diff --git a/src/FileNames.cpp b/src/FileNames.cpp
index 866241ed3..76c513f04 100644
--- a/src/FileNames.cpp
+++ b/src/FileNames.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,20 @@ bool FileNames::CopyFile(
 #endif
 }
 
+bool FileNames::HardLinkFile( const wxString& file1, const wxString& file2 )
+{
+#ifdef __WXMSW__
+
+   // return ::CreateHardLinkA( file1.c_str(), file2.c_str(), NULL );
+   return false;
+
+#else
+
+   return 0 == ::link( file1.c_str(), file2.c_str() );
+
+#endif
+}
+
 wxString FileNames::MkDir(const wxString &Str)
 {
    // Behaviour of wxFileName::DirExists() and wxFileName::MkDir() has
diff --git a/src/FileNames.h b/src/FileNames.h
index 79cba8340..354c48fdb 100644
--- a/src/FileNames.h
+++ b/src/FileNames.h
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ public:
    static bool CopyFile(
       const wxString& file1, const wxString& file2, bool overwrite = true);
 
+   // wxWidgets doesn't have a function to do this:  make a hard file-system
+   // link if possible.  It might not be, as when the paths are on different
+   // storage devices.
+   static bool HardLinkFile( const wxString& file1, const wxString& file2);
+
    static wxString MkDir(const wxString &Str);
    static wxString TempDir();