m) == UNIT_SERVICE) {
+                                                log_debug("Adding Provides: alias '%s' for '%s'", m, s->name);
                                                 r = add_alias(s->name, m);
                                         } else {
                                                 /* NB: SysV targets
diff --git a/test/sysv-generator-test.py b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
index df13c98e29..5098519073 100644
--- a/test/sysv-generator-test.py
+++ b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
@@ -271,6 +271,25 @@ class SysvGeneratorTest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(os.readlink(os.path.join(self.out_dir, f)),
                              'foo.service')
 
+    def test_same_provides_in_multiple_scripts(self):
+        '''multiple init.d scripts provide the same name'''
+
+        self.add_sysv('foo', {'Provides': 'foo common'}, enable=True, prio=1)
+        self.add_sysv('bar', {'Provides': 'bar common'}, enable=True, prio=2)
+        err, results = self.run_generator()
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(results), ['bar.service', 'foo.service'])
+        # should create symlink for the alternative name for either unit
+        self.assertIn(os.readlink(os.path.join(self.out_dir, 'common.service')),
+                      ['foo.service', 'bar.service'])
+
+    def test_provide_other_script(self):
+        '''init.d scripts provides the name of another init.d script'''
+
+        self.add_sysv('foo', {'Provides': 'foo bar'}, enable=True)
+        self.add_sysv('bar', {'Provides': 'bar'}, enable=True)
+        err, results = self.run_generator()
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(results), ['bar.service', 'foo.service'])
+
     def test_nonexecutable_script(self):
         '''ignores non-executable init.d script'''
 
@@ -328,6 +347,26 @@ class SysvGeneratorTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assert_enabled('foo.service', [2, 3, 4, 5])
 
+    def test_backup_file(self):
+        '''init.d script with backup file'''
+
+        script = self.add_sysv('foo', {}, enable=True)
+        # backup files (not enabled in rcN.d/)
+        shutil.copy(script, script + '.bak')
+        shutil.copy(script, script + '.old')
+
+        err, results = self.run_generator()
+        print(err)
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(results),
+                         ['foo.bak.service', 'foo.old.service', 'foo.service'])
+
+        # ensure we don't try to create a symlink to itself
+        self.assertNotIn(err, 'itself')
+
+        self.assert_enabled('foo.service', [2, 3, 4, 5])
+        self.assert_enabled('foo.bak.service', [])
+        self.assert_enabled('foo.old.service', [])
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main(testRunner=unittest.TextTestRunner(stream=sys.stdout, verbosity=2))