diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 92d2a1ff6a..03f74abe43 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1713,9 +1713,9 @@ ARCH_POSTLINK := $(wildcard $(srctree)/arch/$(ARCH)/Makefile.postlink)
 quiet_cmd_u-boot__ ?= LD      $@
       cmd_u-boot__ ?= $(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS_u-boot) -o $@		\
 		-T u-boot.lds $(u-boot-init)					\
-		--start-group							\
+		--whole-archive							\
 			$(u-boot-main)						\
-		--end-group							\
+		--no-whole-archive						\
 		$(PLATFORM_LIBS) -Map u-boot.map;				\
 		$(if $(ARCH_POSTLINK), $(MAKE) -f $(ARCH_POSTLINK) $@, true)
 
diff --git a/arch/sandbox/config.mk b/arch/sandbox/config.mk
index 189e9c2b0c..2149771324 100644
--- a/arch/sandbox/config.mk
+++ b/arch/sandbox/config.mk
@@ -17,13 +17,17 @@ PLATFORM_CPPFLAGS += $(shell $(SDL_CONFIG) --cflags)
 endif
 
 cmd_u-boot__ = $(CC) -o $@ -Wl,-T u-boot.lds $(u-boot-init) \
-	-Wl,--start-group $(u-boot-main) -Wl,--end-group \
+	-Wl,--whole-archive \
+		$(u-boot-main) \
+	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(PLATFORM_LIBS) -Wl,-Map -Wl,u-boot.map
 
 cmd_u-boot-spl = (cd $(obj) && $(CC) -o $(SPL_BIN) -Wl,-T u-boot-spl.lds \
 	$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-init)) \
-	-Wl,--start-group $(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-main)) \
-	$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-platdata)) -Wl,--end-group \
+	-Wl,--whole-archive \
+		$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-main)) \
+		$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-platdata)) \
+	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(PLATFORM_LIBS) -Wl,-Map -Wl,u-boot-spl.map -Wl,--gc-sections)
 
 CONFIG_ARCH_DEVICE_TREE := sandbox
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index 705a886cb9..7e59ca54cd 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -331,12 +331,11 @@ $(sort $(subdir-obj-y)): $(subdir-ym) ;
 # Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .o file
 #
 ifdef builtin-target
-quiet_cmd_link_o_target = LD      $@
+quiet_cmd_link_o_target = AR      $@
 # If the list of objects to link is empty, just create an empty built-in.o
 cmd_link_o_target = $(if $(strip $(obj-y)),\
-		      $(LD) $(ld_flags) -r -o $@ $(filter $(obj-y), $^) \
-		      $(cmd_secanalysis),\
-		      rm -f $@; $(AR) rcs$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@)
+		      rm -f $@; $(AR) cDPrsT $@ $(filter $(obj-y), $^), \
+		      rm -f $@; $(AR) cDPrsT$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@)
 
 $(builtin-target): $(obj-y) FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,link_o_target)
@@ -362,7 +361,7 @@ $(modorder-target): $(subdir-ym) FORCE
 #
 ifdef lib-target
 quiet_cmd_link_l_target = AR      $@
-cmd_link_l_target = rm -f $@; $(AR) rcs$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@ $(lib-y)
+cmd_link_l_target = rm -f $@; $(AR) cDPrsT$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@ $(lib-y)
 
 $(lib-target): $(lib-y) FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,link_l_target)
@@ -382,10 +381,11 @@ $(filter $(addprefix $(obj)/,         \
 $($(subst $(obj)/,,$(@:.o=-objs)))    \
 $($(subst $(obj)/,,$(@:.o=-y)))), $^)
 
-quiet_cmd_link_multi-y = LD      $@
-cmd_link_multi-y = $(LD) $(ld_flags) -r -o $@ $(link_multi_deps) $(cmd_secanalysis)
 
-quiet_cmd_link_multi-m = LD [M]  $@
+quiet_cmd_link_multi-y = AR      $@
+cmd_link_multi-y = rm -f $@; $(AR) cDPrsT$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@ $(link_multi_deps)
+
+quiet_cmd_link_multi-m = AR [M]  $@
 cmd_link_multi-m = $(cmd_link_multi-y)
 
 $(multi-used-y): FORCE
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.spl b/scripts/Makefile.spl
index 92775fef54..ac2d2033ba 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.spl
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.spl
@@ -456,10 +456,10 @@ quiet_cmd_u-boot-spl ?= LD      $@
 		cd $(obj) &&						\
 		$(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS_$(@F))		\
 		$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-init))		\
-		--start-group						\
+		--whole-archive						\
 			$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-main))	\
 			$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%,$(u-boot-spl-platdata))	\
-		--end-group						\
+		--no-whole-archive					\
 		$(PLATFORM_LIBS) -Map $(SPL_BIN).map -o $(SPL_BIN)	\
 	)