diff -Nru debhelper-9.20160115/dh_installdocs debhelper-9.20160118/dh_installdocs
--- debhelper-9.20160115/dh_installdocs	2016-01-14 19:49:48.000000000 +0000
+++ debhelper-9.20160118/dh_installdocs	2016-01-20 05:13:14.000000000 +0000
@@ -177,13 +177,6 @@
 	if ($link_doc) {
 		getpackages('both') unless $called_getpackages++;
 
-		if (package_arch($package) ne package_arch($dh{LINK_DOC})) {
-			if (compat(9)) {
-				warning("WARNING: --link-doc between architecture all and not all packages breaks binNMUs");
-			} else {
-				error("--link-doc not allowed between ${package} and $dh{LINK_DOC} (one is arch:all and the other not)");
-			}
-		}
 		# Make sure that the parent directory exists.
 		if (! -d "$tmp/usr/share/doc" && ! -l "$tmp/usr/share/doc") {
 			install_dir("$tmp/usr/share/doc");
@@ -196,7 +189,19 @@
 			# Policy says that if you make your documentation
 			# directory a symlink, then you have to depend on
 			# the target.
-			addsubstvar($package, 'misc:Depends', "$dh{LINK_DOC} (= \${binary:Version})");
+			if (package_arch($package) eq package_arch($dh{LINK_DOC})) {
+				addsubstvar($package, 'misc:Depends', "$dh{LINK_DOC} (= \${binary:Version})");
+			} else {
+				if (package_arch($package) eq "all") {
+					 addsubstvar($package, 'misc:Depends', "$dh{LINK_DOC} (>= \${source:Version})");
+				} else {
+					if (compat(9)) {
+                        		        warning("WARNING: --link-doc if target, $dh{LINK_DOC}, is architecture all and linked doc package, $package, is not, breaks binNMUs");
+                        		} else {
+                                		error("--link-doc not allowed between ${package} and $dh{LINK_DOC} ($dh{LINK_DOC} is arch:all and ${package} is not)");
+                        		}
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	else {