diff --git a/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPlatformLinux.c b/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPlatformLinux.c
--- a/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPlatformLinux.c
+++ b/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPlatformLinux.c
@@ -51,6 +51,20 @@
 extern ValueProfNode PROF_VNODES_START COMPILER_RT_VISIBILITY COMPILER_RT_WEAK;
 extern ValueProfNode PROF_VNODES_STOP COMPILER_RT_VISIBILITY COMPILER_RT_WEAK;
 
+/* Add dummy data to ensure the section is always created. Add used attribute so
+ * that they are linker GC roots on supported ELF platforms.
+ */
+__llvm_profile_data __prof_data_sect_data[0] COMPILER_RT_SECTION(
+    INSTR_PROF_DATA_SECT_NAME) COMPILER_RT_RETAINED;
+uint64_t __prof_cnts_sect_data[0] COMPILER_RT_SECTION(INSTR_PROF_CNTS_SECT_NAME)
+    COMPILER_RT_RETAINED;
+uint32_t __prof_orderfile_sect_data[0] COMPILER_RT_SECTION(
+    INSTR_PROF_ORDERFILE_SECT_NAME) COMPILER_RT_RETAINED;
+const char __prof_nms_sect_data[0] COMPILER_RT_SECTION(
+    INSTR_PROF_NAME_SECT_NAME) COMPILER_RT_RETAINED;
+ValueProfNode __prof_vnodes_sect_data[0] COMPILER_RT_SECTION(
+    INSTR_PROF_VNODES_SECT_NAME) COMPILER_RT_RETAINED;
+
 COMPILER_RT_VISIBILITY const __llvm_profile_data *
 __llvm_profile_begin_data(void) {
   return &PROF_DATA_START;
diff --git a/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPort.h b/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPort.h
--- a/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPort.h
+++ b/compiler-rt/lib/profile/InstrProfilingPort.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #define COMPILER_RT_ALWAYS_INLINE __forceinline
 #define COMPILER_RT_CLEANUP(x)
 #define COMPILER_RT_USED
+#define COMPILER_RT_RETAINED
 #elif __GNUC__
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define COMPILER_RT_FTRUNCATE(f, l) _chsize(fileno(f), l)
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
 #define COMPILER_RT_ALWAYS_INLINE inline __attribute((always_inline))
 #define COMPILER_RT_CLEANUP(x) __attribute__((cleanup(x)))
 #define COMPILER_RT_USED __attribute__((used))
+#define COMPILER_RT_RETAINED __attribute__((retain))
 #endif
 
 #if defined(__APPLE__)