Index: ELF/OutputSections.cpp
===================================================================
--- ELF/OutputSections.cpp
+++ ELF/OutputSections.cpp
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@
     if (auto *ex = dyn_cast<ARMExidxSyntheticSection>(first))
       link = ex->getLinkOrderDep()->getParent()->sectionIndex;
     else if (auto *d = first->getLinkOrderDep())
-      link = d->getParent()->sectionIndex;
+      link = d->getParent() ? d->getParent()->sectionIndex : 0;
   }
 
   if (type == SHT_GROUP) {
Index: ELF/Writer.cpp
===================================================================
--- ELF/Writer.cpp
+++ ELF/Writer.cpp
@@ -1491,7 +1491,7 @@
   OutputSection *bOut = lb->getParent();
 
   if (aOut != bOut)
-    return aOut->sectionIndex < bOut->sectionIndex;
+    return !aOut || (bOut && aOut->sectionIndex < bOut->sectionIndex);
   return la->outSecOff < lb->outSecOff;
 }
 
Index: test/ELF/section-metadata.s
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ test/ELF/section-metadata.s
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# REQUIRES: x86
+# RUN: llvm-mc -filetype=obj -triple=x86_64 %s -o %t.o
+# RUN: ld.lld --gc-sections --print-gc-sections %t.o -o %t | FileCheck --check-prefix=PRINT %s --implicit-check-not {{.}}
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -x .foo %t | FileCheck --check-prefix=HEX-GC %s
+
+# PRINT: removing unused section {{.*}}:(.bar1)
+
+# HEX-GC: 0100
+
+# RUN: ld.lld -r %t.o -o %t1.o
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -x .foo %t1.o | FileCheck --check-prefix=HEX-R %s
+# HEX-R: 0001
+
+.globl _start
+_start:
+  call foo0
+  call foo1
+  call .bar0
+
+.section .bar0,"a",@progbits
+.section .bar1,"a",@progbits
+
+.section .foo,"ao",@progbits,.bar0,unique,0
+.globl foo0
+foo0:
+  .byte 0
+
+## In the gc case, .bar1 is collected. We assume the linked-to section is SHN_UNDEF, so this
+## .foo is placed before the previous one, when they are combined into the output
+## section.
+.section .foo,"ao",@progbits,.bar1,unique,1
+.globl foo1
+foo1:
+  .byte 1