diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 108276ad6a..5d8d2cdb9e 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2020-01-24  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	PR 25447
+	* coffgen.c (_bfd_coff_close_and_cleanup): Do not clear the keep
+	syms and keep strings flags as these may have been set in order to
+	prevent a bogus call to free.
+
 2020-01-23  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
 
 	* po/fr.po: Updated French translation.
diff --git a/bfd/coffgen.c b/bfd/coffgen.c
index 2bfcf1a6b1..3ddd2d89a8 100644
--- a/bfd/coffgen.c
+++ b/bfd/coffgen.c
@@ -3175,8 +3175,10 @@ _bfd_coff_close_and_cleanup (bfd *abfd)
       && bfd_family_coff (abfd)
       && coff_data (abfd) != NULL)
     {
-      obj_coff_keep_syms (abfd) = FALSE;
-      obj_coff_keep_strings (abfd) = FALSE;
+      /* PR 25447:
+	 Do not clear the keep_syms and keep_strings flags.
+	 These may have been set by pe_ILF_build_a_bfd() indicating
+	 that the syms and strings pointers are not to be freed.  */
       if (!_bfd_coff_free_symbols (abfd))
 	return FALSE;
     }