diff --git a/bfd/aoutx.h b/bfd/aoutx.h
index 61ea9f7ce04..38e30431589 100644
--- a/bfd/aoutx.h
+++ b/bfd/aoutx.h
@@ -2122,8 +2122,10 @@ NAME (aout, swap_ext_reloc_out) (bfd *abfd,
   if (r_extern)								\
     {									\
       /* Undefined symbol.  */						\
-      if (r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))				\
+      if (symbols != NULL && r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))		\
 	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + r_index;			\
+      else								\
+	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;	\
       cache_ptr->addend = ad;						\
     }									\
    else									\
diff --git a/bfd/coff-tic30.c b/bfd/coff-tic30.c
index 874fd79f3fa..fcc85754068 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-tic30.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-tic30.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ reloc_processing (arelent *relent,
   relent->address = reloc->r_vaddr;
   rtype2howto (relent, reloc);
 
-  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1)
+  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1 || symbols == NULL)
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;
   else if (reloc->r_symndx >= 0 && reloc->r_symndx < obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + obj_convert (abfd)[reloc->r_symndx];
diff --git a/bfd/coff-tic4x.c b/bfd/coff-tic4x.c
index 02013e1655f..be295259915 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-tic4x.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-tic4x.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ tic4x_reloc_processing (arelent *relent,
 
   relent->address = reloc->r_vaddr;
 
-  if (reloc->r_symndx != -1)
+  if (reloc->r_symndx != -1 && symbols != NULL)
     {
       if (reloc->r_symndx < 0 || reloc->r_symndx >= obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
 	{
diff --git a/bfd/coff-tic54x.c b/bfd/coff-tic54x.c
index 8b493584503..9ec4b2064c3 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-tic54x.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-tic54x.c
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ tic54x_reloc_processing (arelent *relent,
 
   relent->address = reloc->r_vaddr;
 
-  if (reloc->r_symndx != -1)
+  if (reloc->r_symndx != -1 && symbols != NULL)
     {
       if (reloc->r_symndx < 0 || reloc->r_symndx >= obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
 	{
diff --git a/bfd/coff-z80.c b/bfd/coff-z80.c
index ba0f2609bf0..7fb2f137331 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-z80.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-z80.c
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ reloc_processing (arelent *relent,
   relent->address = reloc->r_vaddr;
   rtype2howto (relent, reloc);
 
-  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1)
+  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1 || symbols == NULL)
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;
   else if (reloc->r_symndx >= 0 && reloc->r_symndx < obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + obj_convert (abfd)[reloc->r_symndx];
diff --git a/bfd/coff-z8k.c b/bfd/coff-z8k.c
index b9f6f9773ad..974bffc9a6f 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-z8k.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-z8k.c
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ reloc_processing (arelent *relent,
   relent->address = reloc->r_vaddr;
   rtype2howto (relent, reloc);
 
-  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1)
+  if (reloc->r_symndx == -1 || symbols == NULL)
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;
   else if (reloc->r_symndx >= 0 && reloc->r_symndx < obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
     relent->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + obj_convert (abfd)[reloc->r_symndx];
diff --git a/bfd/ecoff.c b/bfd/ecoff.c
index a4edf7a2e6c..2d26b855e4c 100644
--- a/bfd/ecoff.c
+++ b/bfd/ecoff.c
@@ -1612,7 +1612,8 @@ ecoff_slurp_reloc_table (bfd *abfd,
       if (intern.r_extern)
 	{
 	  /* r_symndx is an index into the external symbols.  */
-	  if (intern.r_symndx >= 0
+	  if (symbols != NULL
+	      && intern.r_symndx >= 0
 	      && (intern.r_symndx
 		  < (ecoff_data (abfd)->debug_info.symbolic_header.iextMax)))
 	    rptr->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + intern.r_symndx;
diff --git a/bfd/i386lynx.c b/bfd/i386lynx.c
index 5df3d19ffe0..acc38d24438 100644
--- a/bfd/i386lynx.c
+++ b/bfd/i386lynx.c
@@ -283,8 +283,10 @@ NAME(lynx,swap_ext_reloc_out) (bfd *abfd,
   if (r_extern)								\
     {									\
       /* undefined symbol */						\
-      if (r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))				\
+      if (symbols != NULL && r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))		\
 	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + r_index;			\
+      else								\
+	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;	\
       cache_ptr->addend = ad;						\
     }									\
   else									\
diff --git a/bfd/pdp11.c b/bfd/pdp11.c
index de9c8690e20..806e0e12a61 100644
--- a/bfd/pdp11.c
+++ b/bfd/pdp11.c
@@ -1861,8 +1861,10 @@ pdp11_aout_swap_reloc_out (bfd *abfd, arelent *g, bfd_byte *natptr)
   if (r_extern)								\
     {									\
       /* Undefined symbol.  */						\
-      if (r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))				\
+      if (symbols != NULL && r_index < bfd_get_symcount (abfd))		\
 	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = symbols + r_index;			\
+      else								\
+	cache_ptr->sym_ptr_ptr = bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol_ptr_ptr;	\
       cache_ptr->addend = ad;						\
     }									\
   else									\
diff --git a/bfd/som.c b/bfd/som.c
index 7a5ee35f0e2..3e89c937b5e 100644
--- a/bfd/som.c
+++ b/bfd/som.c
@@ -5099,7 +5099,7 @@ som_set_reloc_info (unsigned char *fixup,
 	    /* A symbol to use in the relocation.  Make a note
 	       of this if we are not just counting.  */
 	    case 'S':
-	      if (! just_count && (unsigned int) c < symcount)
+	      if (!just_count && symbols != NULL && (unsigned int) c < symcount)
 		rptr->sym_ptr_ptr = &symbols[c];
 	      break;
 	    /* Argument relocation bits for a function call.  */
diff --git a/binutils/objdump.c b/binutils/objdump.c
index 61a18746fde..9b27ce73a87 100644
--- a/binutils/objdump.c
+++ b/binutils/objdump.c
@@ -4238,7 +4238,7 @@ load_specific_debug_section (enum dwarf_section_display_enum debug,
 
 	      relocs = (arelent **) xmalloc (reloc_size);
 
-	      reloc_count = bfd_canonicalize_reloc (abfd, sec, relocs, NULL);
+	      reloc_count = bfd_canonicalize_reloc (abfd, sec, relocs, syms);
 	      if (reloc_count <= 0)
 		free (relocs);
 	      else
