diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b409076..b29c6c0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -618,6 +618,11 @@ include arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-fno-delete-null-pointer-checks,)
 
+ifdef CONFIG_LD_DEAD_CODE_DATA_ELIMINATION
+KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-ffunction-sections,)
+KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-fdata-sections,)
+endif
+
 ifdef CONFIG_CC_OPTIMIZE_FOR_SIZE
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= -Os $(call cc-disable-warning,maybe-uninitialized,)
 else
@@ -819,6 +824,10 @@ LDFLAGS_BUILD_ID = $(patsubst -Wl$(comma)%,%,\
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE += $(LDFLAGS_BUILD_ID)
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux += $(LDFLAGS_BUILD_ID)
 
+ifdef CONFIG_LD_DEAD_CODE_DATA_ELIMINATION
+LDFLAGS_vmlinux	+= $(call ld-option, --gc-sections,)
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_STRIP_ASM_SYMS),y)
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	+= $(call ld-option, -X,)
 endif
diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index 1330bf4..94138e5 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -430,6 +430,19 @@ config THIN_ARCHIVES
 	  Select this if the architecture wants to use thin archives
 	  instead of ld -r to create the built-in.o files.
 
+config LD_DEAD_CODE_DATA_ELIMINATION
+	bool
+	help
+	  Select this if the architecture wants to do dead code and
+	  data elimination with the linker by compiling with
+	  -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections and linking with
+	  --gc-sections.
+
+	  This requires that the arch annotates or otherwise protects
+	  its external entry points from being discarded. Linker scripts
+	  must also merge .text.*, .data.*, and .bss.* correctly into
+	  output sections.
+
 config HAVE_CONTEXT_TRACKING
 	bool
 	help
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h b/include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h
index 6a67ab9..a66ffe9 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h
@@ -196,9 +196,14 @@
 	*(.dtb.init.rodata)						\
 	VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__dtb_end) = .;
 
-/* .data section */
+/*
+ * .data section
+ * -fdata-sections generates .data.identifier which needs to be pulled in
+ * with .data, but don't want to pull in .data..stuff which has its own
+ * requirements. Same for bss.
+ */
 #define DATA_DATA							\
-	*(.data)							\
+	*(.data .data.[0-9a-zA-Z_]*)					\
 	*(.ref.data)							\
 	*(.data..shared_aligned) /* percpu related */			\
 	MEM_KEEP(init.data)						\
@@ -312,76 +317,76 @@
 	/* Kernel symbol table: Normal symbols */			\
 	__ksymtab         : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab) - LOAD_OFFSET) {		\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___ksymtab) = .;			\
-		*(SORT(___ksymtab+*))					\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___ksymtab+*)))				\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___ksymtab) = .;			\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-only symbols */			\
 	__ksymtab_gpl     : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab_gpl) - LOAD_OFFSET) {	\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___ksymtab_gpl) = .;		\
-		*(SORT(___ksymtab_gpl+*))				\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___ksymtab_gpl+*)))				\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___ksymtab_gpl) = .;		\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: Normal unused symbols */		\
 	__ksymtab_unused  : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab_unused) - LOAD_OFFSET) {	\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___ksymtab_unused) = .;		\
-		*(SORT(___ksymtab_unused+*))				\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___ksymtab_unused+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___ksymtab_unused) = .;		\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-only unused symbols */		\
 	__ksymtab_unused_gpl : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab_unused_gpl) - LOAD_OFFSET) { \
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___ksymtab_unused_gpl) = .;	\
-		*(SORT(___ksymtab_unused_gpl+*))			\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___ksymtab_unused_gpl+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___ksymtab_unused_gpl) = .;	\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-future-only symbols */		\
 	__ksymtab_gpl_future : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab_gpl_future) - LOAD_OFFSET) { \
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___ksymtab_gpl_future) = .;	\
-		*(SORT(___ksymtab_gpl_future+*))			\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___ksymtab_gpl_future+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___ksymtab_gpl_future) = .;	\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: Normal symbols */			\
 	__kcrctab         : AT(ADDR(__kcrctab) - LOAD_OFFSET) {		\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___kcrctab) = .;			\
-		*(SORT(___kcrctab+*))					\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___kcrctab+*)))				\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___kcrctab) = .;			\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-only symbols */			\
 	__kcrctab_gpl     : AT(ADDR(__kcrctab_gpl) - LOAD_OFFSET) {	\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___kcrctab_gpl) = .;		\
-		*(SORT(___kcrctab_gpl+*))				\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___kcrctab_gpl+*)))				\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___kcrctab_gpl) = .;		\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: Normal unused symbols */		\
 	__kcrctab_unused  : AT(ADDR(__kcrctab_unused) - LOAD_OFFSET) {	\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___kcrctab_unused) = .;		\
-		*(SORT(___kcrctab_unused+*))				\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___kcrctab_unused+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___kcrctab_unused) = .;		\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-only unused symbols */		\
 	__kcrctab_unused_gpl : AT(ADDR(__kcrctab_unused_gpl) - LOAD_OFFSET) { \
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___kcrctab_unused_gpl) = .;	\
-		*(SORT(___kcrctab_unused_gpl+*))			\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___kcrctab_unused_gpl+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___kcrctab_unused_gpl) = .;	\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: GPL-future-only symbols */		\
 	__kcrctab_gpl_future : AT(ADDR(__kcrctab_gpl_future) - LOAD_OFFSET) { \
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__start___kcrctab_gpl_future) = .;	\
-		*(SORT(___kcrctab_gpl_future+*))			\
+		KEEP(*(SORT(___kcrctab_gpl_future+*)))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__stop___kcrctab_gpl_future) = .;	\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* Kernel symbol table: strings */				\
         __ksymtab_strings : AT(ADDR(__ksymtab_strings) - LOAD_OFFSET) {	\
-		*(__ksymtab_strings)					\
+		KEEP(*(__ksymtab_strings))				\
 	}								\
 									\
 	/* __*init sections */						\
@@ -416,7 +421,7 @@
 #define SECURITY_INIT							\
 	.security_initcall.init : AT(ADDR(.security_initcall.init) - LOAD_OFFSET) { \
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__security_initcall_start) = .;		\
-		*(.security_initcall.init) 				\
+		KEEP(*(.security_initcall.init))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__security_initcall_end) = .;		\
 	}
 
@@ -424,7 +429,7 @@
  * during second ld run in second ld pass when generating System.map */
 #define TEXT_TEXT							\
 		ALIGN_FUNCTION();					\
-		*(.text.hot .text .text.fixup .text.unlikely)		\
+		*(.text.hot .text .text.fixup .text.unlikely .text.*)	\
 		*(.ref.text)						\
 	MEM_KEEP(init.text)						\
 	MEM_KEEP(exit.text)						\
@@ -519,6 +524,7 @@
 
 /* init and exit section handling */
 #define INIT_DATA							\
+	KEEP(*(SORT(___kentry+*)))					\
 	*(.init.data)							\
 	MEM_DISCARD(init.data)						\
 	KERNEL_CTORS()							\
@@ -581,7 +587,7 @@
 		BSS_FIRST_SECTIONS					\
 		*(.bss..page_aligned)					\
 		*(.dynbss)						\
-		*(.bss)							\
+		*(.bss .bss.[0-9a-zA-Z_]*)				\
 		*(COMMON)						\
 	}
 
@@ -664,12 +670,12 @@
 
 #define INIT_CALLS_LEVEL(level)						\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__initcall##level##_start) = .;		\
-		*(.initcall##level##.init)				\
-		*(.initcall##level##s.init)				\
+		KEEP(*(.initcall##level##.init))			\
+		KEEP(*(.initcall##level##s.init))			\
 
 #define INIT_CALLS							\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__initcall_start) = .;			\
-		*(.initcallearly.init)					\
+		KEEP(*(.initcallearly.init))				\
 		INIT_CALLS_LEVEL(0)					\
 		INIT_CALLS_LEVEL(1)					\
 		INIT_CALLS_LEVEL(2)					\
@@ -683,21 +689,21 @@
 
 #define CON_INITCALL							\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__con_initcall_start) = .;		\
-		*(.con_initcall.init)					\
+		KEEP(*(.con_initcall.init))				\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__con_initcall_end) = .;
 
 #define SECURITY_INITCALL						\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__security_initcall_start) = .;		\
-		*(.security_initcall.init)				\
+		KEEP(*(.security_initcall.init))			\
 		VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__security_initcall_end) = .;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD
 #define INIT_RAM_FS							\
 	. = ALIGN(4);							\
 	VMLINUX_SYMBOL(__initramfs_start) = .;				\
-	*(.init.ramfs)							\
+	KEEP(*(.init.ramfs))						\
 	. = ALIGN(8);							\
-	*(.init.ramfs.info)
+	KEEP(*(.init.ramfs.info))
 #else
 #define INIT_RAM_FS
 #endif
diff --git a/include/linux/compiler.h b/include/linux/compiler.h
index 793c082..b79a66f 100644
--- a/include/linux/compiler.h
+++ b/include/linux/compiler.h
@@ -184,6 +184,29 @@ void ftrace_likely_update(struct ftrace_branch_data *f, int val, int expect);
 # define unreachable() do { } while (1)
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * KENTRY - kernel entry point
+ * This can be used to annotate symbols (functions or data) that are used
+ * without their linker symbol being referenced explicitly. For example,
+ * interrupt vector handlers, or functions in the kernel image that are found
+ * programatically.
+ *
+ * Not required for symbols exported with EXPORT_SYMBOL, or initcalls. Those
+ * are handled in their own way (with KEEP() in linker scripts).
+ *
+ * KENTRY can be avoided if the symbols in question are marked as KEEP() in the
+ * linker script. For example an architecture could KEEP() its entire
+ * boot/exception vector code rather than annotate each function and data.
+ */
+#ifndef KENTRY
+# define KENTRY(sym)						\
+	extern typeof(sym) sym;					\
+	static const unsigned long __kentry_##sym		\
+	__used							\
+	__attribute__((section("___kentry" "+" #sym ), used))	\
+	= (unsigned long)&sym;
+#endif
+
 #ifndef RELOC_HIDE
 # define RELOC_HIDE(ptr, off)					\
   ({ unsigned long __ptr;					\
diff --git a/include/linux/export.h b/include/linux/export.h
index 2f9ccbe..0d1ccdd 100644
--- a/include/linux/export.h
+++ b/include/linux/export.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef _LINUX_EXPORT_H
 #define _LINUX_EXPORT_H
+
 /*
  * Export symbols from the kernel to modules.  Forked from module.h
  * to reduce the amount of pointless cruft we feed to gcc when only
@@ -42,27 +43,26 @@ extern struct module __this_module;
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODVERSIONS
 /* Mark the CRC weak since genksyms apparently decides not to
  * generate a checksums for some symbols */
-#define __CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec)					\
-	extern __visible void *__crc_##sym __attribute__((weak));		\
-	static const unsigned long __kcrctab_##sym		\
-	__used							\
-	__attribute__((section("___kcrctab" sec "+" #sym), unused))	\
+#define __CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec)						\
+	extern __visible void *__crc_##sym __attribute__((weak));	\
+	static const unsigned long __kcrctab_##sym			\
+	__used								\
+	__attribute__((section("___kcrctab" sec "+" #sym), used))	\
 	= (unsigned long) &__crc_##sym;
 #else
 #define __CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec)
 #endif
 
 /* For every exported symbol, place a struct in the __ksymtab section */
-#define ___EXPORT_SYMBOL(sym, sec)				\
-	extern typeof(sym) sym;					\
-	__CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec)					\
-	static const char __kstrtab_##sym[]			\
-	__attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings"), aligned(1))) \
-	= VMLINUX_SYMBOL_STR(sym);				\
-	extern const struct kernel_symbol __ksymtab_##sym;	\
-	__visible const struct kernel_symbol __ksymtab_##sym	\
-	__used							\
-	__attribute__((section("___ksymtab" sec "+" #sym), unused))	\
+#define ___EXPORT_SYMBOL(sym, sec)					\
+	extern typeof(sym) sym;						\
+	__CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec)						\
+	static const char __kstrtab_##sym[]				\
+	__attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings"), aligned(1)))	\
+	= VMLINUX_SYMBOL_STR(sym);					\
+	static const struct kernel_symbol __ksymtab_##sym		\
+	__used								\
+	__attribute__((section("___ksymtab" sec "+" #sym), used))	\
 	= { (unsigned long)&sym, __kstrtab_##sym }
 
 #if defined(__KSYM_DEPS__)
diff --git a/include/linux/init.h b/include/linux/init.h
index aedb254..813f9d1 100644
--- a/include/linux/init.h
+++ b/include/linux/init.h
@@ -156,24 +156,8 @@ extern bool initcall_debug;
 
 #ifndef __ASSEMBLY__
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_LTO
-/* Work around a LTO gcc problem: when there is no reference to a variable
- * in a module it will be moved to the end of the program. This causes
- * reordering of initcalls which the kernel does not like.
- * Add a dummy reference function to avoid this. The function is
- * deleted by the linker.
- */
-#define LTO_REFERENCE_INITCALL(x) \
-	; /* yes this is needed */			\
-	static __used __exit void *reference_##x(void)	\
-	{						\
-		return &x;				\
-	}
-#else
-#define LTO_REFERENCE_INITCALL(x)
-#endif
-
-/* initcalls are now grouped by functionality into separate 
+/*
+ * initcalls are now grouped by functionality into separate
  * subsections. Ordering inside the subsections is determined
  * by link order. 
  * For backwards compatibility, initcall() puts the call in 
@@ -181,12 +165,16 @@ extern bool initcall_debug;
  *
  * The `id' arg to __define_initcall() is needed so that multiple initcalls
  * can point at the same handler without causing duplicate-symbol build errors.
+ *
+ * Initcalls are run by placing pointers in initcall sections that the
+ * kernel iterates at runtime. The linker can do dead code / data elimination
+ * and remove that completely, so the initcall sections have to be marked
+ * as KEEP() in the linker script.
  */
 
 #define __define_initcall(fn, id) \
 	static initcall_t __initcall_##fn##id __used \
-	__attribute__((__section__(".initcall" #id ".init"))) = fn; \
-	LTO_REFERENCE_INITCALL(__initcall_##fn##id)
+	__attribute__((__section__(".initcall" #id ".init"))) = fn;
 
 /*
  * Early initcalls run before initializing SMP.
@@ -222,15 +210,15 @@ extern bool initcall_debug;
 
 #define __initcall(fn) device_initcall(fn)
 
-#define __exitcall(fn) \
+#define __exitcall(fn)						\
 	static exitcall_t __exitcall_##fn __exit_call = fn
 
-#define console_initcall(fn) \
-	static initcall_t __initcall_##fn \
+#define console_initcall(fn)					\
+	static initcall_t __initcall_##fn			\
 	__used __section(.con_initcall.init) = fn
 
-#define security_initcall(fn) \
-	static initcall_t __initcall_##fn \
+#define security_initcall(fn)					\
+	static initcall_t __initcall_##fn			\
 	__used __section(.security_initcall.init) = fn
 
 struct obs_kernel_param {
diff --git a/init/Makefile b/init/Makefile
index 7bc47ee..c4fb455 100644
--- a/init/Makefile
+++ b/init/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # Makefile for the linux kernel.
 #
 
+ccflags-y := -fno-function-sections -fno-data-sections
+
 obj-y                          := main.o version.o mounts.o
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD),y)
 obj-y                          += noinitramfs.o
