diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 4fa7f2211c..f7c9ad9a8c 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2002-04-12  Alan Modra  <amodra@bigpond.net.au>
+
+	* elf.c (prep_headers): Don't zero EI_OSABI, EI_ABIVERSION or
+	header pad.
+
 2002-04-09  DJ Delorie  <dj@redhat.com>
 
 	* elfarm-nabi.c (elf32_arm_howto_table): Fix ABS16 masks.
diff --git a/bfd/elf.c b/bfd/elf.c
index 379eb088d1..f8fdbd2a9f 100644
--- a/bfd/elf.c
+++ b/bfd/elf.c
@@ -3881,7 +3881,6 @@ prep_headers (abfd)
   Elf_Internal_Ehdr *i_ehdrp;	/* Elf file header, internal form */
   Elf_Internal_Phdr *i_phdrp = 0; /* Program header table, internal form */
   Elf_Internal_Shdr **i_shdrp;	/* Section header table, internal form */
-  int count;
   struct elf_strtab_hash *shstrtab;
   struct elf_backend_data *bed = get_elf_backend_data (abfd);
 
@@ -3904,12 +3903,6 @@ prep_headers (abfd)
     bfd_big_endian (abfd) ? ELFDATA2MSB : ELFDATA2LSB;
   i_ehdrp->e_ident[EI_VERSION] = bed->s->ev_current;
 
-  i_ehdrp->e_ident[EI_OSABI] = ELFOSABI_NONE;
-  i_ehdrp->e_ident[EI_ABIVERSION] = 0;
-
-  for (count = EI_PAD; count < EI_NIDENT; count++)
-    i_ehdrp->e_ident[count] = 0;
-
   if ((abfd->flags & DYNAMIC) != 0)
     i_ehdrp->e_type = ET_DYN;
   else if ((abfd->flags & EXEC_P) != 0)