Index: packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/Makefile
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+all: clean
+	mkdir debug_binaries
+	$(CC) -g main.c
+	cp a.out debug_binaries
+	strip --strip-debug --remove-section=.note.gnu.build-id a.out
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf a.out debug_binaries
Index: packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/TestTargetSymbolsAddCommand.py
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/TestTargetSymbolsAddCommand.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+""" Testing explicit symbol loading via target symbols add. """
+import os
+import time
+import lldb
+import sys
+from lldbsuite.test.decorators import *
+from lldbsuite.test.lldbtest import *
+from lldbsuite.test import lldbutil
+
+
+class TargetSymbolsAddCommand(TestBase):
+
+    mydir = TestBase.compute_mydir(__file__)
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        TestBase.setUp(self)
+        self.source = 'main.c'
+
+    @no_debug_info_test  # Prevent the genaration of the dwarf version of this test
+    @skipUnlessPlatform(['linux'])
+    def test_target_symbols_add(self):
+        """Test that 'target symbols add' can load the symbols
+        even if gnu.build-id and gnu_debuglink are not present in the module.
+        Similar to test_add_dsym_mid_execution test for macos."""
+        self.build(clean=True)
+        exe = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "a.out")
+
+        self.target = self.dbg.CreateTarget(exe)
+        self.assertTrue(self.target, VALID_TARGET)
+
+        main_bp = self.target.BreakpointCreateByName("main", "a.out")
+        self.assertTrue(main_bp, VALID_BREAKPOINT)
+
+        self.process = self.target.LaunchSimple(
+            None, None, self.get_process_working_directory())
+        self.assertTrue(self.process, PROCESS_IS_VALID)
+
+        # The stop reason of the thread should be breakpoint.
+        self.assertTrue(self.process.GetState() == lldb.eStateStopped,
+                        STOPPED_DUE_TO_BREAKPOINT)
+
+        exe_module = self.target.GetModuleAtIndex(0)
+        uuid = exe_module.GetUUIDString()
+
+        # Check that symbols are not loaded and main.c is not know to be
+        # the source file.
+        self.expect("frame select", substrs=['main.c'], matching=False)
+
+        self.runCmd("target symbols add -u %s -s debug_binaries/a.out" % uuid)
+
+        # Check that symbols are now loaded and main.c is in the output.
+        self.expect("frame select", substrs=['main.c'])
Index: packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/main.c
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/linux/add-symbols/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+static int var = 5;
+int main() {
+  printf("%p is %d\n", &var, var);
+  return ++var;
+}
Index: source/Commands/CommandObjectTarget.cpp
===================================================================
--- source/Commands/CommandObjectTarget.cpp
+++ source/Commands/CommandObjectTarget.cpp
@@ -4236,26 +4236,30 @@
             error_set = true;
           }
         } else {
-          if (uuid_option_set) {
-            module_spec.GetUUID() =
-                m_uuid_option_group.GetOptionValue().GetCurrentValue();
-            success |= module_spec.GetUUID().IsValid();
-          } else if (file_option_set) {
+          if (file_option_set) {
             module_spec.GetFileSpec() =
                 m_file_option.GetOptionValue().GetCurrentValue();
-            ModuleSP module_sp(
-                target->GetImages().FindFirstModule(module_spec));
-            if (module_sp) {
-              module_spec.GetFileSpec() = module_sp->GetFileSpec();
-              module_spec.GetPlatformFileSpec() =
-                  module_sp->GetPlatformFileSpec();
-              module_spec.GetUUID() = module_sp->GetUUID();
-              module_spec.GetArchitecture() = module_sp->GetArchitecture();
-            } else {
+            if (uuid_option_set) {
+              module_spec.GetUUID() =
+                  m_uuid_option_group.GetOptionValue().GetCurrentValue();
               module_spec.GetArchitecture() = target->GetArchitecture();
+            } else {
+              ModuleSP module_sp(
+                  target->GetImages().FindFirstModule(module_spec));
+              if (module_sp) {
+                module_spec.GetFileSpec() = module_sp->GetFileSpec();
+                module_spec.GetPlatformFileSpec() =
+                    module_sp->GetPlatformFileSpec();
+                module_spec.GetUUID() = module_sp->GetUUID();
+                module_spec.GetArchitecture() = module_sp->GetArchitecture();
+              }
             }
             success |= module_spec.GetUUID().IsValid() ||
                        module_spec.GetFileSpec().Exists();
+          } else if (uuid_option_set) {
+            module_spec.GetUUID() =
+                m_uuid_option_group.GetOptionValue().GetCurrentValue();
+            success |= module_spec.GetUUID().IsValid();
           }
         }
 
Index: source/Host/common/Symbols.cpp
===================================================================
--- source/Host/common/Symbols.cpp
+++ source/Host/common/Symbols.cpp
@@ -308,8 +308,12 @@
 
 bool Symbols::DownloadObjectAndSymbolFile(ModuleSpec &module_spec,
                                           bool force_lookup) {
-  // Fill in the module_spec.GetFileSpec() for the object file and/or the
-  // module_spec.GetSymbolFileSpec() for the debug symbols file.
+  // Unlike on Apple there is no smart way to download symbol files.
+  // Simply try using module file spec if it is specified and exists.
+  if (module_spec.GetFileSpec() && module_spec.GetFileSpec().Exists()) {
+    module_spec.GetSymbolFileSpec() = module_spec.GetFileSpec();
+    return true;
+  }
   return false;
 }