diff --git a/adm/genconf.tcl b/adm/genconf.tcl
index d6d874504f..e90a70d146 100644
--- a/adm/genconf.tcl
+++ b/adm/genconf.tcl
@@ -371,8 +371,8 @@ entry         .myFrame.myVcVarsEntry -textvariable VCVARS -width 70
 ttk::button   .myFrame.myVcBrowseBtn -text "Browse" -command wokdep:gui:BrowseVcVars
 
 #
-checkbutton   .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsCheck   -offvalue "false" -onvalue "true" -variable SHORTCUT_HEADERS
-ttk::label    .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsLbl     -text "Create short-cuts to headers in inc folder instead of copying"
+ttk::combobox .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsCombo   -values { {ShortCut} {Copy} {HardLink} } -textvariable SHORTCUT_HEADERS -state readonly -width 12
+ttk::label    .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsLbl     -text "Strategy for filling headers folder inc:"
 
 #
 ttk::label    .myFrame.mySrchLbl       -text "3rd-parties search path:" -padding {5 5 80 5}
@@ -465,8 +465,8 @@ if { "$tcl_platform(platform)" == "windows" } {
 
 #
 grid .myFrame.myHxxChecks -row $aRowIter -column 0 -columnspan 10 -sticky w
-grid .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsCheck   -row 0 -column 0
-grid .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsLbl     -row 0 -column 1
+grid .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsLbl     -row 0 -column 0
+grid .myFrame.myHxxChecks.myScutsCombo   -row 0 -column 1
 incr aRowIter
 #
 grid .myFrame.mySrchLbl       -row $aRowIter -column 0 -columnspan 10 -sticky w
diff --git a/adm/genconfdeps.tcl b/adm/genconfdeps.tcl
index 449aca0dec..c9a4a81c3c 100644
--- a/adm/genconfdeps.tcl
+++ b/adm/genconfdeps.tcl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ if { "$tcl_platform(platform)" == "unix" } {
   set VCVARS ""
 }
 
-set SHORTCUT_HEADERS "true"
+set SHORTCUT_HEADERS "ShortCut"
 
 set HAVE_FREEIMAGE "false"
 set HAVE_GL2PS     "false"
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ if { [info exists ::env(VCVARS)] } {
 }
 if { [info exists ::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS)] } {
   set SHORTCUT_HEADERS "$::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS)"
+  if { $SHORTCUT_HEADERS == "true" } {
+    set SHORTCUT_HEADERS "ShortCut"
+  }
 }
 if { [info exists ::env(HAVE_FREEIMAGE)] } {
   set HAVE_FREEIMAGE "$::env(HAVE_FREEIMAGE)"
diff --git a/adm/genproj.tcl b/adm/genproj.tcl
index ebae8f2f3b..af1fde8b6d 100644
--- a/adm/genproj.tcl
+++ b/adm/genproj.tcl
@@ -639,16 +639,27 @@ proc osutils:collectinc {theModules theIncPath} {
       }
     }
   }
-  lsort -unique $anUsedToolKits
+  set anUsedToolKits [lsort -unique $anUsedToolKits]
 
   set anUnits {}
   foreach anUsedToolKit $anUsedToolKits {
     set anUnits [concat $anUnits [osutils:tk:units $anUsedToolKit]]
   }
-  lsort -unique $anUnits
+  set anUnits [lsort -unique $anUnits]
 
-  if { [info exists ::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS)] && 
-       $::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS) == "true" } {
+  # define copying style
+  set aCopyType "copy"
+  if { [info exists ::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS)] } {
+    if { [string equal -nocase $::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS) "hard"]
+      || [string equal -nocase $::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS) "hardlink"] } {
+      set aCopyType "hardlink"
+    } elseif { [string equal -nocase $::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS) "true"]
+            || [string equal -nocase $::env(SHORTCUT_HEADERS) "shortcut"] } {
+      set aCopyType "shortcut"
+    }
+  }
+
+  if { $aCopyType == "shortcut" } {
     # template preparation
     if { ![file exists $::THE_CASROOT/adm/templates/header.in] } {
       puts "template file does not exist: $::THE_CASROOT/adm/templates/header.in"
@@ -683,6 +694,7 @@ proc osutils:collectinc {theModules theIncPath} {
               continue
             }
           }
+          file delete -force "$theIncPath/$aHeaderFileName"
         }
 
         set aShortCutHeaderFile [open "$theIncPath/$aHeaderFileName" "w"]
@@ -690,7 +702,7 @@ proc osutils:collectinc {theModules theIncPath} {
         puts $aShortCutHeaderFile $aShortCutHeaderFileContent
         close $aShortCutHeaderFile
       }
-    }  
+    }
   } else {
     set nbcopied 0
     foreach anUnit $anUnits {
@@ -700,14 +712,20 @@ proc osutils:collectinc {theModules theIncPath} {
 
         # copy file only if target does not exist or is older than original
         set torig [file mtime $aHeaderFile]
-        if { ! [file isfile $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName] } {
-          set tcopy 0
-        } else {
+        set tcopy 0
+        if { [file isfile $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName] } {
           set tcopy [file mtime $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName]
         }
         if { $tcopy < $torig } {
           incr nbcopied
-          file copy -force $aHeaderFile $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName
+          if { $aCopyType == "hardlink" } {
+            if { $tcopy != 0 } {
+              file delete -force "$theIncPath/$aHeaderFileName"
+            }
+            file link -hard  $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName $aHeaderFile
+          } else {
+            file copy -force $aHeaderFile $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName
+          }
         } elseif { $tcopy != $torig } {
           puts "Warning: file $anIncPath/$aHeaderFileName is newer than $aHeaderFile, not changed!"
         }
diff --git a/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_linux.png b/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_linux.png
index 298c32f992..9125c47421 100644
Binary files a/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_linux.png and b/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_linux.png differ
diff --git a/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_windows.png b/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_windows.png
index 81a4ec350b..409dff035c 100644
Binary files a/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_windows.png and b/dox/dev_guides/building/3rdparty/images/genconf_windows.png differ
diff --git a/dox/dev_guides/building/code_blocks.md b/dox/dev_guides/building/code_blocks.md
index a370c09dbb..932ba75c9f 100644
--- a/dox/dev_guides/building/code_blocks.md
+++ b/dox/dev_guides/building/code_blocks.md
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ The environment is defined in the file *custom.sh* (on Linux and OS X) or *custo
 
 * Add paths to includes of used third-party libraries in variable *CSF_OPT_INC*. 
 * Add paths to their binary libraries in variable  *CSF_OPT_LIB64*.
-* Set variable *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* to "true" to have folder *inc* populated by short-cut files pointing to actual headers located in *src*; otherwise, header files will be copied to *inc*.
+* Set variable *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* to specify a method for population of folder *inc* by header files. Supported methods are:
+  * *Copy* - headers will be copied from *src*;
+  * *ShortCut* - short-cut header files will be created, redirecting to same-named header located in *src*;
+  * "HardLink* - hard links to headers located in *src* will be created.
 * For optional  third-party libraries, set corresponding environment variable <i>HAVE_<LIBRARY_NAME></i> to either *false*,  e.g.:
 ~~~~~
        export HAVE_GL2PS=false
diff --git a/dox/dev_guides/building/msvc.md b/dox/dev_guides/building/msvc.md
index 8a7cd95679..e54df86da3 100644
--- a/dox/dev_guides/building/msvc.md
+++ b/dox/dev_guides/building/msvc.md
@@ -30,13 +30,16 @@ If you have Visual Studio projects already available (pre-installed or generated
 * *ARCH* -- architecture (32 or 64), affects only *PATH* variable for execution
 * <i>HAVE_*</i> -- flags to enable or disable use of optional third-party products
 * <i>CSF_OPT_*</i> -- paths to search for includes and binaries of all used  third-party products
-* *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* -- if set to "true", folder *inc* will be populated by short-cut files pointing to actual headers located in *src*; otherwise, header files will be copied to *inc*.
+* *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* -- defines method for population of folder *inc* by header files. Supported methods are:
+  * *Copy* - headers will be copied from *src*;
+  * *ShortCut* - short-cut header files will be created, redirecting to same-named header located in *src*;
+  * "HardLink* - hard links to headers located in *src* will be created.
 
 Alternatively, you can launch **genconf**, a GUI tool allowing to configure build options interactively.
 That tool will analyze your environment and propose you to choose available options:
 
 * Version of Visual Studio to be used (from the list of installed ones, detected by presence of environment variables like *VS100COMNTOOLS*)
-* Option to use short-cuts to header files in folder *inc* (enabled by default).
+* Method to populate folder *inc* (short-cuts by default).
 * Location of third-party libraries (usually downloaded from OCCT web site, see above).
 * Path to common directory where third-party libraries are located (optional)
 * Paths to headers and binaries of the third-party libraries (found automatically basing on previous options; click button "Reset" to update).
diff --git a/dox/dev_guides/building/xcode.md b/dox/dev_guides/building/xcode.md
index 023090051b..a5684d470b 100644
--- a/dox/dev_guides/building/xcode.md
+++ b/dox/dev_guides/building/xcode.md
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ The environment is defined in the file *custom.sh* which can be edited directly:
 
 * Add paths to includes of used third-party libraries in variable *CSF_OPT_INC* (use colon ":" as path separator).
 * Add paths to their binary libraries in variable  *CSF_OPT_LIB64*.
-* Set variable *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* to "true" to have folder *inc* populated by short-cut files pointing to actual headers located in *src*; otherwise, header files will be copied to *inc*.
+* Set variable *SHORTCUT_HEADERS* to specify a method for population of folder *inc* by header files. Supported methods are:
+  * *Copy* - headers will be copied from *src*;
+  * *ShortCut* - short-cut header files will be created, redirecting to same-named header located in *src*;
+  * "HardLink* - hard links to headers located in *src* will be created.
 * For optional  third-party libraries, set corresponding environment variable <i>HAVE_<LIBRARY_NAME></i> to either *false*,  e.g.:
 ~~~~~
        export HAVE_GL2PS=false