diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/deprecate.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/deprecate.py
index dd61b0915ba..d7c6c49338d 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/deprecate.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/deprecate.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 installation and its deprecator.
 """
 import argparse
-import os
 
 import llnl.util.tty as tty
 from llnl.util.symlink import symlink
@@ -76,12 +75,7 @@ def setup_parser(sp):
     )
 
     sp.add_argument(
-        "-l",
-        "--link-type",
-        type=str,
-        default="soft",
-        choices=["soft", "hard"],
-        help="type of filesystem link to use for deprecation (default soft)",
+        "-l", "--link-type", type=str, default=None, choices=["soft", "hard"], help="(deprecated)"
     )
 
     sp.add_argument(
@@ -91,6 +85,9 @@ def setup_parser(sp):
 
 def deprecate(parser, args):
     """Deprecate one spec in favor of another"""
+    if args.link_type is not None:
+        tty.warn("The --link-type option is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.")
+
     env = ev.active_environment()
     specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.specs)
 
@@ -144,7 +141,5 @@ def deprecate(parser, args):
         if not answer:
             tty.die("Will not deprecate any packages.")
 
-    link_fn = os.link if args.link_type == "hard" else symlink
-
     for dcate, dcator in zip(all_deprecate, all_deprecators):
-        dcate.package.do_deprecate(dcator, link_fn)
+        dcate.package.do_deprecate(dcator, symlink)
diff --git a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
index 6d891757c85..de2c7ded6de 100644
--- a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
+++ b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
@@ -1373,7 +1373,7 @@ complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s i -l install-depr
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s I -l no-install-deprecator -f -a install
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s I -l no-install-deprecator -d 'deprecator spec must already be installed (default)'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s l -l link-type -r -f -a 'soft hard'
-complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s l -l link-type -r -d 'type of filesystem link to use for deprecation (default soft)'
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command deprecate' -s l -l link-type -r -d (deprecated)
 
 # spack dev-build
 set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_dev_build h/help j/jobs= n/no-checksum d/source-path= i/ignore-dependencies keep-prefix skip-patch q/quiet drop-in= test= b/before= u/until= clean dirty U/fresh reuse fresh-roots deprecated