diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 9bdb4c3506..0afc0903b7 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2000-03-06  Catherine Moore  <clm@cygnus.com>
+
+	* elf.c (swap_out_syms):  Check for null type_ptr.
+
 2000-03-01  Hans-Peter Nilsson  <hp@axis.com>
 
 	* aout-target.h (MY(write_object_contents)): Remove unused
diff --git a/bfd/elf.c b/bfd/elf.c
index e4bcd219ca..9790617169 100644
--- a/bfd/elf.c
+++ b/bfd/elf.c
@@ -4224,7 +4224,8 @@ swap_out_syms (abfd, sttp, relocatable_p)
 	  type = STT_NOTYPE;
 
         /* Processor-specific types */
-        if (bed->elf_backend_get_symbol_type)
+        if (type_ptr != NULL
+	    && bed->elf_backend_get_symbol_type)
           type = (*bed->elf_backend_get_symbol_type) (&type_ptr->internal_elf_sym, type);
 
 	if (flags & BSF_SECTION_SYM)