diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 455153c22a..7f59fa01a1 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2017-12-08  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	* elfcode.h (elf_write_relocs): Check for an empty howto field.
+
 2017-12-08  Sangamesh Mallayya  <sangamesh.swamy@in.ibm.com>
 
 	* bfd.c (bfd_get_sign_extend_vma): Handle aix5coff64-rs6000.
diff --git a/bfd/elfcode.h b/bfd/elfcode.h
index 80b26aa803..00684d5960 100644
--- a/bfd/elfcode.h
+++ b/bfd/elfcode.h
@@ -958,6 +958,12 @@ elf_write_relocs (bfd *abfd, asection *sec, void *data)
 	  return;
 	}
 
+      if (ptr->howto == NULL)
+	{
+	  *failedp = TRUE;
+	  return;
+	}
+
       src_rela.r_offset = ptr->address + addr_offset;
       src_rela.r_info = ELF_R_INFO (n, ptr->howto->type);
       src_rela.r_addend = ptr->addend;
diff --git a/binutils/ChangeLog b/binutils/ChangeLog
index 058ebf38be..4f29d19c31 100644
--- a/binutils/ChangeLog
+++ b/binutils/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2017-12-08  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	* objcopy.c (copy_relocations_in_section): Use the orelocations
+	field of the input section, if it has been initialised.
+	* testsuite/binutils-all/note-2-64.d: Skip test on Sparc64.
+
 2017-12-06  Jim Wilson  <jimw@sifive.com>
 
 	PR 22465
diff --git a/binutils/objcopy.c b/binutils/objcopy.c
index f40b355c14..5026fd8af2 100644
--- a/binutils/objcopy.c
+++ b/binutils/objcopy.c
@@ -3785,14 +3785,24 @@ copy_relocations_in_section (bfd *ibfd, sec_ptr isection, void *obfdarg)
     }
   else
     {
-      relpp = (arelent **) xmalloc (relsize);
-      relcount = bfd_canonicalize_reloc (ibfd, isection, relpp, isympp);
-      if (relcount < 0)
+      if (isection->orelocation != NULL)
 	{
-	  status = 1;
-	  bfd_nonfatal_message (NULL, ibfd, isection,
-				_("relocation count is negative"));
-	  return;
+	  /* Some other function has already set up the output relocs
+	     for us, so scan those instead of the default relocs.  */
+	  relcount = isection->reloc_count;
+	  relpp = isection->orelocation;
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  relpp = (arelent **) xmalloc (relsize);
+	  relcount = bfd_canonicalize_reloc (ibfd, isection, relpp, isympp);
+	  if (relcount < 0)
+	    {
+	      status = 1;
+	      bfd_nonfatal_message (NULL, ibfd, isection,
+				    _("relocation count is negative"));
+	      return;
+	    }
 	}
 
       if (strip_symbols == STRIP_ALL)
@@ -3815,7 +3825,8 @@ copy_relocations_in_section (bfd *ibfd, sec_ptr isection, void *obfdarg)
 		  temp_relpp [temp_relcount++] = relpp [i];
 	    }
 	  relcount = temp_relcount;
-	  free (relpp);
+	  if (isection->orelocation == NULL)
+	    free (relpp);
 	  relpp = temp_relpp;
 	}
 
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/note-2-64.d b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/note-2-64.d
index 85358213a2..f9be89756a 100644
--- a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/note-2-64.d
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/note-2-64.d
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 #objcopy: --merge-notes
 #name: merge notes section (64-bits)
 #source: note-2-64.s
+#not-target: sparc64-*-*
+# Internally the Sparc64 backend uses two relocs for every one reloc visible externally.
+# Unfortunately the BFD library does not provide a target specific way to delete individual
+# relocs, so the note merging feature fails.
 
 #...
   Owner                 Data size	Description