--- /dev/null
+diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
+@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
++2012-04-24 Hans-Peter Nilsson <hp@axis.com>
++
++ PR ld/13990
++ * elf32-arm.c (elf32_arm_gc_sweep_hook): Handle a forced-local
++ symbol, where PLT refcount is set to -1.
++
+diff --git a/bfd/elf32-arm.c b/bfd/elf32-arm.c
+index 1f6c1a0..c343a6a 100644
+--- a/bfd/elf32-arm.c
++++ b/bfd/elf32-arm.c
+@@ -12046,8 +12046,19 @@ elf32_arm_gc_sweep_hook (bfd * abfd,
+ if (may_need_local_target_p
+ && elf32_arm_get_plt_info (abfd, eh, r_symndx, &root_plt, &arm_plt))
+ {
+- BFD_ASSERT (root_plt->refcount > 0);
+- root_plt->refcount -= 1;
++ /* If PLT refcount book-keeping is wrong and too low, we'll
++ see a zero value (going to -1) for the root PLT reference
++ count. */
++ if (root_plt->refcount >= 0)
++ {
++ BFD_ASSERT (root_plt->refcount != 0);
++ root_plt->refcount -= 1;
++ }
++ else
++ /* A value of -1 means the symbol has become local, forced
++ or seeing a hidden definition. Any other negative value
++ is an error. */
++ BFD_ASSERT (root_plt->refcount == -1);
+
+ if (!call_reloc_p)
+ arm_plt->noncall_refcount--;
+@@ -12408,7 +12419,8 @@ elf32_arm_check_relocs (bfd *abfd, struct bfd_link_info *info,
+
+ /* If the symbol is a function that doesn't bind locally,
+ this relocation will need a PLT entry. */
+- root_plt->refcount += 1;
++ if (root_plt->refcount != -1)
++ root_plt->refcount += 1;
+
+ if (!call_reloc_p)
+ arm_plt->noncall_refcount++;
+diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/arm-elf.exp b/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/arm-elf.exp
+index c7a0b2c..8631466
+--- a/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/arm-elf.exp
++++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/arm-elf.exp
+@@ -733,3 +733,4 @@ run_dump_test "attr-merge-vfp-6r"
+ run_dump_test "attr-merge-incompatible"
+ run_dump_test "unresolved-1"
+ run_dump_test "unresolved-1-dyn"
++run_dump_test "gc-hidden-1"
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/gc-hidden-1.d
+@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
++#target: arm*-*-*eabi
++#source: main.s
++#source: gcdfn.s
++#source: hidfn.s
++#ld: --gc-sections --shared --version-script hideall.ld
++#objdump: -dRT
++
++# See PR ld/13990: a forced-local PLT reference to a
++# forced-local symbol is GC'ed, trigging a BFD_ASSERT.
++
++.*: file format elf32-.*
++
++DYNAMIC SYMBOL TABLE:
++0+124 l d .text 0+ .text
++0+ g DO \*ABS\* 0+ NS NS
++
++Disassembly of section .text:
++
++0+124 <_start>:
++ 124: e52de004 push {lr} ; \(str lr, \[sp, #-4\]!\)
++ 128: eb000000 bl 130 <hidfn>
++ 12c: e8bd8000 pop {pc}
++
++0+130 <hidfn>:
++ 130: e8bd8000 pop {pc}
++
+--- /dev/null
++++ binutils/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/gcdfn.s
+@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
++ .text
++ .globl gcdfn
++ .type gcdfn, %function
++gcdfn:
++ str lr, [sp, #-4]!
++ bl hidfn(PLT)
++ ldmfd sp!, {pc}
++ .size gcdfn, . - gcdfn
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/hideall.ld
+@@ -0,0 +1 @@
++NS { local: *; };
+--- /dev/null
++++ binutils/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/hidfn.s
+@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
++ .text
++ .globl hidfn
++ .hidden hidfn
++ .type hidfn, %function
++hidfn:
++ ldmfd sp!, {pc}
++ .size hidfn, . - hidfn
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-arm/main.s
+@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
++ .text
++ .globl _start
++ .type _start, %function
++_start:
++ str lr, [sp, #-4]!
++ bl hidfn(PLT)
++ ldmfd sp!, {pc}
++ .size _start, . - _start