diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index e84edebc24..d073629707 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Fri Feb  7 12:39:11 1997  Ian Lance Taylor  <ian@cygnus.com>
+
+	* elflink.h (elf_link_input_bfd): If we've discarded a section,
+	the output section will be the absolute section; don't print an
+	assertion message for that case when doing a relocateable link.
+
 Thu Feb  6 16:55:43 1997  Ian Lance Taylor  <ian@cygnus.com>
 
 	* elf32-mips.c (FN_STUB, CALL_STUB, CALL_FP_STUB): Define.
diff --git a/bfd/elflink.h b/bfd/elflink.h
index dd5b4db726..53362ab27d 100644
--- a/bfd/elflink.h
+++ b/bfd/elflink.h
@@ -3070,8 +3070,13 @@ elf_link_input_bfd (finfo, input_bfd)
 		    {
 		      /* I suppose the backend ought to fill in the
 			 section of any STT_SECTION symbol against a
-			 processor specific section.  */
-		      if (sec != NULL && bfd_is_abs_section (sec))
+			 processor specific section.  If we have
+			 discarded a section, the output_section will
+			 be the absolute section.  */
+		      if (sec != NULL
+			  && (bfd_is_abs_section (sec)
+			      || (sec->output_section != NULL
+				  && bfd_is_abs_section (sec->output_section))))
 			r_symndx = 0;
 		      else if (sec == NULL || sec->owner == NULL)
 			{