--- a/src/Makefile.am	
+++ a/src/Makefile.am	
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ egrep fgrep: egrep.sh Makefile
 	sed -e 's|[@]SHELL@|$(SHELL)|g' \
 	    -e "$$edit_substring" \
 	    -e "s|[@]grep@|$$grep|g" \
-	    -e "s|[@]option@|$$option|g" <$(srcdir)/egrep.sh >$@-t
+	    -e "s|[@]option@|$$option|g" \
+	    -e "s|[@]cmd@|$@|g" <$(srcdir)/egrep.sh >$@-t
 	$(AM_V_at)chmod +x $@-t
 	$(AM_V_at)mv $@-t $@
 
--- a/src/Makefile.in	
+++ a/src/Makefile.in	
@@ -1541,7 +1541,8 @@ egrep fgrep: egrep.sh Makefile
 	sed -e 's|[@]SHELL@|$(SHELL)|g' \
 	    -e "$$edit_substring" \
 	    -e "s|[@]grep@|$$grep|g" \
-	    -e "s|[@]option@|$$option|g" <$(srcdir)/egrep.sh >$@-t
+	    -e "s|[@]option@|$$option|g" \
+	    -e "s|[@]cmd@|$@|g" <$(srcdir)/egrep.sh >$@-t
 	$(AM_V_at)chmod +x $@-t
 	$(AM_V_at)mv $@-t $@
 
--- a/src/egrep.sh	
+++ a/src/egrep.sh	
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@ 
 #!@SHELL@
 grep=grep
+unset _EXECOPT _GREPOPT
 case $0 in
   */*)
     dir=${0%/*}
@@ -8,4 +9,9 @@ case $0 in
       grep=@grep@
     fi;;
 esac
-exec $grep @option@ "$@"
+if [ "$GREP_LEGACY_EGREP_FGREP_PS" = 1 ]; then
+  _EXECOPT="-a @cmd@"
+else
+  _GREPOPT=@option@
+fi
+exec $_EXECOPT $grep $_GREPOPT "$@"
--- a/src/grep.c	
+++ a/src/grep.c	
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ 
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "system.h"
 
 #include "argmatch.h"
@@ -1938,6 +1939,7 @@ fgrep_to_grep_pattern (size_t len, char const *keys,
 int
 main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
+  char *ptr_c;
   char *keys;
   size_t keycc, oldcc, keyalloc;
   int with_filenames;
@@ -1984,6 +1986,19 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   compile = matchers[0].compile;
   execute = matchers[0].execute;
 
+  /* Check if executed through symlinks egrep/fgrep */
+  if (argv[0] != NULL)
+    {
+      ptr_c = strchrnul(argv[0], ' ');
+      if (ptr_c - argv[0] >= 5)
+        {
+          if (strncmp(ptr_c - 5, "egrep", 5) == 0)
+            setmatcher ("egrep");
+          else if (strncmp(ptr_c - 5, "fgrep", 5) == 0)
+            setmatcher ("fgrep");
+        }
+    }
+
   while (prev_optind = optind,
          (opt = get_nondigit_option (argc, argv, &default_context)) != -1)
     switch (opt)