https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=99618
--- Comment #14 from Jakub Jelinek <jakub at gcc dot gnu.org> --- Looking at current binutils, it seems to misbehave though. If I compile: pr99618.c: #include <stdio.h> int i; pr99618-2.c: #include <stdio.h> extern int i; int main () { return i++; } gcc -g3 -gdwarf-5 -O2 -o pr99618{,.c,-2.c} then readelf -wm shows: Contents of the .debug_macro section: Offset: 0x0 Version: 5 Offset size: 4 Offset into .debug_line: 0x0 DW_MACRO_import - offset : 0x14a DW_MACRO_start_file - lineno: 0 filenum: 1 filename: pr99618.c DW_MACRO_start_file - lineno: 0 filenum: 2 filename: /usr/include/stdc-predef.h DW_MACRO_import - offset : 0x9a0 DW_MACRO_end_file ... Offset: 0x14a Version: 5 Offset size: 4 DW_MACRO_define_strp - lineno : 0 macro : __STDC__ 1 DW_MACRO_define_strp - lineno : 0 macro : __STDC_VERSION__ 201710L ... Offset: 0x11c2 Version: 5 Offset size: 4 Offset into .debug_line: 0x1ec DW_MACRO_import - offset : 0x0 DW_MACRO_start_file - lineno: 0 filenum: 1 filename: pr99618-2.c DW_MACRO_start_file - lineno: 0 filenum: 2 filename: /usr/include/stdc-predef.h DW_MACRO_import - offset : 0x0 DW_MACRO_end_file Obviously the last two DW_MACRO_import should have been 0x14a and 0x9a0. I don't think we can use a global symbol though, we don't want that exported from libraries, nor have any special naming for those.