diff --git a/include/asm-generic/export.h b/include/asm-generic/export.h
index fa57797..23bc98e 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/export.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/export.h
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 .endm
 
 /*
- * note on .section use: @progbits vs %progbits nastiness doesn't matter,
- * since we immediately emit into those sections anyway.
+ * note on .section use: we specify progbits since usage of the "M" (SHF_MERGE)
+ * section flag requires it. Use '%progbits' instead of '@progbits' since the
+ * former apparently works on all arches according to the binutils source.
  */
+
 .macro ___EXPORT_SYMBOL name,val,sec
 #ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
 	.globl __ksymtab_\name
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@
 __ksymtab_\name:
 	__put \val, __kstrtab_\name
 	.previous
-	.section __ksymtab_strings,"a"
+	.section __ksymtab_strings,"aMS",%progbits,1
 __kstrtab_\name:
 	.asciz "\name"
 	.previous
diff --git a/include/linux/export.h b/include/linux/export.h
index 2012627..c13f7a2 100644
--- a/include/linux/export.h
+++ b/include/linux/export.h
@@ -81,16 +81,30 @@ struct kernel_symbol {
 
 #else
 
+/*
+ * note on .section use: we specify progbits since usage of the "M" (SHF_MERGE)
+ * section flag requires it. Use '%progbits' instead of '@progbits' since the
+ * former apparently works on all arches according to the binutils source.
+ *
+ * Note this basically corresponds to:
+ * char __kstrtab_##sym[] __attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings")) = #sym;
+ * char __kstrtabns_##sym[] __attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings")) = ns;
+ */
+#define __KSTRTAB_ENTRY(sym, ns)						\
+	asm("	.section \"__ksymtab_strings\",\"aMS\",%progbits,1	\n"	\
+	    "__kstrtab_" #sym ":					\n"	\
+	    "	.asciz 	\"" #sym "\"					\n"	\
+	    "__kstrtabns_" #sym ":					\n"	\
+	    "	.asciz 	\"" ns "\"					\n"	\
+	    "	.previous						\n")
+
 /* For every exported symbol, place a struct in the __ksymtab section */
 #define ___EXPORT_SYMBOL(sym, sec, ns)					\
 	extern typeof(sym) sym;						\
+	extern const char __kstrtab_##sym[];				\
+	extern const char __kstrtabns_##sym[];				\
 	__CRC_SYMBOL(sym, sec);						\
-	static const char __kstrtab_##sym[]				\
-	__attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings"), used, aligned(1)))	\
-	= #sym;								\
-	static const char __kstrtabns_##sym[]				\
-	__attribute__((section("__ksymtab_strings"), used, aligned(1)))	\
-	= ns;								\
+	__KSTRTAB_ENTRY(sym, ns);					\
 	__KSYMTAB_ENTRY(sym, sec)
 
 #endif