diff --git a/binutils/ChangeLog b/binutils/ChangeLog
index cf54b0fdbe..bfb180424f 100644
--- a/binutils/ChangeLog
+++ b/binutils/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2016-12-05  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	PR ld/20923
+	* objcopy.c (mark_symbols_used_in_relocations): Check for a null
+	symbol pointer before attempting to mark the symbol as kept.
+
 2016-12-01  Luis Machado  <lgustavo@codesourcery.com>
 
 	* nm.c (sort_symbols_by_size): Don't read symbol size if symbol
diff --git a/binutils/objcopy.c b/binutils/objcopy.c
index 4910fcf8ab..6a398ce4dc 100644
--- a/binutils/objcopy.c
+++ b/binutils/objcopy.c
@@ -3551,7 +3551,9 @@ mark_symbols_used_in_relocations (bfd *ibfd, sec_ptr isection, void *symbolsarg)
      special bfd section symbols, then mark it with BSF_KEEP.  */
   for (i = 0; i < relcount; i++)
     {
-      if (*relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr != bfd_com_section_ptr->symbol
+      /* See PR 20923 for a reproducer for the NULL test.  */
+      if (relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr != NULL
+	  && *relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr != bfd_com_section_ptr->symbol
 	  && *relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr != bfd_abs_section_ptr->symbol
 	  && *relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr != bfd_und_section_ptr->symbol)
 	(*relpp[i]->sym_ptr_ptr)->flags |= BSF_KEEP;