diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
index 3eea1fd8cd2..548863da14b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader.go
@@ -158,8 +158,9 @@ type Loader struct {
 	extStaticSyms map[nameVer]Sym   // externally defined static symbols, keyed by name
 	overwrite     map[Sym]Sym       // overwrite[i]=j if symbol j overwrites symbol i
 
-	payloads []extSymPayload // contents of linker-materialized external syms
-	values   []int64         // symbol values, indexed by global sym index
+	payloadBatch []extSymPayload
+	payloads     []*extSymPayload // contents of linker-materialized external syms
+	values       []int64          // symbol values, indexed by global sym index
 
 	itablink map[Sym]struct{} // itablink[j] defined if j is go.itablink.*
 
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ func (l *Loader) newExtSym(name string, ver int) Sym {
 	}
 	l.growSyms(int(i))
 	pi := i - l.extStart
+	l.payloads[pi] = l.allocPayload()
 	l.payloads[pi].name = name
 	l.payloads[pi].ver = ver
 	return i
@@ -405,7 +407,18 @@ func (l *Loader) getPayload(i Sym) *extSymPayload {
 		return nil
 	}
 	pi := i - l.extStart
-	return &l.payloads[pi]
+	return l.payloads[pi]
+}
+
+// allocPayload allocates a new payload.
+func (l *Loader) allocPayload() *extSymPayload {
+	batch := l.payloadBatch
+	if len(batch) == 0 {
+		batch = make([]extSymPayload, 1000)
+	}
+	p := &batch[0]
+	l.payloadBatch = batch[1:]
+	return p
 }
 
 func (ms *extSymPayload) Grow(siz int64) {
@@ -431,7 +444,7 @@ func (l *Loader) growSyms(i int) {
 		return
 	}
 	l.Syms = append(l.Syms, make([]*sym.Symbol, i+1-n)...)
-	l.payloads = append(l.payloads, make([]extSymPayload, i+1-n)...)
+	l.payloads = append(l.payloads, make([]*extSymPayload, i+1-n)...)
 	l.growValues(int(i) + 1)
 	l.growAttrBitmaps(int(i) + 1)
 }
@@ -1752,7 +1765,7 @@ func (l *Loader) LoadFull(arch *sys.Arch, syms *sym.Symbols) {
 	for _, i := range toConvert {
 
 		// Copy kind/size/value etc.
-		pp := &l.payloads[i-l.extStart]
+		pp := l.payloads[i-l.extStart]
 		s := l.Syms[i]
 		s.Version = int16(pp.ver)
 		s.Type = pp.kind
@@ -2021,7 +2034,7 @@ func (l *Loader) cloneToExternal(symIdx Sym) Sym {
 
 	// Create new symbol, update version and kind.
 	ns := l.newExtSym(sname, sver)
-	pp := &l.payloads[ns-l.extStart]
+	pp := l.payloads[ns-l.extStart]
 	pp.kind = skind
 	pp.ver = sver
 	pp.size = int64(osym.Siz)
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
index d183570059e..e939a4f0622 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -63,15 +63,24 @@ func TestAddMaterializedSymbol(t *testing.T) {
 	sb2, es2 := ldr.MakeSymbolUpdater(es2)
 	sb3, es3 := ldr.MakeSymbolUpdater(es3)
 
+	// Suppose we create some more symbols, which triggers a grow.
+	// Make sure the symbol builder's payload pointer is valid,
+	// even across a grow.
+	ldr.growSyms(9999)
+
 	// Check get/set symbol type
 	es3typ := sb3.Type()
 	if es3typ != sym.Sxxx {
-		t.Errorf("SymType(es3): expected %d, got %d", sym.Sxxx, es3typ)
+		t.Errorf("SymType(es3): expected %v, got %v", sym.Sxxx, es3typ)
 	}
-	sb2.SetType(sym.SRODATA)
-	es3typ = sb2.Type()
+	sb3.SetType(sym.SRODATA)
+	es3typ = sb3.Type()
 	if es3typ != sym.SRODATA {
-		t.Errorf("SymType(es3): expected %d, got %d", sym.SRODATA, es3typ)
+		t.Errorf("SymType(es3): expected %v, got %v", sym.SRODATA, es3typ)
+	}
+	es3typ = ldr.SymType(es3)
+	if es3typ != sym.SRODATA {
+		t.Errorf("SymType(es3): expected %v, got %v", sym.SRODATA, es3typ)
 	}
 
 	// New symbols should not initially be reachable.
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
index 20646349c72..d5546453d24 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/loader/symbolbuilder.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func (l *Loader) MakeSymbolBuilder(name string) *SymbolBuilder {
 		panic("can't build if sym.Symbol already present")
 	}
 	sb := &SymbolBuilder{l: l, symIdx: symIdx}
-	sb.extSymPayload = &l.payloads[symIdx-l.extStart]
+	sb.extSymPayload = l.payloads[symIdx-l.extStart]
 	return sb
 }
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (l *Loader) MakeSymbolUpdater(symIdx Sym) (*SymbolBuilder, Sym) {
 
 	// Construct updater and return.
 	sb := &SymbolBuilder{l: l, symIdx: symIdx}
-	sb.extSymPayload = &l.payloads[symIdx-l.extStart]
+	sb.extSymPayload = l.payloads[symIdx-l.extStart]
 	return sb, symIdx
 }