diff --git a/src/Makefile.housekeeping b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
index 80b70f5c..8603bfd6 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.housekeeping
+++ b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
@@ -1011,15 +1011,20 @@ $(BIN)/%.nodeps : $(BIN)/%.tmp
 # Get licensing verdict for the specified target
 #
 define licensable_deps_list
-	$(filter-out config/local/%.h,$(call deps_list,$(1)))
+	$(filter-out config/local/%.h,\
+	  $(filter-out $(BIN)/.%.list,\
+	    $(call deps_list,$(1))))
 endef
 define unlicensed_deps_list
 	$(shell grep -L FILE_LICENCE $(call licensable_deps_list,$(1)))
 endef
 define licence_list
-	$(patsubst __licence_%,%,\
-	  $(filter __licence_%,$(shell $(NM) $(1) | cut -d" " -f3)))
+	$(sort $(foreach LICENCE,\
+		 $(filter __licence__%,$(shell $(NM) $(1) | cut -d" " -f3)),\
+		 $(word 2,$(subst __, ,$(LICENCE)))))
 endef
+$(BIN)/%.licence_list : $(BIN)/%.tmp
+	$(Q)$(ECHO) $(call licence_list,$<)
 $(BIN)/%.licence : $(BIN)/%.tmp
 	$(QM)$(ECHO) "  [LICENCE] $@"
 	$(Q)$(if $(strip $(call unlicensed_deps_list,$<)),\
diff --git a/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386-kir.lds b/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386-kir.lds
index 338d6ee8..66bf804e 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386-kir.lds
+++ b/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386-kir.lds
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ SECTIONS {
 	*(.data)
 	*(.data.*)
 	KEEP(*(SORT(.tbl.*)))	/* Various tables.  See include/tables.h */
+	KEEP(*(.provided))
+	KEEP(*(.provided.*))
 	_edata16_progbits = .;
     }
     .bss16 : AT ( _data16_load_offset + __bss16 ) {
diff --git a/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386.lds b/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386.lds
index fb763656..98f95cb2 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386.lds
+++ b/src/arch/i386/scripts/i386.lds
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ SECTIONS {
 	*(.data)
 	*(.data.*)
 	KEEP(*(SORT(.tbl.*)))	/* Various tables.  See include/tables.h */
+	KEEP(*(.provided))
+	KEEP(*(.provided.*))
 	_mtextdata = .;
     } .bss.textdata (NOLOAD) : AT ( _end_lma ) {
 	*(.bss)
diff --git a/src/arch/i386/scripts/linux.lds b/src/arch/i386/scripts/linux.lds
index 64c9b97f..9f2eeaf3 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/scripts/linux.lds
+++ b/src/arch/i386/scripts/linux.lds
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ SECTIONS {
 		*(.data)
 		*(.data.*)
 		KEEP(*(SORT(.tbl.*)))
+		KEEP(*(.provided))
+		KEEP(*(.provided.*))
 		_edata = .;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/arch/x86/scripts/efi.lds b/src/arch/x86/scripts/efi.lds
index 1a16c29b..f1049f24 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/scripts/efi.lds
+++ b/src/arch/x86/scripts/efi.lds
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ SECTIONS {
 	*(.data)
 	*(.data.*)
 	KEEP(*(SORT(.tbl.*)))	/* Various tables.  See include/tables.h */
+	KEEP(*(.provided))
+	KEEP(*(.provided.*))
 	_edata = .;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/arch/x86_64/scripts/linux.lds b/src/arch/x86_64/scripts/linux.lds
index 85e548ff..47db2174 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86_64/scripts/linux.lds
+++ b/src/arch/x86_64/scripts/linux.lds
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ SECTIONS {
 		*(.data)
 		*(.data.*)
 		KEEP(*(SORT(.tbl.*)))
+		KEEP(*(.provided))
+		KEEP(*(.provided.*))
 		_edata = .;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/include/compiler.h b/src/include/compiler.h
index e5559245..132793b5 100644
--- a/src/include/compiler.h
+++ b/src/include/compiler.h
@@ -60,12 +60,15 @@
 /** Provide a symbol within this object file */
 #ifdef ASSEMBLY
 #define PROVIDE_SYMBOL( _sym )				\
+	.section ".provided", "a", @nobits ;		\
+	.hidden _sym ;					\
 	.globl	_sym ;					\
-	.comm	_sym, 0
+	_sym: ;						\
+	.previous
 #else /* ASSEMBLY */
 #define PROVIDE_SYMBOL( _sym )				\
-	extern char _sym[];				\
-	char _sym[0]
+	char _sym[0]					\
+	  __attribute__ (( section ( ".provided" ) ))
 #endif /* ASSEMBLY */
 
 /** Require a symbol within this object file
@@ -652,7 +655,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * be in the public domain.
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_PUBLIC_DOMAIN \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_public_domain )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__public_domain__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under version 2 (or later) of the GNU GPL
  *
@@ -661,7 +664,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * (at your option) any later version".
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_GPL2_OR_LATER \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_gpl2_or_later )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__gpl2_or_later__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under version 2 of the GNU GPL
  *
@@ -670,7 +673,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * "or, at your option, any later version" clause.
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_GPL2_ONLY \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_gpl2_only )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__gpl2_only__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under any version of the GNU GPL
  *
@@ -682,7 +685,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * version ever published by the Free Software Foundation".
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_GPL_ANY \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_gpl_any )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__gpl_any__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under the three-clause BSD licence
  *
@@ -707,7 +710,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * functionally equivalent to the standard three-clause BSD licence.
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_BSD3 \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_bsd3 )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__bsd3__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under the two-clause BSD licence
  *
@@ -728,7 +731,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * functionally equivalent to the standard two-clause BSD licence.
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_BSD2 \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_bsd2 )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__bsd2__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a file as being under the one-clause MIT-style licence
  *
@@ -738,7 +741,7 @@ int __debug_disable;
  * permission notice appear in all copies.
  */
 #define FILE_LICENCE_MIT \
-	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( __licence_mit )
+	PROVIDE_SYMBOL ( PREFIX_OBJECT ( __licence__mit__ ) )
 
 /** Declare a particular licence as applying to a file */
 #define FILE_LICENCE( _licence ) FILE_LICENCE_ ## _licence