diff --git a/edm4hep.yaml b/edm4hep.yaml
index d121abc8d..7cb8240da 100644
--- a/edm4hep.yaml
+++ b/edm4hep.yaml
@@ -685,3 +685,46 @@ interfaces:
     Types:
       - edm4hep::TrackerHit3D
       - edm4hep::TrackerHitPlane
+
+links:
+  edm4hep::RecoMCParticleLink:
+    Description: "Link between a ReconstructedParticle and an MCParticle"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle
+    To: edm4hep::MCParticle
+
+  edm4hep::CaloHitMCParticleLink:
+    Description: "Link between a CalorimeterHit and an MCParticle"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::CalorimeterHit
+    To: edm4hep::MCParticle
+
+  edm4hep::ClusterMCParticleLink:
+    Description: "Link between a Cluster and an MCParticle"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::Cluster
+    To: edm4hep::MCParticle
+
+  edm4hep::TrackMCParticleLink:
+    Description: "Link between a Track and an MCParticle"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::Track
+    To: edm4hep::MCParticle
+
+  edm4hep::CaloHitSimCaloHitLink:
+    Description: "Link between a CalorimeterHit and a SimCalorimeterHit"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::CalorimeterHit
+    To: edm4hep::SimCalorimeterHit
+
+  edm4hep::TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLink:
+    Description: "Link between a TrackerHit and a SimTrackerHit"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::TrackerHit
+    To: edm4hep::SimTrackerHit
+
+  edm4hep::VertexRecoParticleLink:
+    Description: "Link between a Vertex and a ReconstructedParticle"
+    Author: "EDM4hep authors"
+    From: edm4hep::Vertex
+    To: edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle
diff --git a/edm4hep/CMakeLists.txt b/edm4hep/CMakeLists.txt
index da15f8bf6..570022441 100644
--- a/edm4hep/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/edm4hep/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ add_library(EDM4HEP::edm4hep ALIAS edm4hep)
 
 file(GLOB_RECURSE top_headers ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/*.h)
 target_sources(edm4hep PUBLIC FILE_SET headers TYPE HEADERS BASE_DIRS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include FILES ${top_headers})
-target_sources(edm4hep PRIVATE src/LinkCollectionDeclarations.cc)
-
 if (nlohmann_json_FOUND)
   target_compile_definitions(edm4hep PUBLIC PODIO_JSON_OUTPUT)
   target_link_libraries(edm4hep PUBLIC nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json)
diff --git a/edm4hep/src/LinkCollectionDeclarations.cc b/edm4hep/src/LinkCollectionDeclarations.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b463de45..000000000
--- a/edm4hep/src/LinkCollectionDeclarations.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#include "edm4hep/CaloHitMCParticleLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/CaloHitSimCaloHitLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/ClusterMCParticleLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/RecoMCParticleLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/TrackMCParticleLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLinkCollection.h"
-#include "edm4hep/VertexRecoParticleLinkCollection.h"
-
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle, edm4hep::MCParticle)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::TrackerHit, edm4hep::SimTrackerHit)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::Track, edm4hep::MCParticle)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::Cluster, edm4hep::MCParticle)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::CalorimeterHit, edm4hep::SimCalorimeterHit)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::CalorimeterHit, edm4hep::MCParticle)
-PODIO_DECLARE_LINK(edm4hep::Vertex, edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle)
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/CaloHitMCParticleLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/CaloHitMCParticleLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 4483893fd..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/CaloHitMCParticleLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_CALOHITMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_CALOHITMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/CalorimeterHitCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using CaloHitMCParticleLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::CalorimeterHit, edm4hep::MCParticle>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_CALOHITMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/CaloHitSimCaloHitLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/CaloHitSimCaloHitLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 4881e20f0..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/CaloHitSimCaloHitLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_CALOHITSIMCALOHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_CALOHITSIMCALOHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/CalorimeterHitCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/SimCalorimeterHitCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using CaloHitSimCaloHitLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::CalorimeterHit, edm4hep::SimCalorimeterHit>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_CALOHITSIMCALOHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/ClusterMCParticleLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/ClusterMCParticleLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 92efb9f80..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/ClusterMCParticleLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_CLUSTERMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_CLUSTERMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/ClusterCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using ClusterMCParticleLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::Cluster, edm4hep::MCParticle>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_CLUSTERMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/RecoMCParticleLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/RecoMCParticleLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index d3ae39168..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/RecoMCParticleLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_RECOMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_RECOMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/ReconstructedParticleCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using RecoMCParticleLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle, edm4hep::MCParticle>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_RECOMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/TrackMCParticleLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/TrackMCParticleLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 2dde85cdd..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/TrackMCParticleLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_TRACKMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_TRACKMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/TrackCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using TrackMCParticleLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::Track, edm4hep::MCParticle>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_CLUSTERMCPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index d0928c9e1..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_TRACKERHITSIMTRACKERHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_TRACKERHITSIMTRACKERHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/SimTrackerHitCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/TrackerHit.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using TrackerHitSimTrackerHitLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::TrackerHit, edm4hep::SimTrackerHit>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_TRACKERHITSIMTRACKERHITLINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/include/edm4hep/VertexRecoParticleLinkCollection.h b/include/edm4hep/VertexRecoParticleLinkCollection.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 11729960d..000000000
--- a/include/edm4hep/VertexRecoParticleLinkCollection.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef EDM4HEP_CLUSTERRECONSTRUCTEDPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-#define EDM4HEP_CLUSTERRECONSTRUCTEDPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
-
-#include <podio/LinkCollection.h>
-
-#include <edm4hep/ReconstructedParticleCollection.h>
-#include <edm4hep/VertexCollection.h>
-
-namespace edm4hep {
-using VertexRecoParticleLinkCollection = podio::LinkCollection<edm4hep::Vertex, edm4hep::ReconstructedParticle>;
-} // namespace edm4hep
-
-#endif // EDM4HEP_CLUSTERRECONSTRUCTEDPARTICLELINKCOLLECTION_H
diff --git a/python/edm4hep/__init__.py b/python/edm4hep/__init__.py
index e0ac99b00..42f27473c 100644
--- a/python/edm4hep/__init__.py
+++ b/python/edm4hep/__init__.py
@@ -29,20 +29,6 @@
 if res != 0:
     raise RuntimeError("Failed to load edm4hep v2 legacy library")
 
-_LINK_COLLS = [
-    "RecoMCParticle",
-    "CaloHitMCParticle",
-    "CaloHitSimCaloHit",
-    "ClusterMCParticle",
-    "TrackMCParticle",
-    "TrackerHitSimTrackerHit",
-    "VertexRecoParticle",
-]
-
-for lc in _LINK_COLLS:
-    if ROOT.gInterpreter.LoadFile(f"edm4hep/{lc}LinkCollection.h") != 0:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to load {lc}LinkCollection.h")
-
 from ROOT import edm4hep  # noqa: E402
 
 from podio.pythonizations import load_pythonizations  # noqa: E402