diff --git a/tcc.h b/tcc.h
index 494460b2..ee919efc 100644
--- a/tcc.h
+++ b/tcc.h
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ typedef struct AttributeDef {
     struct FuncAttr f;
     struct Section *section;
     Sym *cleanup_func;
+    int alias_target; /* token */
     int asm_label; /* associated asm label */
     char attr_mode; /* __attribute__((__mode__(...))) */
 } AttributeDef;
diff --git a/tccgen.c b/tccgen.c
index 5cecc19f..efdb8117 100644
--- a/tccgen.c
+++ b/tccgen.c
@@ -939,10 +939,8 @@ ST_FUNC void put_extern_sym2(Sym *sym, int sh_num,
 #endif
 
         if (sym->asm_label) {
-            name = get_tok_str(sym->asm_label & ~SYM_FIELD, NULL);
-            /* with SYM_FIELD it was __attribute__((alias("..."))) actually */
-            if (!(sym->asm_label & SYM_FIELD))
-                can_add_underscore = 0;
+            name = get_tok_str(sym->asm_label, NULL);
+            can_add_underscore = 0;
         }
 
         if (tcc_state->leading_underscore && can_add_underscore) {
@@ -1524,6 +1522,8 @@ static void merge_attr(AttributeDef *ad, AttributeDef *ad1)
 
     if (ad1->section)
       ad->section = ad1->section;
+    if (ad1->alias_target)
+      ad->alias_target = ad1->alias_target;
     if (ad1->asm_label)
       ad->asm_label = ad1->asm_label;
     if (ad1->attr_mode)
@@ -4147,8 +4147,8 @@ redo:
         case TOK_ALIAS2:
             skip('(');
 	    parse_mult_str(&astr, "alias(\"target\")");
-            ad->asm_label = /* save string as token, for later */
-                tok_alloc((char*)astr.data, astr.size-1)->tok | SYM_FIELD;
+            ad->alias_target = /* save string as token, for later */
+                tok_alloc((char*)astr.data, astr.size-1)->tok;
             skip(')');
 	    cstr_free(&astr);
             break;
@@ -8459,6 +8459,20 @@ found:
                         /* external variable or function */
                         type.t |= VT_EXTERN;
                         sym = external_sym(v, &type, r, &ad);
+                        if (ad.alias_target) {
+                            /* Aliases need to be emitted when their target
+                               symbol is emitted, even if perhaps unreferenced.
+                               We only support the case where the base is
+                               already defined, otherwise we would need
+                               deferring to emit the aliases until the end of
+                               the compile unit.  */
+                            Sym *alias_target = sym_find(ad.alias_target);
+                            ElfSym *esym = elfsym(alias_target);
+                            if (!esym)
+                                tcc_error("unsupported forward __alias__ attribute");
+                            put_extern_sym2(sym, esym->st_shndx,
+                                            esym->st_value, esym->st_size, 0);
+                        }
                     } else {
                         if (type.t & VT_STATIC)
                             r |= VT_CONST;
diff --git a/tccpp.c b/tccpp.c
index daf5d92e..74ce9954 100644
--- a/tccpp.c
+++ b/tccpp.c
@@ -3673,16 +3673,21 @@ static void tcc_predefs(CString *cstr)
     "#ifndef __builtin_va_copy\n"
     "#define __builtin_va_copy(dest,src) (dest)=(src)\n"
     "#endif\n"
+    "#ifdef __leading_underscore\n"
+    "#define RENAME(X) __asm__(\"_\"X)\n"
+    "#else\n"
+    "#define RENAME(X) __asm__(X)\n"
+    "#endif\n"
     /* TCC BBUILTIN AND BOUNDS ALIASES */
     "#ifdef __BOUNDS_CHECKING_ON\n"
-    "#define __BUILTINBC(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params __attribute__((alias(\"__bound_\"#name)));\n"
-    "#define __BOUND(ret,name,params) ret name params __attribute__((alias(\"__bound_\"#name)));\n"
+    "#define __BUILTINBC(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params RENAME(\"__bound_\"#name);\n"
+    "#define __BOUND(ret,name,params) ret name params RENAME(\"__bound_\"#name);\n"
     "#else\n"
-    "#define __BUILTINBC(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params __attribute__((alias(#name)));\n"
+    "#define __BUILTINBC(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params RENAME(#name);\n"
     "#define __BOUND(ret,name,params)\n"
     "#endif\n"
     "#define __BOTH(ret,name,params) __BUILTINBC(ret,name,params)__BOUND(ret,name,params)\n"
-    "#define __BUILTIN(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params __attribute__((alias(\"\"#name)));\n"
+    "#define __BUILTIN(ret,name,params) ret __builtin_##name params RENAME(#name);\n"
     "__BOTH(void*,memcpy,(void*,const void*,__SIZE_TYPE__))\n"
     "__BOTH(void*,memmove,(void*,const void*,__SIZE_TYPE__))\n"
     "__BOTH(void*,memset,(void*,int,__SIZE_TYPE__))\n"
diff --git a/tests/tests2/120+_alias.c b/tests/tests2/120+_alias.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f29d8d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests2/120+_alias.c
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+extern int printf (const char *, ...);
+extern void target(void);
+extern void alias_for_target(void);
+extern void asm_for_target(void);
+
+void inunit2(void);
+
+void inunit2(void)
+{
+  target();
+  alias_for_target();
+  /* This symbol is not supposed to be available in this unit:
+     asm_for_target();
+   */
+}
diff --git a/tests/tests2/120_alias.c b/tests/tests2/120_alias.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9eb2985
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests2/120_alias.c
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* Check semantics of various constructs to generate renamed symbols.  */
+extern int printf (const char *, ...);
+void target(void);
+void target(void) {
+    printf("in target function\n");
+}
+
+void alias_for_target(void) __attribute__((alias("target")));
+void asm_for_target(void) __asm__("target");
+
+/* This is not supposed to compile, alias targets must be defined in the
+   same unit.  In TCC they even must be defined before the reference
+void alias_for_undef(void) __attribute__((alias("undefined")));
+*/
+
+extern void inunit2(void);
+
+int main(void)
+{
+  target();
+  alias_for_target();
+  asm_for_target();
+  inunit2();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/tests2/120_alias.expect b/tests/tests2/120_alias.expect
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..021e3f06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests2/120_alias.expect
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+in target function
+in target function
+in target function
+in target function
+in target function
diff --git a/tests/tests2/Makefile b/tests/tests2/Makefile
index f7f47910..2403a121 100644
--- a/tests/tests2/Makefile
+++ b/tests/tests2/Makefile
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ GEN-ALWAYS =
 104_inline.test : FLAGS += $(subst 104,104+,$1)
 104_inline.test : GEN = $(GEN-TCC)
 
+# this test needs two files, and we want to invoke the linker
+120_alias.test : FLAGS += $(subst 120,120+,$1)
+120_alias.test : GEN = $(GEN-TCC)
+120_alias.test : NORUN = true
+
 # this test needs pthread
 106_pthread.test: FLAGS += -pthread
 106_pthread.test: NORUN = true