diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/1l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/1l/mkfile
index f021f8867..9324fb5ce 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/1l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/1l/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=1l
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../2c/2.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/2l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/2l/mkfile
index d2dcd197c..b0bc1d3e3 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/2l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/2l/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=2l
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../2c/2.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/5l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/5l/mkfile
index 09c7c4228..edfb77904 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/5l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/5l/mkfile
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ OFILES=	asm.$O\
 #		sched.$O\
 		dwarf.$O\
 		lib.$O\
-		go.$O
+		go.$O\
+		elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../5c/5.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -38,4 +39,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/7l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/7l/mkfile
index 96e9da902..49787ab70 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/7l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/7l/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=7l
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	bits.$O	cnam.$O	dyn.$O	mod.$O	noop.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	bits.$O	cnam.$O	dyn.$O	mod.$O	noop.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../7c/7.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/8l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/8l/mkfile
index 73025e905..6bbbc503f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/8l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/8l/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=8l
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../8c/8.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/9l/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/9l/mkfile
index 4ea983ae4..97541e79e 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/9l/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/9l/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=9l
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	cnam.$O	cputime.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	cnam.$O	cputime.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../9c/9.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/kl/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/kl/mkfile
index dd1fe7045..6ead523fa 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/kl/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/kl/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=kl
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../kc/k.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.c b/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.c
index 3fa25aa02..6592104d9 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.c
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 #include	"lib.h"
 #include	"dwarf.h"
 #include	"dwarf_defs.h"
-#include	"elf.h"
-
 /* Calculate stack adjustment from AADJSP instruction (x86 only) */
 static long
 getspadj(Prog *p)
@@ -53,14 +51,14 @@ extern void free(void*);
  * Offsets and sizes of the debug_* sections in the cout file.
  */
 
-static vlong abbrevo;
-static vlong abbrevsize;
-static vlong lineo;
-static vlong linesize;
-static vlong infoo;
-static vlong infosize;
-static vlong frameo;
-static vlong framesize;
+vlong dwarfabbrevo;
+vlong dwarfabbrevsize;
+vlong dwarflineo;
+vlong dwarflinesize;
+vlong dwarfinfoo;
+vlong dwarfinfosize;
+vlong dwarfframeo;
+vlong dwarfframesize;
 
 /*
  *  Basic I/O
@@ -188,7 +186,7 @@ writeabbrev(void)
 {
 	int i, n;
 
-	abbrevo = cpos();
+	dwarfabbrevo = cpos();
 	for (i = 1; i < DW_NABRV; i++) {
 		// See section 7.5.3
 		uleb128put(i);
@@ -201,7 +199,7 @@ writeabbrev(void)
 			(n+1) * sizeof(DWAttrForm));
 	}
 	cput(0);
-	abbrevsize = cpos() - abbrevo;
+	dwarfabbrevsize = cpos() - dwarfabbrevo;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -726,7 +724,7 @@ writelines(void)
 	lc = 1;
 	llc = 1;
 	currfile = -1;
-	lineo = cpos();
+	dwarflineo = cpos();
 
 #ifdef PROG_HAS_PCOND
 	for(cursym = textp; cursym != P; cursym = cursym->pcond) {
@@ -758,7 +756,7 @@ writelines(void)
 			dwinfo = newdie(dwinfo, DW_ABRV_COMPUNIT);
 			newattr(dwinfo, DW_AT_name, DW_CLS_STRING, strlen(unitname), unitname);
 			newattr(dwinfo, DW_AT_language, DW_CLS_CONSTANT, guesslang(unitname), 0);
-			newattr(dwinfo, DW_AT_stmt_list, DW_CLS_PTR, unitstart - lineo, 0);
+			newattr(dwinfo, DW_AT_stmt_list, DW_CLS_PTR, unitstart - dwarflineo, 0);
 			newattr(dwinfo, DW_AT_low_pc, DW_CLS_ADDRESS, cursym->pc, 0);
 			// Write .debug_line Line Number Program Header (sec 6.2.4)
 			// Fields marked with (*) must be changed for 64-bit dwarf
@@ -841,7 +839,7 @@ writelines(void)
 			}
 
 	flushunit(epc, unitstart);
-	linesize = cpos() - lineo;
+	dwarflinesize = cpos() - dwarflineo;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -880,7 +878,7 @@ writeframes(void)
 	vlong fdeo, fdesize, pad, cfa, pc;
 	Prog *p;
 
-	frameo = cpos();
+	dwarfframeo = cpos();
 
 	// Emit the CIE, Section 6.4.1
 	LPUT(CIERESERVE);  // initial length, must be multiple of PtrSize
@@ -899,7 +897,7 @@ writeframes(void)
 	uleb128put(-PtrSize / DATAALIGNMENTFACTOR);	// at cfa - x*4
 
 	// 4 is to exclude the length field.
-	pad = CIERESERVE + frameo + 4 - cpos();
+	pad = CIERESERVE + dwarfframeo + 4 - cpos();
 	if (pad < 0) {
 		diag("CIERESERVE too small by %lld bytes.", -pad);
 		errorexit();
@@ -952,7 +950,7 @@ writeframes(void)
 		seek(cout, fdeo + 4 + fdesize, 0);
 	}
 	cflush();
-	framesize = cpos() - frameo;
+	dwarfframesize = cpos() - dwarfframeo;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -966,7 +964,7 @@ writeinfo(void)
 
 	reversetree(&dwinfo);
 
-	infoo = cpos();
+	dwarfinfoo = cpos();
 
 	for (compunit = dwinfo; compunit; compunit = compunit->link) {
 		unitstart = cpos();
@@ -989,7 +987,7 @@ writeinfo(void)
 	}
 
 	cflush();
-	infosize = cpos() - infoo;
+	dwarfinfosize = cpos() - dwarfinfoo;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1001,42 +999,3 @@ dwarfemitdebugsections(void)
 	writeinfo();
 }
 
-/*
- * dwarfaddelfheaders: create ELF section headers for the DWARF sections.
- * Called after dwarfemitdebugsections() so that offsets and sizes are known.
- */
-void
-dwarfaddelfheaders(void)
-{
-	ElfShdr *sh;
-
-	if(abbrevsize > 0) {
-		sh = elfshname(".debug_abbrev");
-		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
-		sh->off = abbrevo;
-		sh->size = abbrevsize;
-		sh->addralign = 1;
-	}
-	if(linesize > 0) {
-		sh = elfshname(".debug_line");
-		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
-		sh->off = lineo;
-		sh->size = linesize;
-		sh->addralign = 1;
-	}
-	if(framesize > 0) {
-		sh = elfshname(".debug_frame");
-		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
-		sh->off = frameo;
-		sh->size = framesize;
-		sh->addralign = 1;
-	}
-	if(infosize > 0) {
-		sh = elfshname(".debug_info");
-		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
-		sh->off = infoo;
-		sh->size = infosize;
-		sh->addralign = 1;
-	}
-}
-
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.h b/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.h
index e4bde9a9a..7ef34b95f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ld/dwarf.h
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
 
+/*
+ * Offsets and sizes of the DWARF debug sections, set by dwarfemitdebugsections().
+ * Exposed so that elf.c (and any future format handler) can create section headers
+ * without pulling in ELF-specific code into dwarf.c.
+ */
+extern vlong dwarfabbrevo;
+extern vlong dwarfabbrevsize;
+extern vlong dwarflineo;
+extern vlong dwarflinesize;
+extern vlong dwarfinfoo;
+extern vlong dwarfinfosize;
+extern vlong dwarfframeo;
+extern vlong dwarfframesize;
+
 /*
  * Register 'f' symbol file fragments.  Doing this while parsing the
  * .6 input saves a pass over the symbol table later.
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ld/elf.c b/sys/src/cmd/ld/elf.c
index 98bc82793..b6b4cef1c 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ld/elf.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ld/elf.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include	"l.h"
 #include	"lib.h"
 #include	"elf.h"
+#include	"dwarf.h"
 
 #define NSECT 48
 
@@ -290,3 +291,43 @@ elfwritestrtab(void)
 	cflush();
 	return elfstrtabsz;
 }
+
+/*
+ * dwarfaddelfheaders: create ELF section headers for the DWARF sections.
+ * Called after dwarfemitdebugsections() so that offsets and sizes are known.
+ * Lives here (not dwarf.c) so that only linkers that link elf.$O get it.
+ */
+void
+dwarfaddelfheaders(void)
+{
+	ElfShdr *sh;
+
+	if(dwarfabbrevsize > 0) {
+		sh = elfshname(".debug_abbrev");
+		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
+		sh->off = dwarfabbrevo;
+		sh->size = dwarfabbrevsize;
+		sh->addralign = 1;
+	}
+	if(dwarflinesize > 0) {
+		sh = elfshname(".debug_line");
+		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
+		sh->off = dwarflineo;
+		sh->size = dwarflinesize;
+		sh->addralign = 1;
+	}
+	if(dwarfframesize > 0) {
+		sh = elfshname(".debug_frame");
+		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
+		sh->off = dwarfframeo;
+		sh->size = dwarfframesize;
+		sh->addralign = 1;
+	}
+	if(dwarfinfosize > 0) {
+		sh = elfshname(".debug_info");
+		sh->type = SHT_PROGBITS;
+		sh->off = dwarfinfoo;
+		sh->size = dwarfinfosize;
+		sh->addralign = 1;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ql/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/ql/mkfile
index 63562839d..89cfa2f9a 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ql/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ql/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=ql
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	cnam.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	asmout.$O	cnam.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../qc/q.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/vl/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/vl/mkfile
index 9de61ca92..8695fee80 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/vl/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/vl/mkfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
 TARG=vl
-OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O
+OFILES=	asm.$O	obj.$O	optab.$O	pass.$O	span.$O	list.$O	enam.$O	compat.$O	noop.$O	sched.$O	dwarf.$O	lib.$O	go.$O	elf.$O
 
 HFILES=	l.h	../vc/v.out.h	../cc/compat.h
 APEXPROOT=../../../..
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ lib.$O:	../ld/lib.c
 go.$O:	../ld/go.c
 	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/go.c
 
+elf.$O:	../ld/elf.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS -I../ld ../ld/elf.c
+
 compat.$O:	../cc/compat