diff --git a/bfd/coff-alpha.c b/bfd/coff-alpha.c
index 61dc05e805d..45b3f760f55 100644
--- a/bfd/coff-alpha.c
+++ b/bfd/coff-alpha.c
@@ -2174,6 +2174,7 @@ alpha_ecoff_get_elt_at_filepos (bfd *archive, file_ptr filepos,
   nbfd->iostream = bim;
   nbfd->iovec = &_bfd_memory_iovec;
   nbfd->origin = 0;
+  nbfd->size = 0;
   BFD_ASSERT (! nbfd->cacheable);
 
   return nbfd;
diff --git a/bfd/opncls.c b/bfd/opncls.c
index 6ae3af054e4..4dbd30d2fe9 100644
--- a/bfd/opncls.c
+++ b/bfd/opncls.c
@@ -987,6 +987,7 @@ bfd_make_readable (bfd *abfd)
   abfd->symcount = 0;
   abfd->outsymbols = 0;
   abfd->tdata.any = 0;
+  abfd->size = 0;
 
   bfd_section_list_clear (abfd);
   bfd_check_format (abfd, bfd_object);
diff --git a/bfd/peicode.h b/bfd/peicode.h
index 22ffec989f2..fef7d0dd69b 100644
--- a/bfd/peicode.h
+++ b/bfd/peicode.h
@@ -1105,6 +1105,7 @@ pe_ILF_build_a_bfd (bfd *	    abfd,
   abfd->iovec = &_bfd_memory_iovec;
   abfd->where = 0;
   abfd->origin = 0;
+  abfd->size = 0;
   obj_sym_filepos (abfd) = 0;
 
   /* Now create a symbol describing the imported value.  */
diff --git a/binutils/objdump.c b/binutils/objdump.c
index 9e76684c071..4292c23a9ab 100644
--- a/binutils/objdump.c
+++ b/binutils/objdump.c
@@ -994,45 +994,22 @@ dump_headers (bfd *abfd)
 static asymbol **
 slurp_symtab (bfd *abfd)
 {
-  asymbol **sy = NULL;
-  long storage;
-
+  symcount = 0;
   if (!(bfd_get_file_flags (abfd) & HAS_SYMS))
-    {
-      symcount = 0;
-      return NULL;
-    }
+    return NULL;
 
-  storage = bfd_get_symtab_upper_bound (abfd);
+  long storage = bfd_get_symtab_upper_bound (abfd);
   if (storage < 0)
     {
-      non_fatal (_("failed to read symbol table from: %s"), bfd_get_filename (abfd));
+      non_fatal (_("failed to read symbol table from: %s"),
+		 bfd_get_filename (abfd));
       bfd_fatal (_("error message was"));
     }
 
-  if (storage)
-    {
-      off_t filesize = bfd_get_file_size (abfd);
-
-      /* qv PR 24707.  */
-      if (filesize > 0
-	  && filesize < storage
-	  /* The MMO file format supports its own special compression
-	     technique, so its sections can be larger than the file size.  */
-	  && bfd_get_flavour (abfd) != bfd_target_mmo_flavour)
-	{
-	  bfd_nonfatal_message (bfd_get_filename (abfd), abfd, NULL,
-				_("error: symbol table size (%#lx) "
-				  "is larger than filesize (%#lx)"),
-				storage, (long) filesize);
-	  exit_status = 1;
-	  symcount = 0;
-	  return NULL;
-	}
-
-      sy = (asymbol **) xmalloc (storage);
-    }
+  if (storage == 0)
+    return NULL;
 
+  asymbol **sy = (asymbol **) xmalloc (storage);
   symcount = bfd_canonicalize_symtab (abfd, sy);
   if (symcount < 0)
     bfd_fatal (bfd_get_filename (abfd));
@@ -1044,26 +1021,24 @@ slurp_symtab (bfd *abfd)
 static asymbol **
 slurp_dynamic_symtab (bfd *abfd)
 {
-  asymbol **sy = NULL;
-  long storage;
-
-  storage = bfd_get_dynamic_symtab_upper_bound (abfd);
+  dynsymcount = 0;
+  long storage = bfd_get_dynamic_symtab_upper_bound (abfd);
   if (storage < 0)
     {
       if (!(bfd_get_file_flags (abfd) & DYNAMIC))
 	{
 	  non_fatal (_("%s: not a dynamic object"), bfd_get_filename (abfd));
 	  exit_status = 1;
-	  dynsymcount = 0;
 	  return NULL;
 	}
 
       bfd_fatal (bfd_get_filename (abfd));
     }
 
-  if (storage)
-    sy = (asymbol **) xmalloc (storage);
+  if (storage == 0)
+    return NULL;
 
+  asymbol **sy = (asymbol **) xmalloc (storage);
   dynsymcount = bfd_canonicalize_dynamic_symtab (abfd, sy);
   if (dynsymcount < 0)
     bfd_fatal (bfd_get_filename (abfd));