diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 619f42c52c..447be3dbd4 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2001-12-20  Alan Modra  <amodra@bigpond.net.au>
+
+	* elfcode.h (elf_slurp_symbol_table): Test elf_elfsections for NULL,
+	as can happen with a core file, before dereferencing.
+
 2001-12-19  Jakub Jelinek  <jakub@redhat.com>
 
 	* elf-eh-frame.c (_bfd_elf_discard_section_eh_frame): If new_size
diff --git a/bfd/elfcode.h b/bfd/elfcode.h
index 204756c745..203323cdb5 100644
--- a/bfd/elfcode.h
+++ b/bfd/elfcode.h
@@ -1150,7 +1150,8 @@ elf_slurp_symbol_table (abfd, symptrs, dynamic)
 
       /* If we have a SHT_SYMTAB_SHNDX section for the symbol table,
 	 read the raw contents.  */
-      if (elf_elfsections (abfd)[shndx_hdr->sh_link] == hdr)
+      if (elf_elfsections (abfd) != NULL
+	  && elf_elfsections (abfd)[shndx_hdr->sh_link] == hdr)
 	{
 	  amt = shndx_hdr->sh_size;
 	  x_shndx = (Elf_External_Sym_Shndx *) bfd_malloc (amt);