diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
index 79b5c62746df..23aad0722303 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
@@ -120,10 +120,23 @@ lib1funcs = $(obj)/lib1funcs.o
 $(obj)/lib1funcs.S: $(srctree)/arch/$(SRCARCH)/lib/lib1funcs.S FORCE
 	$(call cmd,shipped)
 
+# We need to prevent any GOTOFF relocs being used with references
+# to symbols in the .bss section since we cannot relocate them
+# independently from the rest at run time.  This can be achieved by
+# ensuring that no private .bss symbols exist, as global symbols
+# always have a GOT entry which is what we need.
+# The .data section is already discarded by the linker script so no need
+# to bother about it here.
+check_for_bad_syms = \
+bad_syms=$$($(CROSS_COMPILE)nm $@ | sed -n 's/^.\{8\} [bc] \(.*\)/\1/p') && \
+[ -z "$$bad_syms" ] || \
+  ( echo "following symbols must have non local/private scope:" >&2; \
+    echo "$$bad_syms" >&2; rm -f $@; false )
+
 $(obj)/vmlinux: $(obj)/vmlinux.lds $(obj)/$(HEAD) $(obj)/piggy.$(suffix_y).o \
 	 	$(addprefix $(obj)/, $(OBJS)) $(lib1funcs) FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,ld)
-	@:
+	@$(check_for_bad_syms)
 
 $(obj)/piggy.$(suffix_y): $(obj)/../Image FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,$(suffix_y))
diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/head.S b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/head.S
index b541217bd040..8d5d91aefbb9 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/head.S
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/head.S
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ LC0:		.word	LC0			@ r1
 		.word	input_data_end - 4	@ r10 (inflated size location)
 		.word	_got_start		@ r11
 		.word	_got_end		@ ip
-		.word	user_stack_end		@ sp
+		.word	.L_user_stack_end	@ sp
 		.size	LC0, . - LC0
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_RPC
@@ -1100,5 +1100,5 @@ reloc_code_end:
 
 		.align
 		.section ".stack", "aw", %nobits
-user_stack:	.space	4096
-user_stack_end:
+.L_user_stack:	.space	4096
+.L_user_stack_end: