diff --git a/bfd/elf.c b/bfd/elf.c
index 4f6bcde2365..596c1ec3de2 100644
--- a/bfd/elf.c
+++ b/bfd/elf.c
@@ -8434,9 +8434,28 @@ _bfd_elf_copy_private_section_data (bfd *ibfd,
 		  & ~(SEC_LINK_ONCE | SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES | SEC_RELOC)) == 0)))
     elf_section_type (osec) = elf_section_type (isec);
 
-  /* FIXME: Is this correct for all OS/PROC specific flags?  */
-  elf_section_flags (osec) = (elf_section_flags (isec)
-			      & (SHF_MASKOS | SHF_MASKPROC));
+  elf_section_flags (osec) = elf_section_flags (isec);
+  /* Like for type, retain flags for objcopy (yet unlike for type, don't do so
+     for relocatable link).  Same heuristic as there: If the BFD section flags
+     are different, assume --set-section-flags is in use for the section.
+
+     FIXME: Is this correct for all OS/PROC specific flags?  */
+  if (link_info != NULL || osec->flags != isec->flags)
+    elf_section_flags (osec) &= (SHF_MASKOS | SHF_MASKPROC);
+  else
+    {
+      /* Clear only flags which are set below or elsewhere.  */
+      elf_section_flags (osec) &= ~(SHF_WRITE | SHF_ALLOC | SHF_EXECINSTR
+				    | SHF_MERGE | SHF_STRINGS | SHF_LINK_ORDER
+				    | SHF_INFO_LINK | SHF_GROUP | SHF_TLS
+				    | SHF_COMPRESSED);
+      if (elf_section_flags (osec) & ~(SHF_MASKOS | SHF_MASKPROC))
+	_bfd_error_handler
+	  (_("%pB:%pA: warning: retaining unknown section flag(s) %#" PRIx64),
+	   ibfd, isec,
+	   (uint64_t) (elf_section_flags (osec)
+		       & ~(SHF_MASKOS | SHF_MASKPROC)));
+    }
 
   /* Copy sh_info from input for mbind section.  */
   if ((elf_tdata (ibfd)->has_gnu_osabi & elf_gnu_osabi_mbind) != 0
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.d b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ac8e7560969
--- /dev/null
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.d
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#PROG: objcopy
+#readelf: -tW
+#name: copy with unknown section flag
+#warning: .*/copy-7[.].*:[.]special: warning: retaining .* 0x10000
+
+There are .* section headers, starting at offset .*
+
+Section Headers:
+  \[Nr\].*
+#...
+  \[ [1-9]\] .special
+       PROGBITS .*
+       \[0+10000\]: UNKNOWN \(0+10000\)
+#...
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.s b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.s
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0861c3c602f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/copy-7.s
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+	.globl text_symbol
+	.text
+text_symbol:
+	.nop
+
+	.section .special,"0x10000", %progbits
+	.long -1
diff --git a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/objcopy.exp b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/objcopy.exp
index 89370bc893a..ac8978fef2b 100644
--- a/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/objcopy.exp
+++ b/binutils/testsuite/binutils-all/objcopy.exp
@@ -1313,6 +1313,7 @@ if [is_elf_format] {
     run_dump_test "group-7b"
     run_dump_test "group-7c"
     run_dump_test "copy-1"
+    run_dump_test "copy-7"
     run_dump_test "note-1"
     # Use copytest.o from the note-1 test to determine ELF32 or ELF64
     if [is_elf64 tmpdir/copytest.o] {