diff --git a/sys/kern/link_elf.c b/sys/kern/link_elf.c
index 19317ed3bd3d..29b54e51d245 100644
--- a/sys/kern/link_elf.c
+++ b/sys/kern/link_elf.c
@@ -1022,6 +1022,12 @@ link_elf_lookup_symbol(linker_file_t lf, const char* name, c_linker_sym_t* sym)
     unsigned long hash;
     int i;
 
+    /* If we don't have a hash, bail. */
+    if (ef->buckets == NULL || ef->nbuckets == 0) {
+	printf("link_elf_lookup_symbol: missing symbol hash table\n");
+	return ENOENT;
+    }
+
     /* First, search hashed global symbols */
     hash = elf_hash(name);
     symnum = ef->buckets[hash % ef->nbuckets];