diff --git a/lld/test/wasm/data-segments.ll b/lld/test/wasm/data-segments.ll
--- a/lld/test/wasm/data-segments.ll
+++ b/lld/test/wasm/data-segments.ll
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 
 ; PASSIVE-LABEL: - Type:            START
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:    StartFunction:   1
+; PASSIVE-LABEL: - Type:            DATACOUNT
+; PASSIVE-NEXT:    Count:           2
 ; PASSIVE-LABEL: - Type:            CODE
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:    Functions:
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:      - Index:           0
@@ -59,7 +61,8 @@
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:        Body:            0B
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:      - Index:           1
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:        Locals:          []
-; PASSIVE-NEXT:        Body:            41B4D60041004101FE480200044041B4D6004101427FFE0102001A054180084100410DFC08000041900841004114FC08010041A40841004190CE00FC08020041B4D6004102FE17020041B4D600417FFE0002001A0BFC0900FC0901FC09020B
+; PASSIVE-NEXT:        Body:            41B4D60041004101FE480200044041B4D6004101427FFE0102001A054180084100410DFC08000041900841004114FC08010041B4D6004102FE17020041B4D600417FFE0002001A0BFC0900FC09010B
+
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:  - Index:           2
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:    Locals:          []
 ; PASSIVE-NEXT:    Body:            0B
diff --git a/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.h b/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.h
--- a/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.h
+++ b/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.h
@@ -225,14 +225,14 @@
 
 class StartSection : public SyntheticSection {
 public:
-  StartSection(uint32_t numSegments)
-      : SyntheticSection(llvm::wasm::WASM_SEC_START), numSegments(numSegments) {
-  }
+  StartSection(bool hasInitializedSegments)
+      : SyntheticSection(llvm::wasm::WASM_SEC_START),
+        hasInitializedSegments(hasInitializedSegments) {}
   bool isNeeded() const override;
   void writeBody() override;
 
 protected:
-  uint32_t numSegments;
+  bool hasInitializedSegments;
 };
 
 class ElemSection : public SyntheticSection {
diff --git a/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.cpp b/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.cpp
--- a/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.cpp
+++ b/lld/wasm/SyntheticSections.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
 }
 
 bool StartSection::isNeeded() const {
-  return !config->relocatable && numSegments && config->sharedMemory;
+  return !config->relocatable && hasInitializedSegments && config->sharedMemory;
 }
 
 void StartSection::writeBody() {
diff --git a/lld/wasm/Writer.cpp b/lld/wasm/Writer.cpp
--- a/lld/wasm/Writer.cpp
+++ b/lld/wasm/Writer.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
 private:
   void openFile();
 
+  bool needsPassiveInitialization(const OutputSegment *segment);
+  bool hasPassiveInitializedSegments();
+
   void createInitMemoryFunction();
   void createApplyRelocationsFunction();
   void createCallCtorsFunction();
@@ -729,6 +732,18 @@
   cast<SyntheticFunction>(func->function)->setBody(body);
 }
 
+bool Writer::needsPassiveInitialization(const OutputSegment *segment) {
+  return segment->initFlags & WASM_SEGMENT_IS_PASSIVE &&
+         segment->name != ".tdata" && !segment->isBss;
+}
+
+bool Writer::hasPassiveInitializedSegments() {
+  return std::find_if(segments.begin(), segments.end(),
+                      [this](const OutputSegment *s) {
+                        return this->needsPassiveInitialization(s);
+                      }) != segments.end();
+}
+
 void Writer::createInitMemoryFunction() {
   LLVM_DEBUG(dbgs() << "createInitMemoryFunction\n");
   assert(WasmSym::initMemoryFlag);
@@ -738,7 +753,7 @@
     raw_string_ostream os(bodyContent);
     writeUleb128(os, 0, "num locals");
 
-    if (segments.size()) {
+    if (hasPassiveInitializedSegments()) {
       // Initialize memory in a thread-safe manner. The thread that successfully
       // increments the flag from 0 to 1 is is responsible for performing the
       // memory initialization. Other threads go sleep on the flag until the
@@ -804,7 +819,7 @@
 
       // Did increment 0, so conditionally initialize passive data segments
       for (const OutputSegment *s : segments) {
-        if (s->initFlags & WASM_SEGMENT_IS_PASSIVE && s->name != ".tdata") {
+        if (needsPassiveInitialization(s)) {
           // destination address
           writeI32Const(os, s->startVA, "destination address");
           // source segment offset
@@ -838,7 +853,7 @@
 
       // Unconditionally drop passive data segments
       for (const OutputSegment *s : segments) {
-        if (s->initFlags & WASM_SEGMENT_IS_PASSIVE && s->name != ".tdata") {
+        if (needsPassiveInitialization(s)) {
           // data.drop instruction
           writeU8(os, WASM_OPCODE_MISC_PREFIX, "bulk-memory prefix");
           writeUleb128(os, WASM_OPCODE_DATA_DROP, "data.drop");
@@ -983,7 +998,7 @@
   out.eventSec = make<EventSection>();
   out.globalSec = make<GlobalSection>();
   out.exportSec = make<ExportSection>();
-  out.startSec = make<StartSection>(segments.size());
+  out.startSec = make<StartSection>(hasPassiveInitializedSegments());
   out.elemSec = make<ElemSection>();
   out.dataCountSec = make<DataCountSection>(segments);
   out.linkingSec = make<LinkingSection>(initFunctions, segments);