diff --git a/gold/ChangeLog b/gold/ChangeLog
index 68572441b1..d844b4001f 100644
--- a/gold/ChangeLog
+++ b/gold/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2011-10-19  Ian Lance Taylor  <iant@google.com>
+
+	PR gold/13163
+	* script-sections.cc
+	(Output_section_element_dot_assignment::needs_output_section): New
+	function.
+
 2011-10-19  Ian Lance Taylor  <iant@google.com>
 
 	PR gold/13204
diff --git a/gold/script-sections.cc b/gold/script-sections.cc
index 1fad88dd81..eba6b9d71e 100644
--- a/gold/script-sections.cc
+++ b/gold/script-sections.cc
@@ -892,6 +892,12 @@ class Output_section_element_dot_assignment : public Output_section_element
     : val_(val)
   { }
 
+  // An assignment to dot within an output section is enough to force
+  // the output section to exist.
+  bool
+  needs_output_section() const
+  { return true; }
+
   // Finalize the symbol.
   void
   finalize_symbols(Symbol_table* symtab, const Layout* layout,