diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index d0f1e3f68b1..61c4ad7fba7 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2007-07-25  Michael Snyder  <msnyder@access-company.com>
+
+	* coffgen.c (_bfd_coff_get_external_symbols): Nothing to be done
+	if size == 0; return and avoid possible null pointer issues.
+
 2007-07-25  Alan Modra  <amodra@bigpond.net.au>
 
 	* linker.c (generic_link_add_symbol_list): Warning fix.
diff --git a/bfd/coffgen.c b/bfd/coffgen.c
index 7430cf6a760..f4f97b3f0d7 100644
--- a/bfd/coffgen.c
+++ b/bfd/coffgen.c
@@ -1444,9 +1444,11 @@ _bfd_coff_get_external_symbols (bfd *abfd)
   symesz = bfd_coff_symesz (abfd);
 
   size = obj_raw_syment_count (abfd) * symesz;
+  if (size == 0)
+    return TRUE;
 
   syms = bfd_malloc (size);
-  if (syms == NULL && size != 0)
+  if (syms == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
   if (bfd_seek (abfd, obj_sym_filepos (abfd), SEEK_SET) != 0