diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index cfe91d979b..9a52165d79 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2010-08-20  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	* merge.c (sec_merge_emit): Do not zero pad sections that do not
+	have an alignment.
+
 2010-08-18  Pedro Alves  <pedro@codesourcery.com>
 
 	PR corefile/8210
diff --git a/bfd/merge.c b/bfd/merge.c
index 7aa088ff94..180af267a2 100644
--- a/bfd/merge.c
+++ b/bfd/merge.c
@@ -307,6 +307,9 @@ sec_merge_emit (bfd *abfd, struct sec_merge_hash_entry *entry)
       len = -off & (entry->alignment - 1);
       if (len != 0)
 	{
+	  /* We should never have an entry with an alignment
+	     greater than the section's alignment.  */
+	  BFD_ASSERT (len <= (bfd_size_type) (1 << alignment_power));
 	  if (bfd_bwrite (pad, len, abfd) != len)
 	    goto err;
 	  off += len;
@@ -324,6 +327,7 @@ sec_merge_emit (bfd *abfd, struct sec_merge_hash_entry *entry)
   /* Trailing alignment needed?  */
   off = sec->size - off;
   if (off != 0
+      && alignment_power
       && bfd_bwrite (pad, off, abfd) != off)
     goto err;