diff --git a/bin/main.ml b/bin/main.ml
index 153fe74f..37aa8872 100644
--- a/bin/main.ml
+++ b/bin/main.ml
@@ -62,9 +62,10 @@ let execve =
 module Main = struct
   include Jbuilder.Main
 
-  let setup ~log ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps common =
+  let setup ~log ?unlink_aliases ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps common =
     setup
       ~log
+      ?unlink_aliases
       ?workspace_file:common.workspace_file
       ?only_packages:common.only_packages
       ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps ()
@@ -468,7 +469,8 @@ let runtest =
     ]
   in
   let name_ = Arg.info [] ~docv:"DIR" in
-  let go common dirs =
+  let go common force dirs =
+    let unlink_aliases = if force then Some ["runtest"] else None in
     set_common common
       ~targets:(List.map dirs ~f:(function
         | "" | "." -> "@runtest"
@@ -476,7 +478,7 @@ let runtest =
         | dir -> sprintf "@%s/runtest" dir));
     let log = Log.create () in
     Future.Scheduler.go ~log
-      (Main.setup ~log common >>= fun setup ->
+      (Main.setup ?unlink_aliases ~log common >>= fun setup ->
        let targets =
          List.map dirs ~f:(fun dir ->
            let dir = Path.(relative root) (prefix_target common dir) in
@@ -485,6 +487,7 @@ let runtest =
        do_build setup targets) in
   ( Term.(const go
           $ common
+          $ Arg.(value & flag & info ["force"; "f"])
           $ Arg.(value & pos_all string ["."] name_))
   , Term.info "runtest" ~doc ~man)
 
diff --git a/src/alias.ml b/src/alias.ml
index c391aedd..0f4f6d41 100644
--- a/src/alias.ml
+++ b/src/alias.ml
@@ -138,6 +138,18 @@ module Store = struct
     Format.fprintf fmt "Store.t@ @[@<2>(%a)@]" pp_bindings bindings
 
   let create () = Hashtbl.create 1024
+
+  let unlink (store : t) = function
+    | [] -> ()
+    | alias_basenames ->
+      store
+      |> Hashtbl.fold ~init:Path.Set.empty ~f:(fun ~key:_ ~data:entry acc ->
+        if List.mem (name entry.alias) ~set:alias_basenames then (
+          Path.Set.union acc (Path.Set.add entry.alias.file entry.deps)
+        ) else (
+          acc
+        ))
+      |> Path.Set.iter ~f:Path.unlink_no_err
 end
 
 let add_deps store t deps =
diff --git a/src/alias.mli b/src/alias.mli
index 2b0e39de..134cbea1 100644
--- a/src/alias.mli
+++ b/src/alias.mli
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ module Store : sig
   val pp : t Fmt.t
 
   val create : unit -> t
+
+  val unlink : t -> string list -> unit
 end
 
 val add_deps : Store.t -> t -> Path.t list -> unit
diff --git a/src/gen_rules.ml b/src/gen_rules.ml
index 9f65a57e..a83e547e 100644
--- a/src/gen_rules.ml
+++ b/src/gen_rules.ml
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ Add it to your jbuild file to remove this warning.
 end
 
 let gen ~contexts ?(filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps=true)
-      ?only_packages conf =
+      ?only_packages ?(unlink_aliases=[]) conf =
   let open Future in
   let { Jbuild_load. file_tree; jbuilds; packages } = conf in
   let aliases = Alias.Store.create () in
@@ -1152,5 +1152,6 @@ let gen ~contexts ?(filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps=true)
   |> Future.all
   >>| fun l ->
   let rules, context_names_and_stanzas = List.split l in
+  Alias.Store.unlink aliases unlink_aliases;
   (Alias.rules aliases @ List.concat rules,
    String_map.of_alist_exn context_names_and_stanzas)
diff --git a/src/gen_rules.mli b/src/gen_rules.mli
index 91732799..5a8fd414 100644
--- a/src/gen_rules.mli
+++ b/src/gen_rules.mli
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ val gen
   :  contexts:Context.t list
   -> ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps:bool (* default: true *)
   -> ?only_packages:String_set.t
+  -> ?unlink_aliases:string list
   -> Jbuild_load.conf
   -> (Build_interpret.Rule.t list *
      (* Evaluated jbuilds per context names *)
diff --git a/src/import.ml b/src/import.ml
index 40059e43..0308ad37 100644
--- a/src/import.ml
+++ b/src/import.ml
@@ -553,4 +553,11 @@ end
 
 module Fmt = struct
   type 'a t = Format.formatter -> 'a -> unit
+
+  let kstrf f fmt =
+    let buf = Buffer.create 17 in
+    let f fmt = Format.pp_print_flush fmt () ; f (Buffer.contents buf) in
+    Format.kfprintf f (Format.formatter_of_buffer buf) fmt
+
+  let failwith fmt = kstrf failwith fmt
 end
diff --git a/src/main.ml b/src/main.ml
index 6329704c..29fd3855 100644
--- a/src/main.ml
+++ b/src/main.ml
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ let package_install_file { packages; _ } pkg =
   | None -> Error ()
   | Some p -> Ok (Path.relative p.path (p.name ^ ".install"))
 
-let setup ?(log=Log.no_log) ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps
+let setup ?(log=Log.no_log) ?unlink_aliases
+      ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps
       ?workspace ?(workspace_file="jbuild-workspace")
       ?(use_findlib=true)
       ?only_packages
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ let setup ?(log=Log.no_log) ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps
   List.iter contexts ~f:(fun ctx ->
     Log.infof log "@[<1>Jbuilder context:@,%a@]@." Sexp.pp (Context.sexp_of_t ctx));
   Gen_rules.gen conf ~contexts
+    ?unlink_aliases
     ?only_packages
     ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps
   >>= fun (rules, stanzas) ->
diff --git a/src/main.mli b/src/main.mli
index 70ecf048..16821729 100644
--- a/src/main.mli
+++ b/src/main.mli
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ val package_install_file : setup -> string -> (Path.t, unit) result
     it. *)
 val setup
   :  ?log:Log.t
+  -> ?unlink_aliases:string list
   -> ?filter_out_optional_stanzas_with_missing_deps:bool
   -> ?workspace:Workspace.t
   -> ?workspace_file:string
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/jbuild b/test/blackbox-tests/jbuild
index 7c5def1e..d1daa526 100644
--- a/test/blackbox-tests/jbuild
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/jbuild
@@ -78,3 +78,10 @@
   (action
    (chdir test-cases/aliases
     (setenv JBUILDER ${bin:jbuilder} (run ${exe:cram.exe} run.t))))))
+
+(alias
+ ((name runtest)
+  (deps ((files_recursively_in test-cases/force-test)))
+  (action
+   (chdir test-cases/force-test
+    (setenv JBUILDER ${bin:jbuilder} (run ${exe:cram.exe} run.t))))))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/f.ml b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/f.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f64082cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/f.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+let () = print_endline "Foo Bar"
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/jbuild b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/jbuild
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e6c139b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/jbuild
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+(jbuild_version 1)
+
+(executable
+ ((name f)))
+
+(alias
+ ((name runtest)
+  (deps (f.exe))
+  (action (run ${<}))))
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f215f836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/force-test/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+  $ $JBUILDER clean -j1 --root .
+  $ $JBUILDER runtest -j1 --root .
+      ocamldep f.depends.ocamldep-output
+        ocamlc f.{cmi,cmo,cmt}
+      ocamlopt f.{cmx,o}
+      ocamlopt f.exe
+             f alias runtest
+  Foo Bar
+  $ $JBUILDER runtest -j1 --root .
+  $ $JBUILDER runtest --force -j1 --root .
+             f alias runtest
+  Foo Bar