diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index d7523187a05..18a5cd0e243 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2015-08-25  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
+
+	PR binutils/18854
+	* elf.c (bfd_section_from_shdr): Replace assertions with warnings
+	about multiple symbol tables.
+
 2015-08-25  Renlin Li  <renlin.li@arm.com>
 
 	* reloc.c (BFD_RELOC_AARCH64_LD64_GOTOFF_LO15): Use LP64 instead of
diff --git a/bfd/elf.c b/bfd/elf.c
index f8e12958452..81cc1db5a2c 100644
--- a/bfd/elf.c
+++ b/bfd/elf.c
@@ -1833,7 +1833,15 @@ bfd_section_from_shdr (bfd *abfd, unsigned int shindex)
 	  goto success;
 	}
 
-      BFD_ASSERT (elf_onesymtab (abfd) == 0);
+      /* PR 18854: A binary might contain more than one symbol table.
+	 Unusual, but possible.  Warn, but continue.  */
+      if (elf_onesymtab (abfd) != 0)
+	{
+	  (*_bfd_error_handler)
+	    (_("%B: warning: multiple symbol tables detected - ignoring the table in section %u"),
+	     abfd, shindex);
+	  goto success;
+	}
       elf_onesymtab (abfd) = shindex;
       elf_tdata (abfd)->symtab_hdr = *hdr;
       elf_elfsections (abfd)[shindex] = hdr = &elf_tdata (abfd)->symtab_hdr;
@@ -1898,7 +1906,15 @@ bfd_section_from_shdr (bfd *abfd, unsigned int shindex)
 	  goto success;
 	}
 
-      BFD_ASSERT (elf_dynsymtab (abfd) == 0);
+      /* PR 18854: A binary might contain more than one dynamic symbol table.
+	 Unusual, but possible.  Warn, but continue.  */
+      if (elf_dynsymtab (abfd) != 0)
+	{
+	  (*_bfd_error_handler)
+	    (_("%B: warning: multiple dynamic symbol tables detected - ignoring the table in section %u"),
+	     abfd, shindex);
+	  goto success;
+	}
       elf_dynsymtab (abfd) = shindex;
       elf_tdata (abfd)->dynsymtab_hdr = *hdr;
       elf_elfsections (abfd)[shindex] = hdr = &elf_tdata (abfd)->dynsymtab_hdr;