diff --git a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
--- a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
@@ -6553,6 +6553,34 @@
     @b = internal global i32 2, comdat $a, section "abc", !associated !0
     !0 = !{i32* @a}
 
+'``retain``' Metadata
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+This metadata, when attached to a global object definition, indicates that
+the global object needs to be retained under linker garbage collection.
+
+This metadata only has effects on COFF and ELF targets.
+
+On ELF targets, a separate section with the ``SHF_GNU_RETAIN`` flag is created.
+
+If an explicit section is specified, the separate section will have the
+specified name, but different from the selected section when the metadata is
+absent. I.e. if two global objects have the same explicit section but only
+one has the ``retain`` metadata, there will be two sections of the same name,
+one with the ``SHF_GNU_RETAIN`` flag.
+
+On COFF targets, this metadata only works for non-local linkage global objects.
+
+Example:
+
+.. code-block:: llvm
+
+    @a = global i32 1, !retain !{}
+    @b = constant i32 2, !retain !{}
+
+    define void @f() !retain !{} {
+      ...
+    }
 
 '``prof``' Metadata
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
@@ -42,3 +42,4 @@
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_vcall_visibility, "vcall_visibility", 28)
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_noundef, "noundef", 29)
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_annotation, "annotation", 30)
+LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_retain, "retain", 31)
diff --git a/llvm/lib/CodeGen/TargetLoweringObjectFileImpl.cpp b/llvm/lib/CodeGen/TargetLoweringObjectFileImpl.cpp
--- a/llvm/lib/CodeGen/TargetLoweringObjectFileImpl.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/CodeGen/TargetLoweringObjectFileImpl.cpp
@@ -691,9 +691,15 @@
   // MD_associated in a unique section.
   unsigned UniqueID = MCContext::GenericSectionID;
   const MCSymbolELF *LinkedToSym = getLinkedToSymbol(GO, TM);
-  if (GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_associated)) {
+  const bool Associated = GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_associated);
+  const bool Retain = GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_retain);
+  if (Associated || Retain) {
     UniqueID = NextUniqueID++;
-    Flags |= ELF::SHF_LINK_ORDER;
+    if (Associated)
+      Flags |= ELF::SHF_LINK_ORDER;
+    if (Retain && (getContext().getAsmInfo()->useIntegratedAssembler() ||
+                   getContext().getAsmInfo()->binutilsIsAtLeast(2, 36)))
+      Flags |= ELF::SHF_GNU_RETAIN;
   } else {
     if (getContext().getAsmInfo()->useIntegratedAssembler() ||
         getContext().getAsmInfo()->binutilsIsAtLeast(2, 35)) {
@@ -813,6 +819,12 @@
     EmitUniqueSection = true;
     Flags |= ELF::SHF_LINK_ORDER;
   }
+  if (GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_retain) &&
+      (Ctx.getAsmInfo()->useIntegratedAssembler() ||
+       Ctx.getAsmInfo()->binutilsIsAtLeast(2, 36))) {
+    EmitUniqueSection = true;
+    Flags |= ELF::SHF_GNU_RETAIN;
+  }
 
   MCSectionELF *Section = selectELFSectionForGlobal(
       Ctx, GO, Kind, Mang, TM, EmitUniqueSection, Flags,
@@ -1728,6 +1740,24 @@
     Flags.clear();
   }
 
+  // Emit /INCLUDE: flags for each non-local-linkage global value with the
+  // !retain metadata.
+  raw_string_ostream OS(Flags);
+  auto EmitLinkerFlags = [&](const GlobalValue &GV) {
+    emitLinkerFlagsForUsedCOFF(OS, &GV, getTargetTriple(), getMangler());
+    OS.flush();
+    if (!Flags.empty()) {
+      Streamer.SwitchSection(getDrectveSection());
+      Streamer.emitBytes(Flags);
+    }
+    Flags.clear();
+  };
+
+  for (const GlobalValue &GV : M.global_values())
+    if (auto *GO = dyn_cast<GlobalObject>(&GV))
+      if (!GV.hasLocalLinkage() && GO->hasMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_retain))
+        EmitLinkerFlags(GV);
+
   // Emit /INCLUDE: flags for each used global as necessary.
   if (const auto *LU = M.getNamedGlobal("llvm.used")) {
     assert(LU->hasInitializer() && "expected llvm.used to have an initializer");
@@ -1742,15 +1772,7 @@
         if (GV->hasLocalLinkage())
           continue;
 
-        raw_string_ostream OS(Flags);
-        emitLinkerFlagsForUsedCOFF(OS, GV, getTargetTriple(), getMangler());
-        OS.flush();
-
-        if (!Flags.empty()) {
-          Streamer.SwitchSection(getDrectveSection());
-          Streamer.emitBytes(Flags);
-        }
-        Flags.clear();
+        EmitLinkerFlags(*GV);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/coff-retain.ll b/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/coff-retain.ll
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/coff-retain.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+;; Add /INCLUDE: linker options for non-local-linkage global values with the
+;; !retain metadata.
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64-windows-msvc < %s | FileCheck %s
+
+; CHECK:      .ascii " /INCLUDE:fa"
+; CHECK-NEXT: .ascii " /INCLUDE:fb"
+; CHECK-NEXT: .ascii " /INCLUDE:ga"
+; CHECK-NEXT: .ascii " /INCLUDE:gb"
+; CHECK-NEXT: .ascii " /INCLUDE:ge"
+; CHECK-NOT:  .ascii
+
+define dso_local void @fa() !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+define weak_odr dso_local void @fb() !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+define internal void @fc() !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+
+@ga = global i32 0, !retain !{}
+@gb = weak global i32 0, !retain !{}
+@gc = internal global i32 0, !retain !{}
+@gd = private global i32 0, !retain !{}
+@ge = constant i32 3, !retain !{}
+
+;; Aliases do not get /INCLUDE:. This is to be consistent with ELF.
+@aa = alias i32, i32* @gc
+@ab = internal alias i32, i32* @gc
diff --git a/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/elf-retain.ll b/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/elf-retain.ll
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/CodeGen/X86/elf-retain.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+;; Place a global object with !retain in a separate section with the SHF_GNU_RETAIN flag.
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64 < %s | FileCheck %s
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64 -data-sections=1 < %s | FileCheck %s
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64 -no-integrated-as -binutils-version=2.36 < %s | FileCheck %s
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64 -no-integrated-as -binutils-version=2.35 < %s | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=OLDGAS
+
+; RUN: llc -mtriple=x86_64 -data-sections=1 -unique-section-names=0 < %s | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=NOUNIQUE
+
+; CHECK:    .section .text.fa,"axR",@progbits{{$}}
+; OLDGAS-NOT: .section .text
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .text,"axR",@progbits,unique,1
+define dso_local void @fa() !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+
+; CHECK:    .section .text.fb,"axR",@progbits{{$}}
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .text,"axR",@progbits,unique,2
+define internal void @fb() !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+
+;; Explicit section.
+; CHECK:    .section ccc,"axR",@progbits,unique,1
+; OLDGAS:   .section ccc,"ax",@progbits,unique,1
+; NOUNIQUE: .section ccc,"axR",@progbits,unique,3
+define dso_local void @fc() section "ccc" !retain !{} {
+entry:
+  ret void
+}
+
+; CHECK:    .section .bss.ga,"awR",@nobits{{$}}
+; OLDGAS:   .bss{{$}}
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .bss,"awR",@nobits,unique,4
+@ga = global i32 0, !retain !{}
+
+; CHECK:    .section .data.gb,"awR",@progbits{{$}}
+; OLDGAS:   .data{{$}}
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .data,"awR",@progbits,unique,5
+@gb = internal global i32 2, !retain !{}
+
+; CHECK:    .section .rodata.gc,"aR",@progbits{{$}}
+; OLDGAS:   .section .rodata,"a",@progbits{{$}}
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .rodata,"aR",@progbits,unique,6
+@gc = constant i32 3, !retain !{}
+
+;; Explicit section.
+; CHECK:    .section ddd,"awR",@progbits,unique,2
+; OLDGAS:   .section ddd,"aw",@progbits,unique,2
+; NOUNIQUE: .section ddd,"awR",@progbits,unique,7
+@gd = global i32 1, section "ddd", !retain !{}
+
+;; Used together with !associated.
+; CHECK:    .section .data.ge,"awoR",@progbits,gc
+; OLDGAS:   .section .data.ge,"awo",@progbits,gc
+; NOUNIQUE: .section .data,"awoR",@progbits,gc,unique,8
+@ge = global i32 1, !associated !0, !retain !{}
+
+!0 = !{i32* @gc}