diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 601272dc801..c23ac598ad8 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2017-11-29  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	PR 22509
+	* coffcode.h (coff_slurp_reloc_table): Check for a NULL symbol
+	pointer when processing relocs.
+
 2017-11-29  Stefan Stroe  <stroestefan@gmail.com>
 
 	* po/Make-in (datadir): Define as @datadir@.
diff --git a/bfd/coffcode.h b/bfd/coffcode.h
index 604ba6d8d91..d30cd58c4f3 100644
--- a/bfd/coffcode.h
+++ b/bfd/coffcode.h
@@ -5335,7 +5335,7 @@ coff_slurp_reloc_table (bfd * abfd, sec_ptr asect, asymbol ** symbols)
 #else
       cache_ptr->address = dst.r_vaddr;
 
-      if (dst.r_symndx != -1)
+      if (dst.r_symndx != -1 && symbols != NULL)
 	{
 	  if (dst.r_symndx < 0 || dst.r_symndx >= obj_conv_table_size (abfd))
 	    {