diff --git a/src/cmd/6l/asm.c b/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
index eb3a8921cd..3db010a788 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
+++ b/src/cmd/6l/asm.c
@@ -60,21 +60,21 @@ entryvalue(void)
 }
 
 void
-wputl(ushort w)
+wputl(uint16 w)
 {
 	cput(w);
 	cput(w>>8);
 }
 
 void
-wput(ushort w)
+wputb(uint16 w)
 {
 	cput(w>>8);
 	cput(w);
 }
 
 void
-lput(int32 l)
+lputb(int32 l)
 {
 	cput(l>>24);
 	cput(l>>16);
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ lput(int32 l)
 }
 
 void
-vput(vlong v)
+vputb(uint64 v)
 {
-	lput(v>>32);
-	lput(v);
+	lputb(v>>32);
+	lputb(v);
 }
 
 void
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ lputl(int32 l)
 }
 
 void
-vputl(vlong v)
+vputl(uint64 v)
 {
 	lputl(v);
 	lputl(v>>32);
@@ -126,10 +126,9 @@ asmb(void)
 	uchar *op1;
 	vlong vl, va, fo, w, symo;
 	vlong symdatva = 0x99LL<<32;
-	int strtabindex;
+	Elf64Hdr *eh;
 	Elf64PHdr *ph;
 	Elf64SHdr *sh;
-	char eident[EI_NIDENT];
 
 	if(debug['v'])
 		Bprint(&bso, "%5.2f asmb\n", cputime());
@@ -277,29 +276,29 @@ asmb(void)
 		magic |= 0x00008000;		/* fat header */
 		if(dlm)
 			magic |= 0x80000000;	/* dlm */
-		lput(magic);			/* magic */
-		lput(textsize);			/* sizes */
-		lput(datsize);
-		lput(bsssize);
-		lput(symsize);			/* nsyms */
+		lputb(magic);			/* magic */
+		lputb(textsize);			/* sizes */
+		lputb(datsize);
+		lputb(bsssize);
+		lputb(symsize);			/* nsyms */
 		vl = entryvalue();
-		lput(PADDR(vl));		/* va of entry */
-		lput(spsize);			/* sp offsets */
-		lput(lcsize);			/* line offsets */
-		vput(vl);			/* va of entry */
+		lputb(PADDR(vl));		/* va of entry */
+		lputb(spsize);			/* sp offsets */
+		lputb(lcsize);			/* line offsets */
+		vputb(vl);			/* va of entry */
 		break;
 	case 3:	/* plan9 */
 		magic = 4*26*26+7;
 		if(dlm)
 			magic |= 0x80000000;
-		lput(magic);			/* magic */
-		lput(textsize);			/* sizes */
-		lput(datsize);
-		lput(bsssize);
-		lput(symsize);			/* nsyms */
-		lput(entryvalue());		/* va of entry */
-		lput(spsize);			/* sp offsets */
-		lput(lcsize);			/* line offsets */
+		lputb(magic);			/* magic */
+		lputb(textsize);		/* sizes */
+		lputb(datsize);
+		lputb(bsssize);
+		lputb(symsize);			/* nsyms */
+		lputb(entryvalue());		/* va of entry */
+		lputb(spsize);			/* sp offsets */
+		lputb(lcsize);			/* line offsets */
 		break;
 	case 5:
 		strnput("\177ELF", 4);		/* e_ident */
@@ -503,7 +502,6 @@ asmb(void)
 
 		w = STRTABSIZE;
 
-		strtabindex = nume64shdr;
 		sh = newElf64SHdr(".shstrtab");
 		sh->type = SHT_STRTAB;
 		sh->off = fo;
@@ -533,31 +531,27 @@ asmb(void)
 		sh->addralign = 1;
 		sh->entsize = 24;
 
-		// write out the main header */
-		memset(eident, 0, sizeof eident);
-		eident[EI_MAG0] = '\177';
-		eident[EI_MAG1] = 'E';
-		eident[EI_MAG2] = 'L';
-		eident[EI_MAG3] = 'F';
-		eident[EI_CLASS] = ELFCLASS64;
-		eident[EI_DATA] = ELFDATA2LSB;
-		eident[EI_VERSION] = EV_CURRENT;
-		strnput(eident, EI_NIDENT);
+		// main header */
+		eh = getElf64Hdr();
+		eh->ident[EI_MAG0] = '\177';
+		eh->ident[EI_MAG1] = 'E';
+		eh->ident[EI_MAG2] = 'L';
+		eh->ident[EI_MAG3] = 'F';
+		eh->ident[EI_CLASS] = ELFCLASS64;
+		eh->ident[EI_DATA] = ELFDATA2LSB;
+		eh->ident[EI_VERSION] = EV_CURRENT;
 
-		wputl(ET_EXEC);			/* type = EXEC */
-		wputl(62);			/* machine = AMD64 */
-		lputl(EV_CURRENT);			/* version = CURRENT */
-		vputl(entryvalue());		/* entry vaddr */
-		vputl(64L);			/* offset to first phdr */
-		vputl(64L+56*nume64phdr);		/* offset to first shdr */
-		lputl(0L);			/* processor specific flags */
-		wputl(64);			/* Ehdr size */
-		wputl(56);			/* Phdr size */
-		wputl(nume64phdr);			/* # of Phdrs */
-		wputl(64);			/* Shdr size */
-		wputl(nume64shdr);			/* # of Shdrs */
-		wputl(strtabindex);			/* Shdr with strings */
+		eh->type = ET_EXEC;
+		eh->machine = 62;	/* machine = AMD64 */
+		eh->version = EV_CURRENT;
+		eh->entry = entryvalue();
+		eh->phoff = 64L;
+		eh->shoff = 64L+56*eh->phnum;
+		eh->ehsize = 64;
+		eh->phentsize = 56;
+		eh->shentsize = 64;
 
+		elf64writehdr();
 		elf64writephdrs();
 		elf64writeshdrs();
 		cflush();
diff --git a/src/cmd/6l/l.h b/src/cmd/6l/l.h
index e09579a6e7..4a7cfc8347 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6l/l.h
+++ b/src/cmd/6l/l.h
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ void	ldpkg(Biobuf*, int64, char*);
 void	loadlib(void);
 void	listinit(void);
 Sym*	lookup(char*, int);
-void	lput(int32);
+void	lputb(int32);
 void	lputl(int32);
 void	main(int, char*[]);
 void	mkfwd(void);
@@ -436,8 +436,9 @@ void	strnput(char*, int);
 void	undef(void);
 void	undefsym(Sym*);
 vlong	vaddr(Adr*);
-void	vputl(vlong);
-void	wput(ushort);
+void	vputl(uint64);
+void	wputb(uint16);
+void	wputl(uint16);
 void	xdefine(char*, int, vlong);
 void	xfol(Prog*);
 void	zaddr(Biobuf*, Adr*, Sym*[]);
@@ -450,6 +451,10 @@ void	machstack(vlong);
 void	machdylink(void);
 uint32	machheadr(void);
 
+/* Native is little-endian */
+#define	LPUT(a)	lputl(a)
+#define	WPUT(a)	wputl(a)
+#define	VPUT(a)	vputl(a)
 
 #pragma	varargck	type	"D"	Adr*
 #pragma	varargck	type	"P"	Prog*
diff --git a/src/cmd/6l/span.c b/src/cmd/6l/span.c
index 18b659adc8..c0901dd429 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6l/span.c
+++ b/src/cmd/6l/span.c
@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ putsymb(char *s, int t, vlong v, int ver, char *go)
 		s++;
 	l = 4;
 	if(!debug['8']){
-		lput(v>>32);
+		lputb(v>>32);
 		l = 8;
 	}
-	lput(v);
+	lputb(v);
 	if(ver)
 		t += 'a' - 'A';
 	cput(t+0x80);			/* 0x80 is variable length */
@@ -1726,14 +1726,14 @@ asmdyn()
 
 	cflush();
 	off = seek(cout, 0, 1);
-	lput(0);
+	lputb(0);
 	t = 0;
-	lput(imports);
+	lputb(imports);
 	t += 4;
 	for(i = 0; i < NHASH; i++)
 		for(s = hash[i]; s != S; s = s->link)
 			if(s->type == SUNDEF){
-				lput(s->sig);
+				lputb(s->sig);
 				t += 4;
 				t += sput(s->name);
 			}
@@ -1743,7 +1743,7 @@ asmdyn()
 	n = r->n;
 	m = r->m;
 	a = r->a;
-	lput(n);
+	lputb(n);
 	t += 4;
 	for(i = 0; i < n; i++){
 		ra = *a-la;
@@ -1762,11 +1762,11 @@ asmdyn()
 			t++;
 		}
 		else if(c == 1){
-			wput(ra);
+			wputb(ra);
 			t += 2;
 		}
 		else{
-			lput(ra);
+			lputb(ra);
 			t += 4;
 		}
 		la = *a++;
@@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ asmdyn()
 
 	cflush();
 	seek(cout, off, 0);
-	lput(t);
+	lputb(t);
 
 	if(debug['v']){
 		Bprint(&bso, "import table entries = %d\n", imports);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/elf64.c b/src/cmd/ld/elf64.c
index 647becd97d..9b191693d9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/elf64.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/elf64.c
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@
 #include "../ld/elf64.h"
 
 #define	NSECT	16
-int	nume64phdr;
-int	nume64shdr;
-int	nume64str;
+static	int	nume64str;
+static	Elf64Hdr	hdr;
 static	Elf64PHdr	*phdr[NSECT];
 static	Elf64SHdr	*shdr[NSECT];
 static	char	*sname[NSECT];
@@ -18,29 +17,29 @@ static	char	*str[NSECT];
 void
 elf64phdr(Elf64PHdr *e)
 {
-	lputl(e->type);
-	lputl(e->flags);
-	vputl(e->off);
-	vputl(e->vaddr);
-	vputl(e->paddr);
-	vputl(e->filesz);
-	vputl(e->memsz);
-	vputl(e->align);
+	LPUT(e->type);
+	LPUT(e->flags);
+	VPUT(e->off);
+	VPUT(e->vaddr);
+	VPUT(e->paddr);
+	VPUT(e->filesz);
+	VPUT(e->memsz);
+	VPUT(e->align);
 }
 
 void
 elf64shdr(char *name, Elf64SHdr *e)
 {
-	lputl(e->name);
-	lputl(e->type);
-	vputl(e->flags);
-	vputl(e->addr);
-	vputl(e->off);
-	vputl(e->size);
-	lputl(e->link);
-	lputl(e->info);
-	vputl(e->addralign);
-	vputl(e->entsize);
+	LPUT(e->name);
+	LPUT(e->type);
+	VPUT(e->flags);
+	VPUT(e->addr);
+	VPUT(e->off);
+	VPUT(e->size);
+	LPUT(e->link);
+	LPUT(e->info);
+	VPUT(e->addralign);
+	VPUT(e->entsize);
 }
 
 int
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ elf64writeshdrs(void)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < nume64shdr; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < hdr.shnum; i++)
 		elf64shdr(sname[i], shdr[i]);
 }
 
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ elf64writephdrs(void)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < nume64phdr; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < hdr.phnum; i++)
 		elf64phdr(phdr[i]);
 }
 
@@ -128,10 +127,10 @@ newElf64PHdr(void)
 
 	e = malloc(sizeof *e);
 	memset(e, 0, sizeof *e);
-	if (nume64phdr >= NSECT)
+	if (hdr.phnum >= NSECT)
 		diag("too many phdrs");
 	else
-		phdr[nume64phdr++] = e;
+		phdr[hdr.phnum++] = e;
 	return e;
 }
 
@@ -140,14 +139,44 @@ newElf64SHdr(char *name)
 {
 	Elf64SHdr *e;
 
+	if (strcmp(name, ".shstrtab") == 0)
+		hdr.shstrndx = hdr.shnum;
 	e = malloc(sizeof *e);
 	memset(e, 0, sizeof *e);
 	e->name = stroffset;
-	if (nume64shdr >= NSECT) {
+	if (hdr.shnum >= NSECT) {
 		diag("too many shdrs");
 	} else {
 		e64addstr(name);
-		shdr[nume64shdr++] = e;
+		shdr[hdr.shnum++] = e;
 	}
 	return e;
 }
+
+Elf64Hdr*
+getElf64Hdr(void)
+{
+	return &hdr;
+}
+
+void
+elf64writehdr()
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < EI_NIDENT; i++)
+		cput(hdr.ident[i]);
+	WPUT(hdr.type);
+	WPUT(hdr.machine);
+	LPUT(hdr.version);
+	VPUT(hdr.entry);
+	VPUT(hdr.phoff);
+	VPUT(hdr.shoff);
+	LPUT(hdr.flags);
+	WPUT(hdr.ehsize);
+	WPUT(hdr.phentsize);
+	WPUT(hdr.phnum);
+	WPUT(hdr.shentsize);
+	WPUT(hdr.shnum);
+	WPUT(hdr.shstrndx);
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/elf64.h b/src/cmd/ld/elf64.h
index f7af0f07c9..fc71744e64 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/elf64.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/elf64.h
@@ -166,9 +166,11 @@ struct Elf64SHdr
 #define	SHF_MASKOS	0x0F000000	/* Environment-specific use */
 #define	SHF_MASKPROC	0xF0000000	/* Processor-specific use */
 
+Elf64Hdr	*getElf64Hdr();
 Elf64SHdr	*newElf64SHdr(char*);
 Elf64PHdr	*newElf64PHdr();
 uint32	elf64headr(void);
+void	elf64writehdr(void);
 void	elf64writephdrs(void);
 void	elf64writeshdrs(void);
 void	elf64writestrtable(void);