diff --git a/lld/ELF/Driver.cpp b/lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
--- a/lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/Driver.cpp
@@ -1896,6 +1896,14 @@
   if (!config->relocatable)
     symtab->scanVersionScript();
 
+  // Initialize usedStartStop.
+  for (const Symbol *sym : symtab->symbols()) {
+    StringRef name = sym->getName();
+    for (StringRef prefix : {"__start_", "__stop_"})
+      if (name.startswith(prefix) && isValidCIdentifier(name))
+        symtab->usedStartStop.insert(name.substr(prefix.size()));
+  }
+
   // Do link-time optimization if given files are LLVM bitcode files.
   // This compiles bitcode files into real object files.
   //
diff --git a/lld/ELF/LTO.h b/lld/ELF/LTO.h
--- a/lld/ELF/LTO.h
+++ b/lld/ELF/LTO.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
   std::unique_ptr<llvm::lto::LTO> ltoObj;
   std::vector<SmallString<0>> buf;
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<MemoryBuffer>> files;
-  llvm::DenseSet<StringRef> usedStartStop;
   std::unique_ptr<llvm::raw_fd_ostream> indexFile;
   llvm::DenseSet<StringRef> thinIndices;
 };
diff --git a/lld/ELF/LTO.cpp b/lld/ELF/LTO.cpp
--- a/lld/ELF/LTO.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/LTO.cpp
@@ -152,14 +152,6 @@
 
   ltoObj = std::make_unique<lto::LTO>(createConfig(), backend,
                                        config->ltoPartitions);
-
-  // Initialize usedStartStop.
-  for (Symbol *sym : symtab->symbols()) {
-    StringRef s = sym->getName();
-    for (StringRef prefix : {"__start_", "__stop_"})
-      if (s.startswith(prefix))
-        usedStartStop.insert(s.substr(prefix.size()));
-  }
 }
 
 BitcodeCompiler::~BitcodeCompiler() = default;
@@ -194,9 +186,10 @@
     // 2) Symbols that are used in regular objects.
     // 3) C named sections if we have corresponding __start_/__stop_ symbol.
     // 4) Symbols that are defined in bitcode files and used for dynamic linking.
-    r.VisibleToRegularObj = config->relocatable || sym->isUsedInRegularObj ||
-                            (r.Prevailing && sym->includeInDynsym()) ||
-                            usedStartStop.count(objSym.getSectionName());
+    r.VisibleToRegularObj =
+        config->relocatable || sym->isUsedInRegularObj ||
+        (r.Prevailing && sym->includeInDynsym()) ||
+        symtab->usedStartStop.count(objSym.getSectionName());
     const auto *dr = dyn_cast<Defined>(sym);
     r.FinalDefinitionInLinkageUnit =
         (isExec || sym->visibility != STV_DEFAULT) && dr &&
diff --git a/lld/ELF/LinkerScript.cpp b/lld/ELF/LinkerScript.cpp
--- a/lld/ELF/LinkerScript.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/LinkerScript.cpp
@@ -652,11 +652,14 @@
     if (sec->partition != isec->partition)
       continue;
 
-    if (config->relocatable && (isec->flags & SHF_LINK_ORDER)) {
+    if (isec->flags & SHF_LINK_ORDER &&
+        !symtab->usedStartStop.count(isec->name)) {
       // Merging two SHF_LINK_ORDER sections with different sh_link fields will
-      // change their semantics, so we only merge them in -r links if they will
-      // end up being linked to the same output section. The casts are fine
-      // because everything in the map was created by the orphan placement code.
+      // change their semantics, so we only merge them if they will end up being
+      // linked to the same output section. If __start_/__stop_ symbols are
+      // used, there is an expectation that they delimiter the section contents.
+      // Don't create multiple OutputSections. The casts are fine because
+      // everything in the map was created by the orphan placement code.
       auto *firstIsec = cast<InputSectionBase>(
           cast<InputSectionDescription>(sec->sectionCommands[0])
               ->sectionBases[0]);
diff --git a/lld/ELF/MarkLive.cpp b/lld/ELF/MarkLive.cpp
--- a/lld/ELF/MarkLive.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/MarkLive.cpp
@@ -309,13 +309,9 @@
             d->section->isLive())
           markSymbol(s);
 
-  for (InputSectionBase *sec : inputSections) {
-    if (!sec->isLive() || !isValidCIdentifier(sec->name))
-      continue;
-    if (symtab->find(("__start_" + sec->name).str()) ||
-        symtab->find(("__stop_" + sec->name).str()))
+  for (InputSectionBase *sec : inputSections)
+    if (sec->isLive() && symtab->usedStartStop.count(sec->name))
       enqueue(sec, 0);
-  }
 
   mark();
 }
diff --git a/lld/ELF/SymbolTable.h b/lld/ELF/SymbolTable.h
--- a/lld/ELF/SymbolTable.h
+++ b/lld/ELF/SymbolTable.h
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
   // is used to uniquify them.
   llvm::DenseMap<llvm::CachedHashStringRef, const InputFile *> comdatGroups;
 
+  // C named sections with corresponding __start_/__stop_ symbols.
+  llvm::DenseSet<StringRef> usedStartStop;
+
 private:
   std::vector<Symbol *> findByVersion(SymbolVersion ver);
   std::vector<Symbol *> findAllByVersion(SymbolVersion ver);
diff --git a/lld/test/ELF/linkorder-output-section.s b/lld/test/ELF/linkorder-output-section.s
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lld/test/ELF/linkorder-output-section.s
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# REQUIRES: x86
+## Test that SHF_LINK_ORDER sections with different linked-to sections
+## are not combined.
+
+# RUN: llvm-mc -filetype=obj --triple=x86_64 %s -o %t.o
+
+## Without a SECTIONS command, in a non-relocatable link, foo sections are
+## combined as a result of combined .text.*
+# RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S -x foo %t | FileCheck --check-prefixes=SAME,SAME-EXE %s
+# RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t.ro -r
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S %t.ro | FileCheck --check-prefix=DIFFERENT %s
+
+## With a SECTIONS command combining .text.*, foo sections are also combined
+## in a relocatable link.
+# RUN: echo 'SECTIONS { .text : { *(.text.f1) *(.text.f2) } }' > %t1.lds
+# RUN: ld.lld -T %t1.lds %t.o -o %t1
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S -x foo %t1 | FileCheck --check-prefixes=SAME,SAME-EXE %s
+# RUN: ld.lld -T %t1.lds %t.o -o %t1.ro -r
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S -x foo %t1.ro | FileCheck --check-prefixes=SAME,SAME-R %s
+
+## With a SECTIONS command separating .text.*, foo sections are separate.
+# RUN: echo 'SECTIONS { .text.f1 : { *(.text.f1) } .text.f2 : { *(.text.f2) } }' > %t2.lds
+# RUN: ld.lld -T %t2.lds %t.o -o %t2
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S %t2 | FileCheck --check-prefix=DIFFERENT %s
+# RUN: ld.lld -T %t2.lds %t.o -o %t2.ro -r
+# RUN: llvm-readelf -S %t2.ro | FileCheck --check-prefix=DIFFERENT %s
+
+# SAME:     [Nr] Name  {{.*}} Flg Lk
+## sh_link(foo) references .text
+
+## A non-relocatable link places readonly sections before read-executable sections.
+# SAME-EXE: [ 1] foo   {{.*}}  AL  2
+# SAME-EXE: [ 2] .text {{.*}}  AX  0
+
+# SAME-R:   [ 1] .text {{.*}}  AX  0
+# SAME-R:   [ 2] foo   {{.*}}  AL  1
+
+# SAME-NOT: foo
+
+# DIFFERENT: foo
+# DIFFERENT: foo
+
+# SAME: Hex dump of section 'foo':
+# SAME: 01000000 00000000 02000000 00000000
+
+.section .text.f1,"ax",@progbits
+ret
+.section .text.f2,"ax",@progbits
+ret
+
+.section foo,"ao",@progbits,.text.f2
+.quad 2
+.section foo,"ao",@progbits,.text.f1
+.quad 1
diff --git a/lld/test/ELF/relocatable-linkorder.s b/lld/test/ELF/relocatable-linkorder.s
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/lld/test/ELF/relocatable-linkorder.s
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-// REQUIRES: x86
-// RUN: llvm-mc %s -o %t.o -filetype=obj --triple=x86_64-unknown-linux
-// RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t -r
-// RUN: llvm-readelf -S %t | FileCheck --check-prefix=DIFFERENT %s
-// RUN: echo 'SECTIONS { .text.f1 : { *(.text.f1) } .text.f2 : { *(.text.f2) } }' > %t.lds
-// RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t -r %t.lds
-// RUN: llvm-readelf -S %t | FileCheck --check-prefix=DIFFERENT %s
-// RUN: echo 'SECTIONS { .text : { *(.text.f1) *(.text.f2) } }' > %t.lds
-// RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t -r %t.lds
-// RUN: llvm-readelf -S -x foo %t | FileCheck --check-prefix=SAME %s
-
-/// Test that SHF_LINK_ORDER sections with different linked sections
-/// aren't merged.
-
-.section .text.f1,"ax",@progbits
-.globl f1
-f1:
-ret
-
-.section .text.f2,"ax",@progbits
-.globl f2
-f2:
-ret
-
-// SAME: foo
-// DIFFERENT: foo
-.section foo,"ao",@progbits,.text.f2,unique,2
-.quad 2
-
-// SAME-NOT: foo
-// DIFFERENT: foo
-.section foo,"ao",@progbits,.text.f1,unique,1
-.quad 1
-
-// SAME: Hex dump of section 'foo':
-// SAME: 01000000 00000000 02000000 00000000