diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
index 74d61fa4951..d8813fa9361 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ func (d *deadcodePass) init() {
 			}
 		}
 		names = append(names, *flagEntrySymbol)
+		if !d.ctxt.linkShared && d.ctxt.BuildMode != BuildModePlugin {
+			// runtime.buildVersion and runtime.modinfo are referenced in .go.buildinfo section
+			// (see function buildinfo in data.go). They should normally be reachable from the
+			// runtime. Just make it explicit, in case.
+			names = append(names, "runtime.buildVersion", "runtime.modinfo")
+		}
 		if d.ctxt.BuildMode == BuildModePlugin {
 			names = append(names, objabi.PathToPrefix(*flagPluginPath)+"..inittask", objabi.PathToPrefix(*flagPluginPath)+".main", "go.plugin.tabs")