diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
index e0541c435b..7450dea6d5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/data.go
@@ -789,7 +789,10 @@ func Dwarfblk(ctxt *Link, addr int64, size int64) {
 
 var zeros [512]byte
 
-var strdata []*sym.Symbol
+var (
+	strdata  = make(map[string]string)
+	strnames []string
+)
 
 func addstrdata1(ctxt *Link, arg string) {
 	eq := strings.Index(arg, "=")
@@ -802,19 +805,37 @@ func addstrdata1(ctxt *Link, arg string) {
 		pkg = *flagPluginPath
 	}
 	pkg = objabi.PathToPrefix(pkg)
-	addstrdata(ctxt, pkg+arg[dot:eq], arg[eq+1:])
+	name := pkg + arg[dot:eq]
+	value := arg[eq+1:]
+	if _, ok := strdata[name]; !ok {
+		strnames = append(strnames, name)
+	}
+	strdata[name] = value
 }
 
-func addstrdata(ctxt *Link, name string, value string) {
-	p := fmt.Sprintf("%s.str", name)
+func addstrdata(ctxt *Link, name, value string) {
+	s := ctxt.Syms.ROLookup(name, 0)
+	if s == nil || s.Gotype == nil {
+		// Not defined in the loaded packages.
+		return
+	}
+	if s.Gotype.Name != "type.string" {
+		Errorf(s, "cannot set with -X: not a var of type string (%s)", s.Gotype.Name)
+		return
+	}
+	if s.Type == sym.SBSS {
+		s.Type = sym.SDATA
+	}
+
+	p := fmt.Sprintf("%s.str", s.Name)
 	sp := ctxt.Syms.Lookup(p, 0)
 
 	Addstring(sp, value)
 	sp.Type = sym.SRODATA
 
-	s := ctxt.Syms.Lookup(name, 0)
 	s.Size = 0
-	s.Attr |= sym.AttrDuplicateOK
+	s.P = s.P[:0]
+	s.R = s.R[:0]
 	reachable := s.Attr.Reachable()
 	s.AddAddr(ctxt.Arch, sp)
 	s.AddUint(ctxt.Arch, uint64(len(value)))
@@ -824,18 +845,12 @@ func addstrdata(ctxt *Link, name string, value string) {
 	// we know before entering this function.
 	s.Attr.Set(sym.AttrReachable, reachable)
 
-	strdata = append(strdata, s)
-
 	sp.Attr.Set(sym.AttrReachable, reachable)
 }
 
-func (ctxt *Link) checkstrdata() {
-	for _, s := range strdata {
-		if s.Type == sym.STEXT {
-			Errorf(s, "cannot use -X with text symbol")
-		} else if s.Gotype != nil && s.Gotype.Name != "type.string" {
-			Errorf(s, "cannot use -X with non-string symbol")
-		}
+func (ctxt *Link) dostrdata() {
+	for _, name := range strnames {
+		addstrdata(ctxt, name, strdata[name])
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/go.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/go.go
index 6cfbaebb73..7210ebbf38 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/go.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/go.go
@@ -349,12 +349,12 @@ func fieldtrack(ctxt *Link) {
 	if *flagFieldTrack == "" {
 		return
 	}
-	s := ctxt.Syms.Lookup(*flagFieldTrack, 0)
-	if !s.Attr.Reachable() {
+	s := ctxt.Syms.ROLookup(*flagFieldTrack, 0)
+	if s == nil || !s.Attr.Reachable() {
 		return
 	}
-	addstrdata(ctxt, *flagFieldTrack, buf.String())
 	s.Type = sym.SDATA
+	addstrdata(ctxt, *flagFieldTrack, buf.String())
 }
 
 func (ctxt *Link) addexport() {
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
index 42e1ef7f47..4212562677 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func Main(arch *sys.Arch, theArch Arch) {
 	}
 	ctxt.loadlib()
 
-	ctxt.checkstrdata()
+	ctxt.dostrdata()
 	deadcode(ctxt)
 	fieldtrack(ctxt)
 	ctxt.callgraph()