diff --git a/lib/MC/ELFObjectWriter.cpp b/lib/MC/ELFObjectWriter.cpp
index cbe0ebfa4ad..ac8c250a833 100644
--- a/lib/MC/ELFObjectWriter.cpp
+++ b/lib/MC/ELFObjectWriter.cpp
@@ -539,12 +539,12 @@ static bool ShouldRelocOnSymbol(const MCSymbolData &SD,
   const MCSectionELF &Section =
     static_cast<const MCSectionELF&>(Symbol.getSection());
 
-  if (Section.getFlags() & MCSectionELF::SHF_MERGE)
-    return Target.getConstant() != 0;
-
   if (SD.isExternal())
     return true;
 
+  if (Section.getFlags() & MCSectionELF::SHF_MERGE)
+    return Target.getConstant() != 0;
+
   MCSymbolRefExpr::VariantKind Kind = Target.getSymA()->getKind();
   const MCSectionELF &Sec2 =
     static_cast<const MCSectionELF&>(F.getParent()->getSection());
diff --git a/test/MC/ELF/merge.s b/test/MC/ELF/merge.s
index 311327ebcea..f9cbc1eb797 100644
--- a/test/MC/ELF/merge.s
+++ b/test/MC/ELF/merge.s
@@ -12,9 +12,12 @@
         movl	$.Lfoo+2, %edi
         jmp	foo@PLT
         movq 	foo@GOTPCREL, %rax
+        movq    zed, %rax
 
         .section        .sec1,"aM",@progbits,16
 .Lfoo:
+zed:
+        .global zed
 
         .section	bar,"ax",@progbits
 foo:
@@ -39,6 +42,10 @@ foo:
 // CHECK-NEXT:     ('st_other', 0)
 // CHECK-NEXT:     ('st_shndx', 4)
 
+// Symbol number 8 is zed
+// CHECK:        # Symbol 8
+// CHECK-NEXT:    (('st_name', 11) # 'zed'
+
 // Relocation 0 refers to symbol 1
 // CHECK:       ('_relocations', [
 // CHECK-NEXT:   # Relocation 0
@@ -79,4 +86,12 @@ foo:
 // CHECK-NEXT:    ('r_type', 9
 // CHECK-NEXT:    ('r_addend',
 // CHECK-NEXT:   ),
+
+// Relocation 5 refers to symbol 8
+// CHECK-NEXT:   # Relocation 5
+// CHECK-NEXT:   (('r_offset', 35)
+// CHECK-NEXT:    ('r_sym', 8)
+// CHECK-NEXT:    ('r_type', 11)
+// CHECK-NEXT:    ('r_addend', 0)
+// CHECK-NEXT:   ),
 // CHECK-NEXT:  ])