diff --git a/lld/test/wasm/archive-no-index.ll b/lld/test/wasm/archive-no-index.ll
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lld/test/wasm/archive-no-index.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+; Tests error on archive file without a symbol table
+; RUN: llvm-as -o %t.o %s
+; RUN: llvm-as -o %t.archive.o %S/Inputs/archive1.ll
+; RUN: rm -f %t.a
+; RUN: llvm-ar crS %t.a %t.archive.o
+
+; RUN: not wasm-ld -o out.wasm %t.o %t.a 2>&1 | FileCheck %s
+
+define i32 @_start() {
+  ret i32 0
+}
+
+; CHECK: archive has no index; run ranlib to add one
diff --git a/lld/wasm/Driver.cpp b/lld/wasm/Driver.cpp
--- a/lld/wasm/Driver.cpp
+++ b/lld/wasm/Driver.cpp
@@ -225,6 +225,11 @@
 
   switch (identify_magic(MBRef.getBuffer())) {
   case file_magic::archive: {
+    SmallString<128> ImportFile = Path;
+    path::replace_extension(ImportFile, ".imports");
+    if (fs::exists(ImportFile))
+      readImportFile(ImportFile.str());
+
     // Handle -whole-archive.
     if (InWholeArchive) {
       for (MemoryBufferRef &M : getArchiveMembers(MBRef))
@@ -232,10 +237,13 @@
       return;
     }
 
-    SmallString<128> ImportFile = Path;
-    path::replace_extension(ImportFile, ".imports");
-    if (fs::exists(ImportFile))
-      readImportFile(ImportFile.str());
+    std::unique_ptr<Archive> File =
+        CHECK(Archive::create(MBRef), Path + ": failed to parse archive");
+
+    if (!File->isEmpty() && !File->hasSymbolTable()) {
+      error(MBRef.getBufferIdentifier() +
+            ": archive has no index; run ranlib to add one");
+    }
 
     Files.push_back(make<ArchiveFile>(MBRef));
     return;