diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
index c21d939b4cc..121342e80d9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ func Main(archInit func(*Arch)) {
 	if supportsDynlink(thearch.LinkArch.Arch) {
 		flag.BoolVar(&flag_shared, "shared", false, "generate code that can be linked into a shared library")
 		flag.BoolVar(&flag_dynlink, "dynlink", false, "support references to Go symbols defined in other shared libraries")
+		flag.BoolVar(&Ctxt.Flag_linkshared, "linkshared", false, "generate code that will be linked against Go shared libraries")
 	}
 	flag.StringVar(&cpuprofile, "cpuprofile", "", "write cpu profile to `file`")
 	flag.StringVar(&memprofile, "memprofile", "", "write memory profile to `file`")
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
index 2561f5b2f8d..4774ee8201e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@
 // 	-ldflags '[pattern=]arg list'
 // 		arguments to pass on each go tool link invocation.
 // 	-linkshared
-// 		link against shared libraries previously created with
-// 		-buildmode=shared.
+// 		build code that will be linked against shared libraries previously
+// 		created with -buildmode=shared.
 // 	-mod mode
 // 		module download mode to use: readonly or vendor.
 // 		See 'go help modules' for more.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
index 54b049b68fe..6264593c345 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ and test commands:
 	-ldflags '[pattern=]arg list'
 		arguments to pass on each go tool link invocation.
 	-linkshared
-		link against shared libraries previously created with
-		-buildmode=shared.
+		build code that will be linked against shared libraries previously
+		created with -buildmode=shared.
 	-mod mode
 		module download mode to use: readonly or vendor.
 		See 'go help modules' for more.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
index f3055b62937..f4ae0e11c1c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ func buildModeInit() {
 				base.Fatalf("-linkshared not supported on %s\n", platform)
 			}
 			codegenArg = "-dynlink"
+			forcedGcflags = append(forcedGcflags, "-linkshared")
 			// TODO(mwhudson): remove -w when that gets fixed in linker.
 			forcedLdflags = append(forcedLdflags, "-linkshared", "-w")
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
index 2c106bab30d..2e94d552252 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/link.go
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ type Link struct {
 	Debugpcln          string
 	Flag_shared        bool
 	Flag_dynlink       bool
+	Flag_linkshared    bool
 	Flag_optimize      bool
 	Flag_locationlists bool
 	Flag_newobj        bool // use new object file format
diff --git a/src/cmd/internal/obj/sym.go b/src/cmd/internal/obj/sym.go
index de415695f33..4c116d28f2b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/internal/obj/sym.go
+++ b/src/cmd/internal/obj/sym.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func (ctxt *Link) NumberSyms(asm bool) {
 
 	var idx, nonpkgidx int32 = 0, 0
 	ctxt.traverseSyms(traverseDefs, func(s *LSym) {
-		if asm || s.Pkg == "_" || s.DuplicateOK() {
+		if asm || s.Pkg == "_" || s.DuplicateOK() || ctxt.Flag_linkshared {
 			s.PkgIdx = goobj2.PkgIdxNone
 			s.SymIdx = nonpkgidx
 			if nonpkgidx != int32(len(ctxt.nonpkgdefs)) {