Index: lld/ELF/Config.h
===================================================================
--- lld/ELF/Config.h
+++ lld/ELF/Config.h
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@
   std::vector<SymbolVersion> VersionScriptLocals;
   std::vector<uint8_t> BuildIdVector;
   bool AllowMultipleDefinition;
-  bool ArchiveWithoutSymbolsSeen = false;
   bool AsNeeded = false;
   bool Bsymbolic;
   bool BsymbolicFunctions;
Index: lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
===================================================================
--- lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
+++ lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@
   return V;
 }
 
+static bool hasSymbolTable(MemoryBufferRef MB) {
+  std::unique_ptr<Archive> File =
+      check(Archive::create(MB),
+            MB.getBufferIdentifier() + ": failed to parse archive");
+  return File->symbols().begin() != File->symbols().end();
+}
+
 // Opens and parses a file. Path has to be resolved already.
 // Newly created memory buffers are owned by this driver.
 void LinkerDriver::addFile(StringRef Path, bool WithLOption) {
@@ -172,11 +179,24 @@
     readLinkerScript(MBRef);
     return;
   case file_magic::archive:
+    // Handle -whole-archive.
     if (InWholeArchive) {
       for (MemoryBufferRef MB : getArchiveMembers(MBRef))
         Files.push_back(createObjectFile(MB, Path));
       return;
     }
+
+    // If an archive file has no symbol table, it is likely that a user
+    // is attempting LTO and using a default ar command that doesn't
+    // understand the LLVM bitcode file. It is a pretty common error, so
+    // we'll handle it as if it had a symbol table.
+    if (!hasSymbolTable(MBRef)) {
+      for (MemoryBufferRef MB : getArchiveMembers(MBRef))
+        Files.push_back(make<LazyObjectFile>(MB));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Handle the regular case.
     Files.push_back(make<ArchiveFile>(MBRef));
     return;
   case file_magic::elf_shared_object:
Index: lld/ELF/InputFiles.cpp
===================================================================
--- lld/ELF/InputFiles.cpp
+++ lld/ELF/InputFiles.cpp
@@ -602,9 +602,6 @@
   for (const Archive::Symbol &Sym : File->symbols()) {
     Symtab<ELFT>::X->addLazyArchive(this, Sym);
   }
-
-  if (File->symbols().begin() == File->symbols().end())
-    Config->ArchiveWithoutSymbolsSeen = true;
 }
 
 // Returns a buffer pointing to a member file containing a given symbol.
Index: lld/ELF/Relocations.cpp
===================================================================
--- lld/ELF/Relocations.cpp
+++ lld/ELF/Relocations.cpp
@@ -694,17 +694,6 @@
     warn(Msg);
   } else {
     error(Msg);
-
-    if (Config->ArchiveWithoutSymbolsSeen) {
-      message("At least one archive listed no symbols in its index."
-              " This can happen when creating archives with a version"
-              " of ar that does not understand the object files in"
-              " the archive. For example, if you are using LLVM"
-              " bitcode objects (such as created by -flto), you may"
-              " need to use llvm-ar or GNU ar with a plugin.");
-      // Reset to false so that we print the message only once.
-      Config->ArchiveWithoutSymbolsSeen = false;
-    }
   }
 }
 
Index: lld/test/ELF/lto/archive-no-index.ll
===================================================================
--- lld/test/ELF/lto/archive-no-index.ll
+++ lld/test/ELF/lto/archive-no-index.ll
@@ -4,29 +4,15 @@
 ; encountered an empty archive index and undefined references (to prevent
 ; noisy false alarms).
 
-; RUN: rm -fr %T/archive-no-index
-; RUN: mkdir %T/archive-no-index
-; RUN: llvm-as %S/Inputs/archive.ll -o %T/archive-no-index/f.o
-; RUN: llvm-ar cr %T/archive-no-index/libf.a
-; RUN: llvm-ar qS %T/archive-no-index/libf.a %T/archive-no-index/f.o
-; RUN: llvm-as %s -o %t.o
-; RUN: not ld.lld -emain -m elf_x86_64 %t.o -o %t %T/archive-no-index/libf.a \
-; RUN:     2>&1 | FileCheck --check-prefix=NOTE %s
+; RUN: llvm-as -o %t1.o %s
+; RUN: llvm-as -o %t2.o %S/Inputs/archive.ll
 
-; RUN: llvm-ar crs %T/archive-no-index/libfs.a %T/archive-no-index/f.o
-; RUN: ld.lld -emain -m elf_x86_64 %t.o -o %t %T/archive-no-index/libf.a \
-; RUN:     %T/archive-no-index/libfs.a
+; RUN: rm -f %t1.a %t2.a
+; RUN: llvm-ar crS %t1.a %t2.o
+; RUN: llvm-ar crs %t2.a %t2.o
 
-; RUN: llvm-as %S/Inputs/archive-3.ll -o %T/archive-no-index/foo.o
-; RUN: llvm-ar crs %T/archive-no-index/libfoo.a %T/archive-no-index/foo.o
-; RUN: not ld.lld -emain -m elf_x86_64 %t.o -o %t %T/archive-no-index/libfoo.a \
-; RUN:     2>&1 | FileCheck --check-prefix=NO-NOTE %s
-
-; NOTE: undefined symbol: f
-; NOTE: archive listed no symbols
-
-; NO-NOTE: undefined symbol: f
-; NO-NOTE-NOT: archive listed no symbols
+; RUN: ld.lld -o %t -emain -m elf_x86_64 %t1.o %t1.a
+; RUN: ld.lld -o %t -emain -m elf_x86_64 %t1.o %t2.a
 
 target datalayout = "e-m:e-i64:64-f80:128-n8:16:32:64-S128"
 target triple = "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"