diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c2623655ad..a984282ff0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ Contao change log
 Version 4.0.0-RC1 (2014-05-XX)
 ------------------------------
 
+### Fixed
+Create absolute symlinks if relative symlinks are not supported (see #208).
+
 ### Removed
 The "postFlushData" hook has been removed (see #196).
 
diff --git a/src/Analyzer/HtaccessAnalyzer.php b/src/Analyzer/HtaccessAnalyzer.php
index f1f5c9a4e0..32903ed66b 100644
--- a/src/Analyzer/HtaccessAnalyzer.php
+++ b/src/Analyzer/HtaccessAnalyzer.php
@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ public function __construct(\SplFileInfo $file)
         $this->file = $file;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a new object instance.
+     *
+     * @param \SplFileInfo $file The file object
+     *
+     * @return static The object instance
+     */
+    public static function create(\SplFileInfo $file)
+    {
+        return new static($file);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks whether the .htaccess file grants access via HTTP.
      *
diff --git a/src/Command/SymlinksCommand.php b/src/Command/SymlinksCommand.php
index c70c67a106..fd751d5bd9 100644
--- a/src/Command/SymlinksCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/SymlinksCommand.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerAwareInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Exception\IOException;
 use Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Filesystem;
 use Symfony\Component\Finder\Finder;
 use Symfony\Component\Finder\SplFileInfo;
@@ -81,9 +82,9 @@ public function generateSymlinks($rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
         $this->symlinkThemes($rootDir, $output);
 
         // Symlink the assets and themes directory
-        $this->symlink('../assets', 'web/assets', $rootDir, $output);
-        $this->symlink('../../system/themes', 'web/system/themes', $rootDir, $output);
-        $this->symlink('../app/logs', 'system/logs', $rootDir, $output);
+        $this->symlink('assets', 'web/assets', $rootDir, $output);
+        $this->symlink('system/themes', 'web/system/themes', $rootDir, $output);
+        $this->symlink('app/logs', 'system/logs', $rootDir, $output);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ public function generateSymlinks($rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
      */
     private function symlinkFiles($uploadPath, $rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
     {
-        $this->relativeSymlink(
+        $this->createSymlinksFromFinder(
             $this->findIn("$rootDir/$uploadPath")->files()->name('.public'),
             $uploadPath,
             $rootDir,
@@ -112,12 +113,10 @@ private function symlinkFiles($uploadPath, $rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
     private function symlinkModules($rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
     {
         $filter = function (SplFileInfo $file) {
-            $htaccess = new HtaccessAnalyzer($file);
-
-            return $htaccess->grantsAccess();
+            return HtaccessAnalyzer::create($file)->grantsAccess();
         };
 
-        $this->relativeSymlink(
+        $this->createSymlinksFromFinder(
             $this->findIn("$rootDir/system/modules")->files()->filter($filter)->name('.htaccess'),
             'system/modules',
             $rootDir,
@@ -143,30 +142,33 @@ private function symlinkThemes($rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
                 continue;
             }
 
-            $this->symlink("../../$path", 'system/themes/' . basename($path), $rootDir, $output);
+            $this->symlink($path, 'system/themes/' . basename($path), $rootDir, $output);
         }
     }
 
     /**
-     * Generates a symlink relative to the given path.
+     * Generates symlinks from a Finder object.
      *
      * @param Finder          $finder  The finder object
      * @param string          $prepend The path to prepend
      * @param string          $rootDir The root directory
      * @param OutputInterface $output  The output object
      */
-    private function relativeSymlink(Finder $finder, $prepend, $rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
+    private function createSymlinksFromFinder(Finder $finder, $prepend, $rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
     {
         /** @var SplFileInfo $file */
         foreach ($finder as $file) {
             $path = rtrim($prepend . '/' . $file->getRelativePath(), '/');
-            $this->symlink(str_repeat('../', substr_count($path, '/') + 1) . $path, "web/$path", $rootDir, $output);
+            $this->symlink($path, "web/$path", $rootDir, $output);
         }
     }
 
     /**
      * Generates a symlink.
      *
+     * The method will try to generate relative symlinks and fall back to generating
+     * absolute symlinks if relative symlinks are not supported (see #208).
+     *
      * @param string          $source  The symlink name
      * @param string          $target  The symlink target
      * @param string          $rootDir The root directory
@@ -177,19 +179,14 @@ private function symlink($source, $target, $rootDir, OutputInterface $output)
         $this->validateSymlink($source, $target, $rootDir);
 
         $fs = new Filesystem();
-        $fs->symlink($source, "$rootDir/$target");
-
-        $stat = lstat("$rootDir/$target");
 
-        // Try to fix the UID
-        if (function_exists('lchown') && $stat['uid'] !== getmyuid()) {
-            lchown("$rootDir/$target", getmyuid());
+        try {
+            $fs->symlink(rtrim($fs->makePathRelative($source, dirname($target)), '/'), "$rootDir/$target");
+        } catch (IOException $e) {
+            $fs->symlink("$rootDir/$source", "$rootDir/$target");
         }
 
-        // Try to fix the GID
-        if (function_exists('lchgrp') && $stat['gid'] !== getmygid()) {
-            lchgrp("$rootDir/$target", getmygid());
-        }
+        $this->fixSymlinkPermissions($target, $rootDir);
 
         $output->writeln("Added <comment>$target</comment> as symlink to <comment>$source</comment>.");
     }
@@ -225,6 +222,27 @@ private function validateSymlink($source, $target, $rootDir)
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Fixes the symlink permissions.
+     *
+     * @param string $target  The symlink target
+     * @param string $rootDir The root directory
+     */
+    private function fixSymlinkPermissions($target, $rootDir)
+    {
+        $stat = lstat("$rootDir/$target");
+
+        // Try to fix the UID
+        if (function_exists('lchown') && $stat['uid'] !== getmyuid()) {
+            lchown("$rootDir/$target", getmyuid());
+        }
+
+        // Try to fix the GID
+        if (function_exists('lchgrp') && $stat['gid'] !== getmygid()) {
+            lchgrp("$rootDir/$target", getmygid());
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns a finder instance to find files in the given path.
      *