http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=58218
--- Comment #1 from Mikael Pettersson <mikpe at it dot uu.se> --- I can reproduce with gcc-4.7.3. It generates: .section .lbss,"aw",@progbits gas doesn't like ,@progbits on .lbss and ignores it; readelf on the produced .o file then shows: [ 4] .lbss NOBITS 0000000000000000 000040 010004 00 WAl 0 0 32 which appears to confirm that @progbits is wrong. (.bss is also NOBITS.)