diff --git a/MAPPING b/MAPPING
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edeef38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MAPPING
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+terminator::.config/
diff --git a/scripts/makesymlinks.bash b/scripts/makesymlinks.bash
index cae2541..269cc2e 100755
--- a/scripts/makesymlinks.bash
+++ b/scripts/makesymlinks.bash
@@ -3,39 +3,57 @@
 # config directory
 config_dir="$HOME/dotfiles/"
 
+mapping_file="$config_dir/MAPPING"
+
 # backup directory, files that would otherwise be overwritten go there
 backup_dir="$HOME/dotfiles.bak/"
 
-# the following folders inside $config_dir will be inspected and symlinked:
-symlink_folders="bash git i3 vim zsh conky"
+# the following folders inside $config_dir will be inspected and the
+# contents symlinked:
+symlink_folders="bash git i3 vim zsh conky terminator"
+
 
 path_combine()
 {
     echo "$(dirname "$1")/$(basename "$1")/$(basename "$2")"
 }
 
-# backup the old config files
-backup_dir="$backup_dir/$(date +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)"
-echo "Backing up old configuration files into \"$backup_dir\"."
-mkdir -p "$backup_dir"
-for folder in $symlink_folders ; do
-    for file in "$(path_combine "$config_dir" "$folder")"/* ; do
-        oldfile="$(path_combine "$HOME" ".$(basename "$file")")"
-        if [[ -e "$oldfile" ]] ; then
-            destination="$(path_combine "$backup_dir" "$(basename "$oldfile")")"
-            echo "mv: \"$oldfile\" -> \"$destination\""
-            mv "$oldfile" "$destination"
-        else
-            echo "\"$oldfile\" not found, skipped."
-        fi
-    done
-done
+DEFAULT_ROOT="$HOME"
+# returns "" if no mapping necessary
+# format of the MAPPING file:
+# folder::root
+get_mapping()
+{
+    entry="$(grep -E "^$1::.+$" "$mapping_file" | head -n1 | grep -Eo "::.+$" | cut -c 3-)"
+    echo "$entry"
+}
 
-# now symlink the files in $config_dir into the home directory
-echo "Creating symlinks for configuration files in \"$config_dir\"."
+
+backup_dir="$backup_dir/$(date +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)"
+
+# backup the old config files, symlinks will be skipped
+# then symlink the files in $config_dir into the home directory
 for folder in $symlink_folders ; do
-    for file in "$(path_combine "$config_dir" "$folder")"/* ; do
-        destination="$(path_combine "$HOME" ".$(basename "$file")")"
+    mapping="$(get_mapping "$folder")"
+
+    source_folder="$(path_combine "$config_dir" "$folder")"
+    [[ "$(ls "$source_folder")" ]] || continue
+    for file in "$source_folder"/* ; do
+        if [[ -z "$mapping" ]]; then
+            destination="$(path_combine "$DEFAULT_ROOT" ".$(basename "$file")")"
+        else
+            destination="$(path_combine "$(path_combine "$HOME" "$mapping")" "$(basename "$file")")"
+        fi
+        if [[ -L "$destination" ]]; then
+            continue
+        elif [[ -e "$destination" ]]; then
+            backup_destination="$(path_combine "$backup_dir" "$(basename "$destination")")"
+            [[ -d "$backup_dir" ]] || mkdir -p "$backup_dir"
+            echo "mv \"$destination\" -> \"$backup_destination\""
+            mv "$destination" "$backup_destination"
+        fi
+
+        [[ -e "$destination" ]] && [[ "$(readlink "$destination")" == "$file" ]] && continue
         echo "ln -sf \"$file\" -> \"$destination\""
         ln -sf "$file" "$destination"
     done