diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
index d2604b27a9..7f14aa3d27 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode.go
@@ -174,13 +174,9 @@ func (d *deadcodePass) flood() {
 		naux := d.ldr.NAux(symIdx)
 		for i := 0; i < naux; i++ {
 			a := d.ldr.Aux(symIdx, i)
-			if a.Type() == goobj.AuxGotype && !d.ctxt.linkShared {
+			if a.Type() == goobj.AuxGotype {
 				// A symbol being reachable doesn't imply we need its
 				// type descriptor. Don't mark it.
-				// TODO: when -linkshared, the GCProg generation code
-				// seems to need it. I'm not sure why. I think it could
-				// just reach to the type descriptor's data without
-				// requiring to mark it reachable.
 				continue
 			}
 			d.mark(a.Sym(), symIdx)
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
index 4295b2a660..b2ca658c3c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
@@ -831,7 +831,12 @@ func (ctxt *Link) mangleTypeSym() {
 
 	ldr := ctxt.loader
 	for s := loader.Sym(1); s < loader.Sym(ldr.NSym()); s++ {
-		if !ldr.AttrReachable(s) {
+		if !ldr.AttrReachable(s) && !ctxt.linkShared {
+			// If -linkshared, the GCProg generation code may need to reach
+			// out to the shared library for the type descriptor's data, even
+			// the type descriptor itself is not actually needed at run time
+			// (therefore not reachable). We still need to mangle its name,
+			// so it is consistent with the one stored in the shared library.
 			continue
 		}
 		name := ldr.SymName(s)