diff --git a/tccelf.c b/tccelf.c
index 609a07ab..2387ba67 100644
--- a/tccelf.c
+++ b/tccelf.c
@@ -2527,8 +2527,6 @@ static int tcc_output_elf(TCCState *s1, FILE *f, int phnum, ElfW(Phdr) *phdr)
     ElfW(Ehdr) ehdr;
     ElfW(Shdr) shdr, *sh;
 
-    sort_syms(s1, s1->symtab);
-
     file_type = s1->output_type;
     shnum = s1->nb_sections;
 
@@ -2578,6 +2576,8 @@ static int tcc_output_elf(TCCState *s1, FILE *f, int phnum, ElfW(Phdr) *phdr)
             return -1;
     }
 
+    sort_syms(s1, s1->symtab);
+
     ehdr.e_machine = EM_TCC_TARGET;
     ehdr.e_version = EV_CURRENT;
     ehdr.e_shoff = (sizeof(ElfW(Ehdr)) + phnum * sizeof(ElfW(Phdr)) + 3) & -4;