diff --git a/arch/x86/vdso/vdso-layout.lds.S b/arch/x86/vdso/vdso-layout.lds.S
index 2e263f367b13..9df017ab2285 100644
--- a/arch/x86/vdso/vdso-layout.lds.S
+++ b/arch/x86/vdso/vdso-layout.lds.S
@@ -9,12 +9,9 @@ SECTIONS
 #ifdef BUILD_VDSO32
 #include <asm/vdso32.h>
 
-	.hpet_sect : {
-		hpet_page = . - VDSO_OFFSET(VDSO_HPET_PAGE);
-	} :text :hpet_sect
+	hpet_page = . - VDSO_OFFSET(VDSO_HPET_PAGE);
 
-	.vvar_sect : {
-		vvar = . - VDSO_OFFSET(VDSO_VVAR_PAGE);
+	vvar = . - VDSO_OFFSET(VDSO_VVAR_PAGE);
 
 	/* Place all vvars at the offsets in asm/vvar.h. */
 #define EMIT_VVAR(name, offset) vvar_ ## name = vvar + offset;
@@ -22,7 +19,6 @@ SECTIONS
 #include <asm/vvar.h>
 #undef __VVAR_KERNEL_LDS
 #undef EMIT_VVAR
-	} :text :vvar_sect
 #endif
 	. = SIZEOF_HEADERS;
 
@@ -61,7 +57,12 @@ SECTIONS
 	 */
 	. = ALIGN(0x100);
 
-	.text		: { *(.text*) }			:text	=0x90909090
+	.text		: { *(.text*) }			:text	=0x90909090,
+
+	/*
+	 * The comma above works around a bug in gold:
+	 * https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16804
+	 */
 
 	/DISCARD/ : {
 		*(.discard)
@@ -84,8 +85,4 @@ PHDRS
 	dynamic		PT_DYNAMIC	FLAGS(4);		/* PF_R */
 	note		PT_NOTE		FLAGS(4);		/* PF_R */
 	eh_frame_hdr	PT_GNU_EH_FRAME;
-#ifdef BUILD_VDSO32
-	vvar_sect	PT_NULL		FLAGS(4);		/* PF_R */
-	hpet_sect	PT_NULL		FLAGS(4);		/* PF_R */
-#endif
 }