Index: bfd/elflink.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/gnu/usr.bin/binutils-2.17/bfd/elflink.c,v
retrieving revision 1.1.1.1
diff -u -p -r1.1.1.1 elflink.c
--- bfd/elflink.c	24 Apr 2011 20:14:42 -0000	1.1.1.1
+++ bfd/elflink.c	22 Mar 2013 15:25:56 -0000
@@ -8987,6 +8987,7 @@ elf_gc_sweep (bfd *abfd, struct bfd_link
 	{
 	  /* Keep debug and special sections.  */
 	  if ((o->flags & (SEC_DEBUGGING | SEC_LINKER_CREATED)) != 0
+	      || elf_section_data (o)->this_hdr.sh_type == SHT_NOTE
 	      || (o->flags & (SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_RELOC)) == 0)
 	    o->gc_mark = 1;