diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data_test.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data_test.go
index f91493bc417..2c22cfeb014 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data_test.go
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ import (
 
 func setUpContext(arch *sys.Arch, iself bool, ht objabi.HeadType, bm, lm string) *Link {
 	ctxt := linknew(arch)
-	edummy := func(str string, off int) {}
 	ctxt.HeadType = ht
 	er := loader.ErrorReporter{}
-	ctxt.loader = loader.NewLoader(0, edummy, &er)
+	ctxt.loader = loader.NewLoader(0, &er)
 	ctxt.BuildMode.Set(bm)
 	ctxt.LinkMode.Set(lm)
 	ctxt.IsELF = iself
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/dwarf.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/dwarf.go
index 4eb0baf63c1..d060dda54d8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/dwarf.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/dwarf.go
@@ -2147,21 +2147,20 @@ func (d *dwctxt) collectUnitLocs(u *sym.CompilationUnit) []loader.Sym {
 	return syms
 }
 
-/*
- *  Elf.
- */
-func dwarfaddshstrings(ctxt *Link, shstrtab *loader.SymbolBuilder) {
+// Add DWARF section names to the section header string table, by calling add
+// on each name. ELF only.
+func dwarfaddshstrings(ctxt *Link, add func(string)) {
 	if *FlagW { // disable dwarf
 		return
 	}
 
 	secs := []string{"abbrev", "frame", "info", "loc", "line", "gdb_scripts", "ranges"}
 	for _, sec := range secs {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".debug_" + sec)
+		add(".debug_" + sec)
 		if ctxt.IsExternal() {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".debug_" + sec)
+			add(elfRelType + ".debug_" + sec)
 		} else {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".zdebug_" + sec)
+			add(".zdebug_" + sec)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/elf.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/elf.go
index cc387da68b1..713f7739a5b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/elf.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/elf.go
@@ -1390,83 +1390,88 @@ func (ctxt *Link) doelf() {
 
 	shstrtab.SetType(sym.SELFROSECT)
 
-	shstrtab.Addstring("")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".text")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".noptrdata")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".data")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".bss")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".noptrbss")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".go.fuzzcntrs")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".go.buildinfo")
+	shstrtabAddstring := func(s string) {
+		off := shstrtab.Addstring(s)
+		elfsetstring(ctxt, 0, s, int(off))
+	}
+
+	shstrtabAddstring("")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".text")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".noptrdata")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".data")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".bss")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".noptrbss")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".go.fuzzcntrs")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".go.buildinfo")
 	if ctxt.IsMIPS() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".MIPS.abiflags")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".gnu.attributes")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".MIPS.abiflags")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".gnu.attributes")
 	}
 
 	// generate .tbss section for dynamic internal linker or external
 	// linking, so that various binutils could correctly calculate
 	// PT_TLS size. See https://golang.org/issue/5200.
 	if !*FlagD || ctxt.IsExternal() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".tbss")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".tbss")
 	}
 	if ctxt.IsNetbsd() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.netbsd.ident")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.netbsd.ident")
 		if *flagRace {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".note.netbsd.pax")
+			shstrtabAddstring(".note.netbsd.pax")
 		}
 	}
 	if ctxt.IsOpenbsd() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.openbsd.ident")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.openbsd.ident")
 	}
 	if ctxt.IsFreebsd() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.tag")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.tag")
 	}
 	if len(buildinfo) > 0 {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.gnu.build-id")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.gnu.build-id")
 	}
 	if *flagBuildid != "" {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.go.buildid")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.go.buildid")
 	}
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".elfdata")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".rodata")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".elfdata")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".rodata")
 	// See the comment about data.rel.ro.FOO section names in data.go.
 	relro_prefix := ""
 	if ctxt.UseRelro() {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".data.rel.ro")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".data.rel.ro")
 		relro_prefix = ".data.rel.ro"
 	}
-	shstrtab.Addstring(relro_prefix + ".typelink")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(relro_prefix + ".itablink")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(relro_prefix + ".gosymtab")
-	shstrtab.Addstring(relro_prefix + ".gopclntab")
+	shstrtabAddstring(relro_prefix + ".typelink")
+	shstrtabAddstring(relro_prefix + ".itablink")
+	shstrtabAddstring(relro_prefix + ".gosymtab")
+	shstrtabAddstring(relro_prefix + ".gopclntab")
 
 	if ctxt.IsExternal() {
 		*FlagD = true
 
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".text")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".rodata")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".typelink")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".itablink")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".gosymtab")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".gopclntab")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".noptrdata")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".data")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".text")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".rodata")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".typelink")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".itablink")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".gosymtab")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + relro_prefix + ".gopclntab")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".noptrdata")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".data")
 		if ctxt.UseRelro() {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".data.rel.ro")
+			shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".data.rel.ro")
 		}
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".go.buildinfo")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".go.buildinfo")
 		if ctxt.IsMIPS() {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".MIPS.abiflags")
-			shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".gnu.attributes")
+			shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".MIPS.abiflags")
+			shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".gnu.attributes")
 		}
 
 		// add a .note.GNU-stack section to mark the stack as non-executable
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".note.GNU-stack")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".note.GNU-stack")
 
 		if ctxt.IsShared() {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".note.go.abihash")
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".note.go.pkg-list")
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".note.go.deps")
+			shstrtabAddstring(".note.go.abihash")
+			shstrtabAddstring(".note.go.pkg-list")
+			shstrtabAddstring(".note.go.deps")
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1479,35 +1484,35 @@ func (ctxt *Link) doelf() {
 	}
 
 	if hasinitarr {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".init_array")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".init_array")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".init_array")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".init_array")
 	}
 
 	if !*FlagS {
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".symtab")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".strtab")
-		dwarfaddshstrings(ctxt, shstrtab)
+		shstrtabAddstring(".symtab")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".strtab")
+		dwarfaddshstrings(ctxt, shstrtabAddstring)
 	}
 
-	shstrtab.Addstring(".shstrtab")
+	shstrtabAddstring(".shstrtab")
 
 	if !*FlagD { /* -d suppresses dynamic loader format */
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".interp")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".hash")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".got")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".interp")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".hash")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".got")
 		if ctxt.IsPPC64() {
-			shstrtab.Addstring(".glink")
+			shstrtabAddstring(".glink")
 		}
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".got.plt")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".dynamic")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".dynsym")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".dynstr")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType)
-		shstrtab.Addstring(elfRelType + ".plt")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".got.plt")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".dynamic")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".dynsym")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".dynstr")
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType)
+		shstrtabAddstring(elfRelType + ".plt")
 
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".plt")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".gnu.version")
-		shstrtab.Addstring(".gnu.version_r")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".plt")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".gnu.version")
+		shstrtabAddstring(".gnu.version_r")
 
 		/* dynamic symbol table - first entry all zeros */
 		dynsym := ldr.CreateSymForUpdate(".dynsym", 0)
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
index 03b13da37a5..0febb3081f7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
@@ -528,8 +528,7 @@ func (ctxt *Link) loadlib() {
 	default:
 		log.Fatalf("invalid -strictdups flag value %d", *FlagStrictDups)
 	}
-	elfsetstring1 := func(str string, off int) { elfsetstring(ctxt, 0, str, off) }
-	ctxt.loader = loader.NewLoader(flags, elfsetstring1, &ctxt.ErrorReporter.ErrorReporter)
+	ctxt.loader = loader.NewLoader(flags, &ctxt.ErrorReporter.ErrorReporter)
 	ctxt.ErrorReporter.SymName = func(s loader.Sym) string {
 		return ctxt.loader.SymName(s)
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
index fa74dcede42..f4b075b0770 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
@@ -261,8 +261,6 @@ type Loader struct {
 
 	strictDupMsgs int // number of strict-dup warning/errors, when FlagStrictDups is enabled
 
-	elfsetstring elfsetstringFunc
-
 	errorReporter *ErrorReporter
 
 	npkgsyms    int // number of package symbols, for accounting
@@ -284,8 +282,6 @@ const (
 	goObjStart
 )
 
-type elfsetstringFunc func(str string, off int)
-
 // extSymPayload holds the payload (data + relocations) for linker-synthesized
 // external symbols (note that symbol value is stored in a separate slice).
 type extSymPayload struct {
@@ -304,7 +300,7 @@ const (
 	FlagStrictDups = 1 << iota
 )
 
-func NewLoader(flags uint32, elfsetstring elfsetstringFunc, reporter *ErrorReporter) *Loader {
+func NewLoader(flags uint32, reporter *ErrorReporter) *Loader {
 	nbuiltin := goobj.NBuiltin()
 	extReader := &oReader{objidx: extObj}
 	ldr := &Loader{
@@ -333,7 +329,6 @@ func NewLoader(flags uint32, elfsetstring elfsetstringFunc, reporter *ErrorRepor
 		extStaticSyms:        make(map[nameVer]Sym),
 		builtinSyms:          make([]Sym, nbuiltin),
 		flags:                flags,
-		elfsetstring:         elfsetstring,
 		errorReporter:        reporter,
 		sects:                []*sym.Section{nil}, // reserve index 0 for nil section
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
index 8ee4be033b7..32ff2586ceb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -26,9 +26,8 @@ func addDummyObjSym(t *testing.T, ldr *Loader, or *oReader, name string) Sym {
 }
 
 func mkLoader() *Loader {
-	edummy := func(str string, off int) {}
 	er := ErrorReporter{}
-	ldr := NewLoader(0, edummy, &er)
+	ldr := NewLoader(0, &er)
 	er.ldr = ldr
 	return ldr
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
index 1744df2784e..5a3e88b90eb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
@@ -332,10 +332,6 @@ func (sb *SymbolBuilder) Addstring(str string) int64 {
 		sb.kind = sym.SNOPTRDATA
 	}
 	r := sb.size
-	if sb.name == ".shstrtab" {
-		// FIXME: find a better mechanism for this
-		sb.l.elfsetstring(str, int(r))
-	}
 	sb.data = append(sb.data, str...)
 	sb.data = append(sb.data, 0)
 	sb.size = int64(len(sb.data))