diff --git a/gas/ChangeLog b/gas/ChangeLog
index d08f757209..60ace3a417 100644
--- a/gas/ChangeLog
+++ b/gas/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2002-08-14  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
 
+	* read.c (stringer): Catch attempts to create strings in the abs
+	section.
+
 	* config/tc-alpha.c: Fix compiling for COFF targets.
 	Some minor formatting tidyups.
 
diff --git a/gas/read.c b/gas/read.c
index 23fb900ebc..934d27043e 100644
--- a/gas/read.c
+++ b/gas/read.c
@@ -4564,6 +4564,15 @@ stringer (append_zero)		/* Worker to do .ascii etc statements.  */
     {
       c = ',';			/* Do loop.  */
     }
+  /* If we have been switched into the abs_section then we
+     will not have an obstack onto which we can hang strings.  */
+  if (now_seg == absolute_section)
+    {
+      as_bad (_("strings must be placed into a section"));
+      c = 0;
+      ignore_rest_of_line ();
+    }
+  
   while (c == ',' || c == '<' || c == '"')
     {
       SKIP_WHITESPACE ();