--- a/bfd/bfd-in.h	
+++ a/bfd/bfd-in.h	
@@ -703,6 +703,9 @@ _bfd_nearby_section (bfd *, struct bfd_section *, bfd_vma);
 extern void _bfd_fix_excluded_sec_syms
   (bfd *, struct bfd_link_info *);
 
+extern void _bfd_keep_sections_with_sym
+  (bfd *, struct bfd_link_info *);
+
 extern unsigned bfd_m68k_mach_to_features (int);
 
 extern int bfd_m68k_features_to_mach (unsigned);
--- a/bfd/bfd-in2.h	
+++ a/bfd/bfd-in2.h	
@@ -710,6 +710,9 @@ _bfd_nearby_section (bfd *, struct bfd_section *, bfd_vma);
 extern void _bfd_fix_excluded_sec_syms
   (bfd *, struct bfd_link_info *);
 
+extern void _bfd_keep_sections_with_sym
+  (bfd *, struct bfd_link_info *);
+
 extern unsigned bfd_m68k_mach_to_features (int);
 
 extern int bfd_m68k_features_to_mach (unsigned);
--- a/bfd/linker.c	
+++ a/bfd/linker.c	
@@ -3198,11 +3198,6 @@ _bfd_nearby_section (bfd *obfd, asection *s, bfd_vma addr)
 	best = prev;
     }
 
-  /* Refuse to choose a section for which we are out of bounds.  */
-  /* ??? This may make most of the above moot.  */
-  if (addr < best->vma || addr > best->vma + best->size)
-    best = bfd_abs_section_ptr;
-
   return best;
 }
 
@@ -3240,6 +3235,36 @@ _bfd_fix_excluded_sec_syms (bfd *obfd, struct bfd_link_info *info)
   bfd_link_hash_traverse (info->hash, fix_syms, obfd);
 }
 
+/* Keep sections with symbols.  */
+
+static bfd_boolean
+keep_sections_with_sym (struct bfd_link_hash_entry *h, void *data)
+{
+  bfd *obfd = (bfd *) data;
+
+  if (h->type == bfd_link_hash_defined
+      || h->type == bfd_link_hash_defweak)
+    {
+      asection *s = h->u.def.section;
+      if (s != NULL
+	  && (s->flags
+	      & (SEC_LINKER_CREATED | SEC_EXCLUDE | SEC_KEEP)) == 0
+	  && s->output_section != NULL
+	  && (s->output_section->flags
+	      & (SEC_LINKER_CREATED | SEC_EXCLUDE | SEC_KEEP)) == 0
+	  && !bfd_section_removed_from_list (obfd, s->output_section))
+	s->output_section->flags |= SEC_KEEP;
+    }
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+void
+_bfd_keep_sections_with_sym (bfd *obfd, struct bfd_link_info *info)
+{
+  bfd_link_hash_traverse (info->hash, keep_sections_with_sym, obfd);
+}
+
 /*
 FUNCTION
 	bfd_generic_define_common_symbol
--- a/ld/ldlang.c	
+++ a/ld/ldlang.c	
@@ -3858,6 +3858,9 @@ strip_excluded_output_sections (void)
       lang_reset_memory_regions ();
     }
 
+  if (!link_info.relocatable)
+    _bfd_keep_sections_with_sym (link_info.output_bfd, &link_info);
+
   for (os = &lang_output_section_statement.head->output_section_statement;
        os != NULL;
        os = os->next)
--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/pr14052.d	
+++ a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/pr14052.d	
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ 
+#source: start.s
+#ld: -T pr14052.t
+#readelf: -s
+
+#failif
+#...
+ +[0-9]+: +[0-9a-f]+ +0 +(OBJECT|NOTYPE) +GLOBAL +DEFAULT +ABS _data_start
+#...
--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/pr14052.t	
+++ a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/pr14052.t	
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ 
+SECTIONS {
+	.text : {
+		*(.text)
+	}
+	. = ALIGN (0x1000);
+	.data : {
+		_data_start = .;
+		*(.data)
+	}
+	/DISCARD/ : { *(.*) }
+}
--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/warn2.d	
+++ a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/warn2.d	
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ 
 # construct and that the symbol still appears as expected.
 
 #...
- +[0-9]+: +[0-9a-f]+ +20 +OBJECT +GLOBAL +DEFAULT +ABS Foo
+ +[0-9]+: +[0-9a-f]+ +20 +OBJECT +GLOBAL +DEFAULT +[1-9] Foo
 #pass
--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/zerosize1.d	
+++ a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/zerosize1.d	
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@ 
 #source: start.s
 #source: zerosize1.s
-#ld:
-#readelf: -s
+#ld: -T zerosize1.t
+#readelf: -sS --wide
 
 # Check that xyzzy is not placed in the .text section.
 
 #...
- +[0-9]+: +[0-9a-f]+ +0 +(OBJECT|NOTYPE) +GLOBAL +DEFAULT +ABS xyzzy
+  \[[ 2]+\] zerosize[ \t]+PROGBITS[ \t0-9a-f]+WA.*
+#...
+ +[0-9]+: +[0-9a-f]+ +0 +(OBJECT|NOTYPE) +GLOBAL +DEFAULT +2 xyzzy
 #pass
--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/zerosize1.t	
+++ a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/zerosize1.t	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ 
+SECTIONS {
+	.text : { *(.text) }
+	.zerosize : { *(.zerosize) }
+	/DISCARD/ : { *(.*) }
+}