diff --git a/phobos/ci/base_model.py b/phobos/ci/base_model.py
index ef9574af..0d78114b 100644
--- a/phobos/ci/base_model.py
+++ b/phobos/ci/base_model.py
@@ -571,13 +571,7 @@ def process(self):
                     config = misc.merge_default(self.joints[jointname], _default)
                     joint.name = misc.edit_name_string(joint.name, **config.get("name_editing", {}))
             if "$name_editing" in self.joints:
-                if self.joints["$name_editing"].get("joint_equals_link_name", False):
-                    for joint in self.robot.joints:
-                        self.robot.rename(targettype="joint", target=joint.name, replacements={
-                            joint.name: joint.child if not joint.child.upper().endswith("_LINK") else joint.child[:-5] 
-                        })
-                else:
-                    self.robot.rename("joints", self.robot.joints, **self.joints.get("$name_editing", {}))
+                self.robot.rename("joints", self.robot.joints, **self.joints.get("$name_editing", {}))
         # as we mess manually with some names, we need to make sure the tree maps are up to date
         self.robot.regenerate_tree_maps()
 
diff --git a/phobos/core/robot.py b/phobos/core/robot.py
index 115d03fe..82ca2134 100755
--- a/phobos/core/robot.py
+++ b/phobos/core/robot.py
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ def rename_all(self, prefix=None, suffix=None, replacements=None, do_not_double=
             self.rename(targettype, getattr(self, targettype), prefix=prefix, suffix=suffix, replacements=replacements,
                         do_not_double=do_not_double)
 
-    def rename(self, targettype, target, prefix=None, suffix=None, replacements=None, do_not_double=True):
+    def rename(self, targettype, target, prefix=None, suffix=None, replacements=None, do_not_double=True, joint_equals_link_name=False):
         """
         Renames the target with the given args
         Note: Override this in subclasses and call super at the beginning
@@ -1866,7 +1866,8 @@ def rename(self, targettype, target, prefix=None, suffix=None, replacements=None
         if type(target) is list:
             for t in target:
                 renamed_entities.update(self.rename(targettype, t, prefix=prefix, suffix=suffix,
-                                                    replacements=replacements, do_not_double=do_not_double))
+                                                    replacements=replacements, do_not_double=do_not_double,
+                                                    joint_equals_link_name=joint_equals_link_name))
             return renamed_entities
         elif type(target) is not str:
             target = str(target)
@@ -1878,10 +1879,14 @@ def rename(self, targettype, target, prefix=None, suffix=None, replacements=None
             if suffix is not None and target.endswith(suffix):
                 suffix = None
 
-        if not prefix and not suffix and replacements == {}:
+        if not prefix and not suffix and replacements == {} and not joint_equals_link_name:
             return renamed_entities
 
-        new_name = edit_name_string(target, prefix=prefix, suffix=suffix, replacements=replacements)
+        if targettype.startswith("joint") and joint_equals_link_name:
+            joint = self.get_joint(target)
+            new_name = joint.child if not joint.child.upper().endswith("_LINK") else joint.child[:-5]
+        else:
+            new_name = edit_name_string(target, prefix=prefix, suffix=suffix, replacements=replacements)
         renamed_entities.update(self._rename(targettype, target, new_name))
 
         if targettype in ['link', "links"]: