diff --git a/gas/config/obj-elf.c b/gas/config/obj-elf.c
index de22b5a1da8..c11a1da2295 100644
--- a/gas/config/obj-elf.c
+++ b/gas/config/obj-elf.c
@@ -759,7 +759,14 @@ obj_elf_change_section (const char *name,
       /* Add a symbol for this section to the symbol table.  */
       secsym = symbol_find (name);
       if (secsym != NULL)
-	symbol_set_bfdsym (secsym, sec->symbol);
+	{
+	  /* We could be repurposing an undefined symbol here: make sure we
+	     reset sy_value to look like other section symbols in order to avoid
+	     trying to incorrectly resolve this section symbol later on.  */
+	  static const expressionS expr = { .X_op = O_constant };
+	  symbol_set_value_expression (secsym, &expr);
+	  symbol_set_bfdsym (secsym, sec->symbol);
+	}
       else
 	symbol_table_insert (section_symbol (sec));
     }
diff --git a/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/elf.exp b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/elf.exp
index 86b304ae34f..8cd61b36754 100644
--- a/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/elf.exp
+++ b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/elf.exp
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ if { [is_elf_format] } then {
     run_dump_test "strtab"
 
     run_dump_test "bignums"
+    run_dump_test "section-symbol-redef"
     
     load_lib gas-dg.exp
     dg-init
diff --git a/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.d b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..88807a196a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.d
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#readelf: -x myseg
+#skip: bfin-*-*
+#skip: h8300-*
+
+Hex dump of section .*:
+  0x0+ 2a\s+\*
diff --git a/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.s b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.s
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..87e65699b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gas/testsuite/gas/elf/section-symbol-redef.s
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+  myseg=not_defined_here
+  .section myseg
+  .byte 42