diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/amd64/asm.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/amd64/asm.go
index 829635d219..e922fe2db9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/amd64/asm.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/amd64/asm.go
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ func elfreloc1(ctxt *ld.Link, r *sym.Reloc, sectoff int64) bool {
 		}
 	case objabi.R_PCREL:
 		if r.Siz == 4 {
-			if r.Xsym.Type == sym.SDYNIMPORT && r.Xsym.ElfType == elf.STT_FUNC {
+			if r.Xsym.Type == sym.SDYNIMPORT && r.Xsym.ElfType() == elf.STT_FUNC {
 				ctxt.Out.Write64(uint64(elf.R_X86_64_PLT32) | uint64(elfsym)<<32)
 			} else {
 				ctxt.Out.Write64(uint64(elf.R_X86_64_PC32) | uint64(elfsym)<<32)
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
index 511cdd891a..331b6ca614 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
@@ -1706,7 +1706,7 @@ func ldshlibsyms(ctxt *Link, shlib string) {
 			continue
 		}
 		lsym.Type = sym.SDYNIMPORT
-		lsym.ElfType = elf.ST_TYPE(elfsym.Info)
+		lsym.SetElfType(elf.ST_TYPE(elfsym.Info))
 		lsym.Size = int64(elfsym.Size)
 		if elfsym.Section != elf.SHN_UNDEF {
 			// Set .File for the library that actually defines the symbol.
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
index 88d476710b..2a04ef3824 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func putelfsym(ctxt *Link, x *sym.Symbol, s string, t SymbolType, addr int64, go
 	case UndefinedSym:
 		// ElfType is only set for symbols read from Go shared libraries, but
 		// for other symbols it is left as STT_NOTYPE which is fine.
-		typ = int(x.ElfType)
+		typ = int(x.ElfType())
 
 	case TLSSym:
 		typ = STT_TLS
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/s390x/asm.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/s390x/asm.go
index 245da19d9d..88199f3a56 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/s390x/asm.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/s390x/asm.go
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ func elfreloc1(ctxt *ld.Link, r *sym.Reloc, sectoff int64) bool {
 		case objabi.R_PCRELDBL, objabi.R_CALL:
 			isdbl = true
 		}
-		if r.Xsym.Type == sym.SDYNIMPORT && (r.Xsym.ElfType == elf.STT_FUNC || r.Type == objabi.R_CALL) {
+		if r.Xsym.Type == sym.SDYNIMPORT && (r.Xsym.ElfType() == elf.STT_FUNC || r.Type == objabi.R_CALL) {
 			if isdbl {
 				switch r.Siz {
 				case 2:
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/sizeof_test.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/sizeof_test.go
index a9bc174d59..da4602a161 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/sizeof_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/sizeof_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func TestSizeof(t *testing.T) {
 		_32bit uintptr     // size on 32bit platforms
 		_64bit uintptr     // size on 64bit platforms
 	}{
-		{Symbol{}, 112, 184},
+		{Symbol{}, 108, 176},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/symbol.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/symbol.go
index c05b82a665..95ad8654b5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/symbol.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/sym/symbol.go
@@ -24,18 +24,14 @@ type Symbol struct {
 	LocalElfsym int32
 	Value       int64
 	Size        int64
-	// ElfType is set for symbols read from shared libraries by ldshlibsyms. It
-	// is not set for symbols defined by the packages being linked or by symbols
-	// read by ldelf (and so is left as elf.STT_NOTYPE).
-	ElfType  elf.SymType
-	Sub      *Symbol
-	Outer    *Symbol
-	Gotype   *Symbol
-	File     string
-	auxinfo  *AuxSymbol
-	Sect     *Section
-	FuncInfo *FuncInfo
-	Lib      *Library // Package defining this symbol
+	Sub         *Symbol
+	Outer       *Symbol
+	Gotype      *Symbol
+	File        string
+	auxinfo     *AuxSymbol
+	Sect        *Section
+	FuncInfo    *FuncInfo
+	Lib         *Library // Package defining this symbol
 	// P contains the raw symbol data.
 	P []byte
 	R []Reloc
@@ -49,6 +45,10 @@ type AuxSymbol struct {
 	localentry uint8
 	plt        int32
 	got        int32
+	// ElfType is set for symbols read from shared libraries by ldshlibsyms. It
+	// is not set for symbols defined by the packages being linked or by symbols
+	// read by ldelf (and so is left as elf.STT_NOTYPE).
+	elftype elf.SymType
 }
 
 func (s *Symbol) String() string {
@@ -378,6 +378,23 @@ func (s *Symbol) SetGot(val int32) {
 	s.auxinfo.got = val
 }
 
+func (s *Symbol) ElfType() elf.SymType {
+	if s.auxinfo == nil {
+		return elf.STT_NOTYPE
+	}
+	return s.auxinfo.elftype
+}
+
+func (s *Symbol) SetElfType(val elf.SymType) {
+	if s.auxinfo == nil {
+		if val == elf.STT_NOTYPE {
+			return
+		}
+		s.makeAuxInfo()
+	}
+	s.auxinfo.elftype = val
+}
+
 // SortSub sorts a linked-list (by Sub) of *Symbol by Value.
 // Used for sub-symbols when loading host objects (see e.g. ldelf.go).
 func SortSub(l *Symbol) *Symbol {