diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/goobj2/objfile.go b/src/cmd/internal/goobj2/objfile.go
index ef32c4873eb..03b322da6c7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/goobj2/objfile.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/goobj2/objfile.go
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ const (
 	SymFlagLeaf
 	SymFlagCFunc
 	SymFlagReflectMethod
+	SymFlagGoType
 	SymFlagTopFrame
 )
 
@@ -234,6 +235,7 @@ func (s *Sym) Typelink() bool      { return s.Flag&SymFlagTypelink != 0 }
 func (s *Sym) Leaf() bool          { return s.Flag&SymFlagLeaf != 0 }
 func (s *Sym) CFunc() bool         { return s.Flag&SymFlagCFunc != 0 }
 func (s *Sym) ReflectMethod() bool { return s.Flag&SymFlagReflectMethod != 0 }
+func (s *Sym) IsGoType() bool      { return s.Flag&SymFlagGoType != 0 }
 func (s *Sym) TopFrame() bool      { return s.Flag&SymFlagTopFrame != 0 }
 
 // Symbol reference.
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile2.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile2.go
index f3389612d6c..69019e033dd 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile2.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/objfile2.go
@@ -238,6 +238,9 @@ func (w *writer) Sym(s *LSym) {
 	if s.TopFrame() {
 		flag |= goobj2.SymFlagTopFrame
 	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(s.Name, "type.") && s.Name[5] != '.' && s.Type == objabi.SRODATA {
+		flag |= goobj2.SymFlagGoType
+	}
 	name := s.Name
 	if strings.HasPrefix(name, "gofile..") {
 		name = filepath.ToSlash(name)
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode2.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode2.go
index 259199eea1c..818024069e8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode2.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/deadcode2.go
@@ -108,9 +108,7 @@ func (d *deadcodePass2) flood() {
 		symIdx := d.wq.pop()
 
 		d.reflectSeen = d.reflectSeen || d.ldr.IsReflectMethod(symIdx)
-
-		name := d.ldr.RawSymName(symIdx)
-		if strings.HasPrefix(name, "type.") && name[5] != '.' { // TODO: use an attribute instead of checking name
+		if d.ldr.IsGoType(symIdx) {
 			p := d.ldr.Data(symIdx)
 			if len(p) != 0 && decodetypeKind(d.ctxt.Arch, p)&kindMask == kindInterface {
 				for _, sig := range decodeIfaceMethods2(d.ldr, d.ctxt.Arch, symIdx) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
index c155f27dcbc..708e8d0d3ec 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
@@ -364,6 +364,11 @@ func (l *Loader) IsReflectMethod(i Sym) bool {
 	return l.SymAttr(i)&goobj2.SymFlagReflectMethod != 0
 }
 
+// Returns whether this is a Go type symbol.
+func (l *Loader) IsGoType(i Sym) bool {
+	return l.SymAttr(i)&goobj2.SymFlagGoType != 0
+}
+
 // Returns the symbol content of the i-th symbol. i is global index.
 func (l *Loader) Data(i Sym) []byte {
 	if l.isExternal(i) {