diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
index 80b2ff5bd6..f1d020f342 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type DebugFlags struct {
 	LocationLists        int    `help:"print information about DWARF location list creation"`
 	Nil                  int    `help:"print information about nil checks"`
 	NoOpenDefer          int    `help:"disable open-coded defers"`
+	NoRefName            int    `help:"do not include referenced symbol names in object file"`
 	PCTab                string `help:"print named pc-value table\nOne of: pctospadj, pctofile, pctoline, pctoinline, pctopcdata"`
 	Panic                int    `help:"show all compiler panics"`
 	Slice                int    `help:"print information about slice compilation"`
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
index 49e004cf18..4de0df21cb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ func ParseFlags() {
 	Ctxt.Flag_optimize = Flag.N == 0
 	Ctxt.Debugasm = int(Flag.S)
 	Ctxt.Flag_maymorestack = Debug.MayMoreStack
+	Ctxt.Flag_noRefName = Debug.NoRefName != 0
 
 	if flag.NArg() < 1 {
 		usage()
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/goobj/objfile.go b/src/cmd/internal/goobj/objfile.go
index 1b676b3677..665fa41475 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/goobj/objfile.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/goobj/objfile.go
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ const (
 	PkgIdxHashed                        // Hashed (content-addressable) symbols
 	PkgIdxBuiltin                       // Predefined runtime symbols (ex: runtime.newobject)
 	PkgIdxSelf                          // Symbols defined in the current package
+	PkgIdxSpecial  = PkgIdxSelf         // Indices above it has special meanings
 	PkgIdxInvalid  = 0
 	// The index of other referenced packages starts from 1.
 )
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
index 8a50b2e4fe..58aeb87c4f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
@@ -899,6 +899,7 @@ type Link struct {
 	Flag_linkshared    bool
 	Flag_optimize      bool
 	Flag_locationlists bool
+	Flag_noRefName     bool   // do not include referenced symbol names in object file
 	Retpoline          bool   // emit use of retpoline stubs for indirect jmp/call
 	Flag_maymorestack  string // If not "", call this function before stack checks
 	Bso                *bufio.Writer
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile.go
index 2caff62702..d31afda703 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile.go
@@ -269,17 +269,21 @@ func (w *writer) StringTable() {
 		w.AddString(pkg)
 	}
 	w.ctxt.traverseSyms(traverseAll, func(s *LSym) {
-		// TODO: this includes references of indexed symbols from other packages,
-		// for which the linker doesn't need the name. Consider moving them to
-		// a separate block (for tools only).
-		if w.pkgpath != "" {
-			s.Name = strings.Replace(s.Name, "\"\".", w.pkgpath+".", -1)
-		}
 		// Don't put names of builtins into the string table (to save
 		// space).
 		if s.PkgIdx == goobj.PkgIdxBuiltin {
 			return
 		}
+		// TODO: this includes references of indexed symbols from other packages,
+		// for which the linker doesn't need the name. Consider moving them to
+		// a separate block (for tools only).
+		if w.ctxt.Flag_noRefName && s.PkgIdx < goobj.PkgIdxSpecial {
+			// Don't include them if Flag_noRefName
+			return
+		}
+		if w.pkgpath != "" {
+			s.Name = strings.Replace(s.Name, "\"\".", w.pkgpath+".", -1)
+		}
 		w.AddString(s.Name)
 	})
 
@@ -625,6 +629,9 @@ func (w *writer) refFlags() {
 // Emits names of referenced indexed symbols, used by tools (objdump, nm)
 // only.
 func (w *writer) refNames() {
+	if w.ctxt.Flag_noRefName {
+		return
+	}
 	seen := make(map[*LSym]bool)
 	w.ctxt.traverseSyms(traverseRefs, func(rs *LSym) { // only traverse refs, not auxs, as tools don't need auxs
 		switch rs.PkgIdx {
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile_test.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile_test.go
index f5a4016eec..91e96e435d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile_test.go
@@ -121,3 +121,25 @@ func TestSymbolTooLarge(t *testing.T) { // Issue 42054
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error message: want: %q, got: %s", want, out)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNoRefName(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test that the norefname flag works.
+	testenv.MustHaveGoBuild(t)
+
+	tmpdir := t.TempDir()
+
+	src := filepath.Join(tmpdir, "x.go")
+	err := ioutil.WriteFile(src, []byte("package main; import \"fmt\"; func main() { fmt.Println(123) }\n"), 0666)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to write source file: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	exe := filepath.Join(tmpdir, "x.exe")
+
+	// Build the fmt package with norefname. Not rebuilding all packages to save time.
+	// Also testing that norefname and non-norefname packages can link together.
+	cmd := exec.Command(testenv.GoToolPath(t), "build", "-gcflags=fmt=-d=norefname", "-o", exe, src)
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("build failed: %v, output:\n%s", err, out)
+	}
+}