diff --git a/bfd/binary.c b/bfd/binary.c
index 6a7a77b2401..7fe47b590de 100644
--- a/bfd/binary.c
+++ b/bfd/binary.c
@@ -321,8 +321,8 @@ const bfd_target binary_vec =
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* byteorder */
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* header_byteorder */
   EXEC_P,			/* object_flags */
-  (SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_READONLY | SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA
-   | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS), /* section_flags */
+  (SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS
+   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD),	/* section_flags */
   0,				/* symbol_leading_char */
   ' ',				/* ar_pad_char */
   16,				/* ar_max_namelen */
diff --git a/bfd/linker.c b/bfd/linker.c
index 7cf8611547d..8b3579dc658 100644
--- a/bfd/linker.c
+++ b/bfd/linker.c
@@ -1989,6 +1989,9 @@ _bfd_generic_final_link (bfd *abfd, struct bfd_link_info *info)
 static bool
 generic_add_output_symbol (bfd *output_bfd, size_t *psymalloc, asymbol *sym)
 {
+  if (!(bfd_applicable_file_flags (output_bfd) & HAS_SYMS))
+    return true;
+
   if (bfd_get_symcount (output_bfd) >= *psymalloc)
     {
       asymbol **newsyms;
diff --git a/bfd/srec.c b/bfd/srec.c
index e1d39e521fc..a7ccf232531 100644
--- a/bfd/srec.c
+++ b/bfd/srec.c
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ srec_write_symbols (bfd *abfd)
       if (bfd_write ("$$ ", 3, abfd) != 3
 	  || bfd_write (bfd_get_filename (abfd), len, abfd) != len
 	  || bfd_write ("\r\n", 2, abfd) != 2)
-	return false;
+	goto fail;
 
       for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
 	{
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ srec_write_symbols (bfd *abfd)
 	      len = strlen (s->name);
 	      if (bfd_write ("  ", 2, abfd) != 2
 		  || bfd_write (s->name, len, abfd) != len)
-		return false;
+		goto fail;
 
 	      sprintf (buf, " $%" PRIx64 "\r\n",
 		       (uint64_t) (s->value
@@ -1107,14 +1107,21 @@ srec_write_symbols (bfd *abfd)
 				   + s->section->output_offset));
 	      len = strlen (buf);
 	      if (bfd_write (buf, len, abfd) != len)
-		return false;
+		goto fail;
 	    }
 	}
       if (bfd_write ("$$ \r\n", 5, abfd) != 5)
-	return false;
+	goto fail;
     }
 
+  free (abfd->outsymbols);
+  abfd->outsymbols = NULL;
   return true;
+
+ fail:
+  free (abfd->outsymbols);
+  abfd->outsymbols = NULL;
+  return false;
 }
 
 static bool
@@ -1281,11 +1288,9 @@ const bfd_target srec_vec =
   bfd_target_srec_flavour,
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target byte order.  */
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target headers byte order.  */
-  (HAS_RELOC | EXEC_P |		/* Object flags.  */
-   HAS_LINENO | HAS_DEBUG |
-   HAS_SYMS | HAS_LOCALS | WP_TEXT | D_PAGED),
+  EXEC_P,			/* Object flags.  */
   (SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS
-   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_RELOC),	/* Section flags.  */
+   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD),	/* Section flags.  */
   0,				/* Leading underscore.  */
   ' ',				/* AR_pad_char.  */
   16,				/* AR_max_namelen.  */
@@ -1338,11 +1343,9 @@ const bfd_target symbolsrec_vec =
   bfd_target_srec_flavour,
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target byte order.  */
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target headers byte order.  */
-  (HAS_RELOC | EXEC_P |		/* Object flags.  */
-   HAS_LINENO | HAS_DEBUG |
-   HAS_SYMS | HAS_LOCALS | WP_TEXT | D_PAGED),
+  EXEC_P | HAS_SYMS,		/* Object flags.  */
   (SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS
-   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_RELOC),	/* Section flags.  */
+   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD),	/* Section flags.  */
   0,				/* Leading underscore.  */
   ' ',				/* AR_pad_char.  */
   16,				/* AR_max_namelen.  */
diff --git a/bfd/tekhex.c b/bfd/tekhex.c
index 01feeef8d4c..ef2bb25fe46 100644
--- a/bfd/tekhex.c
+++ b/bfd/tekhex.c
@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ tekhex_write_object_contents (bfd *abfd)
 		case 'C':
 		case 'U':
 		  bfd_set_error (bfd_error_wrong_format);
-		  return false;
+		  goto fail;
 		}
 
 	      writesym (&dst, sym->name);
@@ -885,8 +885,15 @@ tekhex_write_object_contents (bfd *abfd)
 
   /* And the terminator.  */
   if (bfd_write ("%0781010\n", 9, abfd) != 9)
-    abort ();
+    goto fail;
+  free (abfd->outsymbols);
+  abfd->outsymbols = NULL;
   return true;
+
+ fail:
+  free (abfd->outsymbols);
+  abfd->outsymbols = NULL;
+  return false;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -986,11 +993,9 @@ const bfd_target tekhex_vec =
   bfd_target_tekhex_flavour,
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target byte order.  */
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target headers byte order.  */
-  (EXEC_P |			/* Object flags.  */
-   HAS_SYMS | HAS_LINENO | HAS_DEBUG |
-   HAS_RELOC | HAS_LOCALS | WP_TEXT | D_PAGED),
+  EXEC_P | HAS_SYMS,		/* Object flags.  */
   (SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS
-   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_RELOC),	/* Section flags.  */
+   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD),	/* Section flags.  */
   0,				/* Leading underscore.  */
   ' ',				/* AR_pad_char.  */
   16,				/* AR_max_namelen.  */
diff --git a/bfd/verilog.c b/bfd/verilog.c
index 4930b858ba1..70cc7c69412 100644
--- a/bfd/verilog.c
+++ b/bfd/verilog.c
@@ -384,11 +384,9 @@ const bfd_target verilog_vec =
   bfd_target_verilog_flavour,
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target byte order.  */
   BFD_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN,		/* Target headers byte order.  */
-  (HAS_RELOC | EXEC_P |		/* Object flags.  */
-   HAS_LINENO | HAS_DEBUG |
-   HAS_SYMS | HAS_LOCALS | WP_TEXT | D_PAGED),
+  EXEC_P,			/* Object flags.  */
   (SEC_CODE | SEC_DATA | SEC_ROM | SEC_HAS_CONTENTS
-   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD | SEC_RELOC),	/* Section flags.  */
+   | SEC_ALLOC | SEC_LOAD),	/* Section flags.  */
   0,				/* Leading underscore.  */
   ' ',				/* AR_pad_char.  */
   16,				/* AR_max_namelen.  */