diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index f7c51486c..6826a6abe 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+1.6.0-dev.118 | 2022-12-02 12:20:30 +0100
+
+  * cmake/FindGoldLinker: Do not use gold by default (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
+
+  * cmake/FindGoldLinker: Put -fuse-ld=gold before existing flags (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
+
 1.6.0-dev.115 | 2022-12-01 13:59:34 +0100
 
   * GH-1303: Fix incorrect offset computation in `advanceToNextData`. (Benjamin Bannier, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 0b914b61c..62a806bd4 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.6.0-dev.115
+1.6.0-dev.118
diff --git a/cmake/FindGoldLinker.cmake b/cmake/FindGoldLinker.cmake
index da3b1f61a..1509fa4ae 100644
--- a/cmake/FindGoldLinker.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindGoldLinker.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Enable Gold linker if available.
 
-option(USE_GOLD "Use Gold linker" ON)
+option(USE_GOLD "Use Gold linker" OFF)
 
 set(GOLD_FOUND "no")
 
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ if (USE_GOLD)
         if ("${ld_version}" MATCHES "GNU gold")
             message(STATUS "Using Gold linker")
             set(GOLD_FOUND "yes")
-            set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
-            set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
-            set(CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
+            set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "-fuse-ld=gold ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS}")
+            set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "-fuse-ld=gold ${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS}")
+            set(CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS "-fuse-ld=gold ${CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS}")
         else ()
             message(STATUS "Gold linker not available")
         endif ()