diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index c6878ac001..e45d26274c 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2009-01-14  Alan Modra  <amodra@bigpond.net.au>
+
+	PR 9735
+	* syms.c (_bfd_stab_section_find_nearest_line): Don't free
+	saved filename, use bfd_alloc rather than bfd_malloc for it.
+
 2009-01-13  Alan Modra  <amodra@bigpond.net.au>
 
 	* elf32-spu.c (spu_elf_build_stubs): Make __icache_base absolute.
diff --git a/bfd/syms.c b/bfd/syms.c
index 9a7cbdaad0..cdbf905f98 100644
--- a/bfd/syms.c
+++ b/bfd/syms.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* Generic symbol-table support for the BFD library.
    Copyright 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
-   2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
+   2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
    Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    Written by Cygnus Support.
 
@@ -1376,10 +1376,11 @@ _bfd_stab_section_find_nearest_line (bfd *abfd,
 	{
 	  size_t len;
 
-	  if (info->filename != NULL)
-	    free (info->filename);
+	  /* Don't free info->filename here.  objdump and other
+	     apps keep a copy of a previously returned file name
+	     pointer.  */
 	  len = strlen (file_name) + 1;
-	  info->filename = bfd_malloc (dirlen + len);
+	  info->filename = bfd_alloc (abfd, dirlen + len);
 	  if (info->filename == NULL)
 	    return FALSE;
 	  memcpy (info->filename, directory_name, dirlen);