diff --git a/bfd/bfd-in2.h b/bfd/bfd-in2.h
index b013ef954da..2ff3e930bfa 100644
--- a/bfd/bfd-in2.h
+++ b/bfd/bfd-in2.h
@@ -2903,8 +2903,15 @@ bool generic_core_file_matches_executable_p
    (bfd *core_bfd, bfd *exec_bfd);
 
 /* Extracted from format.c.  */
+bool bfd_check_format_lto (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format,
+    bool lto_sections_removed);
+
 bool bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format);
 
+bool bfd_check_format_matches_lto
+   (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching,
+    bool lto_sections_removed);
+
 bool bfd_check_format_matches
    (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching);
 
diff --git a/bfd/format.c b/bfd/format.c
index a909b70fe81..f3a0774af08 100644
--- a/bfd/format.c
+++ b/bfd/format.c
@@ -56,16 +56,19 @@ extern const size_t _bfd_target_vector_entries;
 
 /*
 FUNCTION
-	bfd_check_format
+	bfd_check_format_lto
 
 SYNOPSIS
-	bool bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format);
+	bool bfd_check_format_lto (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format,
+				   bool lto_sections_removed);
 
 DESCRIPTION
 	Verify if the file attached to the BFD @var{abfd} is compatible
 	with the format @var{format} (i.e., one of <<bfd_object>>,
 	<<bfd_archive>> or <<bfd_core>>).
 
+	If LTO_SECTION_REMOVED is true, ignore plugin target.
+
 	If the BFD has been set to a specific target before the
 	call, only the named target and format combination is
 	checked. If the target has not been set, or has been set to
@@ -99,10 +102,31 @@ DESCRIPTION
 	itself.
 */
 
+bool
+bfd_check_format_lto (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format,
+		      bool lto_sections_removed)
+{
+  return bfd_check_format_matches_lto (abfd, format, NULL,
+				       lto_sections_removed);
+}
+
+
+/*
+FUNCTION
+	bfd_check_format
+
+SYNOPSIS
+	bool bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format);
+
+DESCRIPTION
+	Similar to bfd_check_format_plugin, except plugin target isn't
+	ignored.
+*/
+
 bool
 bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format)
 {
-  return bfd_check_format_matches (abfd, format, NULL);
+  return bfd_check_format_matches_lto (abfd, format, NULL, false);
 }
 
 struct bfd_preserve
@@ -407,11 +431,12 @@ bfd_set_lto_type (bfd *abfd ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
 /*
 FUNCTION
-	bfd_check_format_matches
+	bfd_check_format_matches_lto
 
 SYNOPSIS
-	bool bfd_check_format_matches
-	  (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching);
+	bool bfd_check_format_matches_lto
+	  (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching,
+	   bool lto_sections_removed);
 
 DESCRIPTION
 	Like <<bfd_check_format>>, except when it returns FALSE with
@@ -423,10 +448,14 @@ DESCRIPTION
 
 	When done with the list that @var{matching} points to, the caller
 	should free it.
+
+	If LTO_SECTION_REMOVED is true, ignore plugin target.
 */
 
 bool
-bfd_check_format_matches (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching)
+bfd_check_format_matches_lto (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format,
+			      char ***matching,
+			      bool lto_sections_removed ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
   extern const bfd_target binary_vec;
   const bfd_target * const *target;
@@ -495,8 +524,13 @@ bfd_check_format_matches (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching)
   if (!bfd_preserve_save (abfd, &preserve, NULL))
     goto err_ret;
 
-  /* If the target type was explicitly specified, just check that target.  */
-  if (!abfd->target_defaulted)
+  /* If the target type was explicitly specified, just check that target.
+     If LTO_SECTION_REMOVED is true, don't match the plugin target.  */
+  if (!abfd->target_defaulted
+#if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
+      && (!lto_sections_removed || !bfd_plugin_target_p (abfd->xvec))
+#endif
+     )
     {
       if (bfd_seek (abfd, 0, SEEK_SET) != 0)	/* rewind! */
 	goto err_ret;
@@ -540,10 +574,12 @@ bfd_check_format_matches (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching)
 	 searching.  Don't match the plugin target if we have another
 	 alternative since we want to properly set the input format
 	 before allowing a plugin to claim the file.  Also, don't
-	 check the default target twice.  */
+	 check the default target twice.   If LTO_SECTION_REMOVED is
+	 true, don't match the plugin target.  */
       if (*target == &binary_vec
 #if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
-	  || (match_count != 0 && bfd_plugin_target_p (*target))
+	  || ((lto_sections_removed || match_count != 0)
+	      && bfd_plugin_target_p (*target))
 #endif
 	  || (!abfd->target_defaulted && *target == save_targ))
 	continue;
@@ -795,6 +831,32 @@ bfd_check_format_matches (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching)
   return false;
 }
 
+/*
+FUNCTION
+	bfd_check_format_matches
+
+SYNOPSIS
+	bool bfd_check_format_matches
+	  (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching);
+
+DESCRIPTION
+	Like <<bfd_check_format>>, except when it returns FALSE with
+	<<bfd_errno>> set to <<bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized>>.  In that
+	case, if @var{matching} is not NULL, it will be filled in with
+	a NULL-terminated list of the names of the formats that matched,
+	allocated with <<malloc>>.
+	Then the user may choose a format and try again.
+
+	When done with the list that @var{matching} points to, the caller
+	should free it.
+*/
+
+bool
+bfd_check_format_matches (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching)
+{
+  return bfd_check_format_matches_lto (abfd, format, matching, false);
+}
+
 /*
 FUNCTION
 	bfd_set_format
diff --git a/binutils/objcopy.c b/binutils/objcopy.c
index 8c9077356f1..038f6555c0b 100644
--- a/binutils/objcopy.c
+++ b/binutils/objcopy.c
@@ -3748,10 +3748,13 @@ copy_archive (bfd *ibfd, bfd *obfd, const char *output_target,
       l->obfd = NULL;
       list = l;
 
+#if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
+      /* Ignore plugin target if all LTO sections should be removed.  */
+      ok_object = bfd_check_format_lto (this_element, bfd_object,
+					lto_sections_removed);
+#else
       ok_object = bfd_check_format (this_element, bfd_object);
-      if (!ok_object)
-	bfd_nonfatal_message (NULL, this_element, NULL,
-			      _("Unable to recognise the format of file"));
+#endif
 
       /* PR binutils/3110: Cope with archives
 	 containing multiple target types.  */
@@ -3887,9 +3890,8 @@ copy_file (const char *input_filename, const char *output_filename, int ofd,
     }
 
 #if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
-  /* Enable LTO plugin in strip unless all LTO sections should be
-     removed.  */
-  if (is_strip && !target && !lto_sections_removed)
+  /* Enable LTO plugin in strip.  */
+  if (is_strip && !target)
     target = "plugin";
 #endif
 
@@ -3987,7 +3989,21 @@ copy_file (const char *input_filename, const char *output_filename, int ofd,
 			 input_arch))
 	status = 1;
     }
-  else if (bfd_check_format_matches (ibfd, bfd_object, &obj_matching))
+  else if (
+#if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
+	   /* Ignore plugin target first if all LTO sections should be
+	      removed.  Try with plugin target next if ignoring plugin
+	      target fails to match the format.  */
+	   bfd_check_format_matches_lto (ibfd, bfd_object, &obj_matching,
+					 lto_sections_removed)
+	   || (lto_sections_removed
+	       && bfd_check_format_matches_lto (ibfd, bfd_object,
+						&obj_matching, false))
+#else
+	   bfd_check_format_matches_lto (ibfd, bfd_object, &obj_matching,
+					 false)
+#endif
+	   )
     {
       bfd *obfd;
     do_copy:
@@ -5043,9 +5059,13 @@ strip_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 #if BFD_SUPPORTS_PLUGINS
   /* Check if all GCC LTO sections should be removed, assuming all LTO
      sections will be removed with -R .gnu.lto_.*.  * Remove .gnu.lto_.*
-     sections will also remove .gnu.debuglto_.  sections.  */
-  lto_sections_removed = !!find_section_list (".gnu.lto_.*", false,
-					      SECTION_CONTEXT_REMOVE);
+     sections will also remove .gnu.debuglto_.  sections.  LLVM IR
+     bitcode is stored in .llvm.lto section which will be removed with
+     -R .llvm.lto.  */
+  lto_sections_removed = (!!find_section_list (".gnu.lto_.*", false,
+					       SECTION_CONTEXT_REMOVE)
+			  || !!find_section_list (".llvm.lto", false,
+					       SECTION_CONTEXT_REMOVE));
 #endif
 
   i = optind;
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/pr33198.c b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/pr33198.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cd0130cacdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/pr33198.c
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+void
+foo (void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/x86-64.exp b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/x86-64.exp
index 05c73047b60..ab1aa50a9a1 100644
--- a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/x86-64.exp
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/x86-64/x86-64.exp
@@ -96,3 +96,161 @@ if {[catch "system \"bzip2 -dc $t > $tempfile\""] != 0} {
 	}
     }
 }
+
+proc run_pr33198_test { fat strip_flags } {
+    global srcdir
+    global subdir
+    global llvm_plug_opt
+    global AR
+    global CLANG_FOR_TARGET
+    global NM
+    global READELF
+    global STRIP
+
+    set test pr33198
+    set testname "${test}${fat} with $strip_flags"
+
+    if { [istarget "x86_64-*-linux*-gnux32"] \
+	 || ![info exists CLANG_FOR_TARGET]
+	 || [string match "" $llvm_plug_opt] } then {
+	untested $testname
+	return
+    }
+
+    set src $srcdir/$subdir/${test}.c
+    set obj tmpdir/${test}${fat}.o
+    set archive tmpdir/${test}${fat}.a
+    set CLANG_CFLAGS "-c -O2 -flto"
+    if { "$fat" == "-fat" } {
+	append CLANG_CFLAGS " -ffat-lto-objects"
+    }
+
+    append strip_flags " --strip-unneeded $llvm_plug_opt"
+
+    set cmd "$CLANG_FOR_TARGET $CLANG_CFLAGS -o $obj $src"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![string match "" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname ($obj)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    set cmd "$NM $llvm_plug_opt $obj\n"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![regexp "0+ T foo" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname ($obj)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    pass "$testname ($obj)"
+
+    set cmd "$STRIP $strip_flags $obj -o ${obj}.strip"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![string match "" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname (strip $obj)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    set cmd "$NM $llvm_plug_opt ${obj}.strip"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![regexp "0+ T foo" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname (strip $obj)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    if { "$fat" == "-fat" } {
+	set cmd "$READELF -SW ${obj}.strip"
+	send_log "$cmd\n"
+	verbose "$cmd" 1
+	catch "exec $cmd" got
+	if [regexp "\.llvm\.lto *LLVM_LTO *" $got] then {
+	    send_log "$got\n"
+	    verbose "$got" 1
+	    fail "$testname (strip $obj)"
+	    return
+	}
+    }
+
+    pass "$testname (strip $obj)"
+
+    set cmd "$AR $llvm_plug_opt -s -r -c $archive $obj"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![string match "" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname ($archive)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    set cmd "$NM $llvm_plug_opt $archive\n"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![regexp "0+ T foo" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname ($archive)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    pass "$testname ($archive)"
+
+    set cmd "$STRIP $strip_flags $archive -o ${archive}.strip"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![string match "" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname (strip $archive)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    set cmd "$NM $llvm_plug_opt ${archive}.strip"
+    send_log "$cmd\n"
+    verbose "$cmd" 1
+    catch "exec $cmd" got
+    if ![regexp "0+ T foo" $got] then {
+	send_log "$got\n"
+	verbose "$got" 1
+	fail "$testname (strip $archive)"
+	return
+    }
+
+    if { "$fat" == "-fat" } {
+	set cmd "$READELF -SW ${archive}.strip"
+	send_log "$cmd\n"
+	verbose "$cmd" 1
+	catch "exec $cmd" got
+	if [regexp "\.llvm\.lto *LLVM_LTO *" $got] then {
+	    send_log "$got\n"
+	    verbose "$got" 1
+	    fail "$testname (strip $archive)"
+	    return
+	}
+    }
+
+    pass "$testname (strip $archive)"
+}
+
+run_pr33198_test "" "-R .gnu.lto_* -R .gnu.debuglto_* -R .llvm.lto -N __gnu_lto_v1"
+run_pr33198_test "-fat" "-R .gnu.lto_* -R .gnu.debuglto_* -R .llvm.lto -N __gnu_lto_v1"
+run_pr33198_test "" "-R .llvm.lto"
+run_pr33198_test "-fat" "-R .llvm.lto"
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/lib/binutils-common.exp b/binutils/testsuite/lib/binutils-common.exp
index 2da7138e211..ec246f45257 100644
--- a/binutils/testsuite/lib/binutils-common.exp
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/lib/binutils-common.exp
@@ -1813,3 +1813,30 @@ proc get_standard_section_names {} {
     }
     return
 }
+
+set llvm_plug_opt ""
+if { [isnative] } then {
+    if ![info exists CLANG_FOR_TARGET] then {
+	catch "exec clang -v" got
+	if [regexp "clang version" $got] then {
+	    set CLANG_FOR_TARGET clang
+	}
+    }
+    if [info exists CLANG_FOR_TARGET] then {
+	set llvm_plug_so [string trim [exec $CLANG_FOR_TARGET -print-file-name=LLVMgold.so]]
+	if { $llvm_plug_so ne "LLVMgold.so" } then {
+	    set llvm_plug_opt "--plugin $llvm_plug_so"
+	}
+
+	if { $llvm_plug_opt eq "" } then {
+	    # If it is still blank, try llvm-config --libdir.  Clang
+	    # searches CLANG_INSTALL_LIBDIR_BASENAME which corresponds
+	    # to this.
+	    catch "exec llvm-config --libdir" got
+	    if {[file isdirectory $got] \
+		&& [file isfile $got/LLVMgold.so]} then {
+		set llvm_plug_opt "--plugin $got/LLVMgold.so"
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+}