diff --git a/src/cmd/5l/asm.c b/src/cmd/5l/asm.c
index 46fb6b63236..f7fa688be19 100644
--- a/src/cmd/5l/asm.c
+++ b/src/cmd/5l/asm.c
@@ -632,8 +632,8 @@ asmb(void)
 		a += elfwritehdr();
 		a += elfwritephdrs();
 		a += elfwriteshdrs();
-		cflush();
-		if(a+elfwriteinterp() > ELFRESERVE)	
+		a += elfwriteinterp();
+		if(a > ELFRESERVE)	
 			diag("ELFRESERVE too small: %d > %d", a, ELFRESERVE);
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/6l/asm.c b/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
index dfb065e51cd..8c6bab83997 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
+++ b/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
@@ -1095,8 +1095,8 @@ asmb(void)
 		a += elfwritehdr();
 		a += elfwritephdrs();
 		a += elfwriteshdrs();
-		cflush();
-		if(a+elfwriteinterp() > ELFRESERVE)	
+		a += elfwriteinterp();
+		if(a > ELFRESERVE)	
 			diag("ELFRESERVE too small: %d > %d", a, ELFRESERVE);
 		break;
 	case Hwindows:
diff --git a/src/cmd/8l/asm.c b/src/cmd/8l/asm.c
index 119c8364b0a..948d4889ca7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/8l/asm.c
+++ b/src/cmd/8l/asm.c
@@ -1160,8 +1160,8 @@ asmb(void)
 		a += elfwritehdr();
 		a += elfwritephdrs();
 		a += elfwriteshdrs();
-		cflush();
-		if(a+elfwriteinterp() > ELFRESERVE)	
+		a += elfwriteinterp();
+		if(a > ELFRESERVE)	
 			diag("ELFRESERVE too small: %d > %d", a, ELFRESERVE);
 		break;