diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S b/arch/powerpc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
index 1db685104ffc..d41fd0af8980 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@ SECTIONS
 		*(.rela*)
 	}
 #endif
+	/* .exit.data is discarded at runtime, not link time,
+	 * to deal with references from .exit.text
+	 */
+	.exit.data : AT(ADDR(.exit.data) - LOAD_OFFSET) {
+		EXIT_DATA
+	}
 
 	/* freed after init ends here */
 	. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);