diff --git a/docs/relnotes-7.0.1.html b/docs/relnotes-7.0.1.html
index ac7ab067943..1357b051b1c 100644
--- a/docs/relnotes-7.0.1.html
+++ b/docs/relnotes-7.0.1.html
@@ -39,8 +39,11 @@ Mesa 7.0.1 is a stable release with bug fixes since version 7.0.
 </ul>
 
 
-<h2>Internal code changes</h2>
+<h2>Change</h2>
 <ul>
+<li>The libOSMesa library version has been reverted to 6.5.3 (soname=6)
+in order to avoid application linking issues.  Otherwise, applications
+previously linked with libOSMesa.so.6 would no longer link with libOSMesa.so.7
 </ul>
 
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/Makefile b/src/mesa/Makefile
index c03c5f80ff2..eadd7f281a6 100644
--- a/src/mesa/Makefile
+++ b/src/mesa/Makefile
@@ -117,17 +117,16 @@ $(TOP)/$(LIB_DIR)/$(GL_LIB_NAME): $(STAND_ALONE_OBJECTS)
 		$(MKLIB_OPTIONS) $(GL_LIB_DEPS) $(STAND_ALONE_OBJECTS)
 
 # Make the OSMesa library
+# Note: version is kept at 6.5.3 to simplify app/linking issues
 $(TOP)/$(LIB_DIR)/$(OSMESA_LIB_NAME): $(OSMESA_DRIVER_OBJECTS) $(OSMESA16_OBJECTS)
 	@ if [ "${DRIVER_DIRS}" = "osmesa" ] ; then \
 		$(TOP)/bin/mklib -o $(OSMESA_LIB) -linker '$(CC)' \
-			-major $(MESA_MAJOR) \
-			-minor $(MESA_MINOR) -patch $(MESA_TINY) \
+			-major 6 -minor 5 -patch 3 \
 			-install $(TOP)/$(LIB_DIR) $(MKLIB_OPTIONS) \
 			$(OSMESA_LIB_DEPS) $(OSMESA16_OBJECTS) ; \
 	else \
 		$(TOP)/bin/mklib -o $(OSMESA_LIB) -linker '$(CC)' \
-			-major $(MESA_MAJOR) \
-			-minor $(MESA_MINOR) -patch $(GL_TINY) \
+			-major 6 -minor 5 -patch 3 \
 			-install $(TOP)/$(LIB_DIR) $(MKLIB_OPTIONS) \
 			$(OSMESA_LIB_DEPS) $(OSMESA_DRIVER_OBJECTS) ; \
 	fi