diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
index 1d65c49381f..21169f66ef3 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
@@ -1165,13 +1165,6 @@ func symalign(ldr *loader.Loader, s loader.Sym) int32 {
 	} else if align != 0 {
 		return min
 	}
-	// FIXME: figure out a way to avoid checking by name here.
-	sname := ldr.SymName(s)
-	if strings.HasPrefix(sname, "go.string.") || strings.HasPrefix(sname, "type..namedata.") {
-		// String data is just bytes.
-		// If we align it, we waste a lot of space to padding.
-		return min
-	}
 	align = int32(thearch.Maxalign)
 	ssz := ldr.SymSize(s)
 	for int64(align) > ssz && align > min {
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
index 76cca41d257..4d099b1133f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/symtab.go
@@ -549,6 +549,9 @@ func (ctxt *Link) symtab(pcln *pclntab) []sym.SymKind {
 			symGroupType[s] = sym.SGOSTRING
 			ldr.SetAttrNotInSymbolTable(s, true)
 			ldr.SetCarrierSym(s, symgostring)
+			if ldr.SymAlign(s) == 0 {
+				ldr.SetSymAlign(s, 1) // String data is just bytes, no padding.
+			}
 
 		case strings.HasPrefix(name, "runtime.gcbits."):
 			symGroupType[s] = sym.SGCBITS
@@ -608,6 +611,9 @@ func (ctxt *Link) symtab(pcln *pclntab) []sym.SymKind {
 					ldr.SetCarrierSym(s, symtype)
 				}
 			}
+			if strings.HasPrefix(name, "type..namedata.") && ldr.SymAlign(s) == 0 {
+				ldr.SetSymAlign(s, 1) // String data is just bytes, no padding.
+			}
 		}
 	}