diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
index a051214b9c..0142300063 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/lex.go
@@ -549,22 +549,9 @@ func skiptopkgdef(b *obj.Biobuf) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	// symbol table may be first; skip it
-	sz := arsize(b, "__.GOSYMDEF")
-
-	if sz >= 0 {
-		obj.Bseek(b, int64(sz), 1)
-	} else {
-		obj.Bseek(b, 8, 0)
-	}
-
-	// package export block is next
-	sz = arsize(b, "__.PKGDEF")
-
-	if sz <= 0 {
-		return false
-	}
-	return true
+	// package export block should be first
+	sz := arsize(b, "__.PKGDEF")
+	return sz > 0
 }
 
 var idirs []string
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/goobj/read.go b/src/cmd/internal/goobj/read.go
index 7fdaf557c8..dff6224d85 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/goobj/read.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/goobj/read.go
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ func (r *objReader) parseArchive() error {
 			return errCorruptArchive
 		}
 		switch name {
-		case "__.SYMDEF", "__.GOSYMDEF", "__.PKGDEF":
+		case "__.PKGDEF":
 			r.skip(size)
 		default:
 			oldLimit := r.limit
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
index bdfa0563c3..461ebf8db1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
@@ -255,10 +255,7 @@ var coutbuf struct {
 	f *os.File
 }
 
-const (
-	symname = "__.GOSYMDEF"
-	pkgname = "__.PKGDEF"
-)
+const pkgname = "__.PKGDEF"
 
 var (
 	// Set if we see an object compiled by the host compiler that is not
@@ -781,7 +778,7 @@ func objfile(lib *Library) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	/* skip over optional __.GOSYMDEF and process __.PKGDEF */
+	/* process __.PKGDEF */
 	off := obj.Boffset(f)
 
 	var arhdr ArHdr
@@ -792,15 +789,6 @@ func objfile(lib *Library) {
 		goto out
 	}
 
-	if strings.HasPrefix(arhdr.name, symname) {
-		off += l
-		l = nextar(f, off, &arhdr)
-		if l <= 0 {
-			Diag("%s: short read on archive file symbol header", lib.File)
-			goto out
-		}
-	}
-
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(arhdr.name, pkgname) {
 		Diag("%s: cannot find package header", lib.File)
 		goto out
@@ -829,7 +817,7 @@ func objfile(lib *Library) {
 	 * the individual symbols that are unused.
 	 *
 	 * loading every object will also make it possible to
-	 * load foreign objects not referenced by __.GOSYMDEF.
+	 * load foreign objects not referenced by __.PKGDEF.
 	 */
 	for {
 		l = nextar(f, off, &arhdr)
diff --git a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
index 18bea415ae..4c0d2fe761 100644
--- a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
+++ b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
@@ -52,33 +52,11 @@ func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, err error) {
 	if string(line) == "!<arch>\n" {
 		// Archive file. Scan to __.PKGDEF.
 		var name string
-		var size int
-		if name, size, err = readGopackHeader(r); err != nil {
+		if name, _, err = readGopackHeader(r); err != nil {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// Optional leading __.GOSYMDEF or __.SYMDEF.
-		// Read and discard.
-		if name == "__.SYMDEF" || name == "__.GOSYMDEF" {
-			const block = 4096
-			tmp := make([]byte, block)
-			for size > 0 {
-				n := size
-				if n > block {
-					n = block
-				}
-				if _, err = io.ReadFull(r, tmp[:n]); err != nil {
-					return
-				}
-				size -= n
-			}
-
-			if name, _, err = readGopackHeader(r); err != nil {
-				return
-			}
-		}
-
-		// First real entry should be __.PKGDEF.
+		// First entry should be __.PKGDEF.
 		if name != "__.PKGDEF" {
 			err = errors.New("go archive is missing __.PKGDEF")
 			return