diff --git a/gas/ChangeLog b/gas/ChangeLog
index dbafd58923c..d6d30c13af3 100644
--- a/gas/ChangeLog
+++ b/gas/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2012-02-20  Iain Sandoe  <idsandoe@googlemail.com>
+
+	* config/obj-macho.c (obj_mach_o_make_or_get_sect): In the absence of
+	canonical information, try to determine CODE and DEBUG section flags
+	from the mach-o section data.
+
 2012-02-20  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
 
 	* cgen.c (gas_cgen_parse_operand): Do not set BSF_RELC flag on
diff --git a/gas/config/obj-macho.c b/gas/config/obj-macho.c
index 2a2e47d442c..b0ef7411bc7 100644
--- a/gas/config/obj-macho.c
+++ b/gas/config/obj-macho.c
@@ -240,6 +240,18 @@ obj_mach_o_make_or_get_sect (char * segname, char * sectname,
 
   if (oldflags == SEC_NO_FLAGS)
     {
+      /* In the absence of canonical information, try to determine CODE and
+	 DEBUG section flags from the mach-o section data.  */
+      if (flags == SEC_NO_FLAGS
+	  && (specified_mask & SECT_ATTR_SPECIFIED)
+	  && (secattr & BFD_MACH_O_S_ATTR_PURE_INSTRUCTIONS))
+	flags |= SEC_CODE;
+      
+      if (flags == SEC_NO_FLAGS
+	  && (specified_mask & SECT_ATTR_SPECIFIED)
+	  && (secattr & BFD_MACH_O_S_ATTR_DEBUG))
+	flags |= SEC_DEBUGGING;
+
       /* New, so just use the defaults or what's specified.  */
       if (! bfd_set_section_flags (stdoutput, sec, flags))
 	as_warn (_("failed to set flags for \"%s\": %s"),