diff --git a/stand/common/load_elf.c b/stand/common/load_elf.c
--- a/stand/common/load_elf.c
+++ b/stand/common/load_elf.c
@@ -838,7 +838,6 @@
 	if (module_verbose > MODULE_VERBOSE_SILENT)
 		printf("\n");
 
-	ret = lastaddr - firstaddr;
 	fp->f_addr = firstaddr;
 
 	php = NULL;
@@ -901,25 +900,28 @@
 			break;
 		}
 	}
-	if (ef->hashtab == NULL || ef->symtab == NULL ||
-	    ef->strtab == NULL || ef->strsz == 0)
-		goto out;
-	COPYOUT(ef->hashtab, &ef->nbuckets, sizeof(ef->nbuckets));
-	COPYOUT(ef->hashtab + 1, &ef->nchains, sizeof(ef->nchains));
-	ef->buckets = ef->hashtab + 2;
-	ef->chains = ef->buckets + ef->nbuckets;
-
-	if (__elfN(lookup_symbol)(ef, "__start_set_modmetadata_set", &sym,
-	    STT_NOTYPE) != 0)
-		return 0;
-	p_start = sym.st_value + ef->off;
-	if (__elfN(lookup_symbol)(ef, "__stop_set_modmetadata_set", &sym,
-	    STT_NOTYPE) != 0)
-		return 0;
-	p_end = sym.st_value + ef->off;
+	if (ef->hashtab != NULL && ef->symtab != NULL &&
+	    ef->strtab != NULL && ef->strsz != 0) {
+		COPYOUT(ef->hashtab, &ef->nbuckets, sizeof(ef->nbuckets));
+		COPYOUT(ef->hashtab + 1, &ef->nchains, sizeof(ef->nchains));
+		ef->buckets = ef->hashtab + 2;
+		ef->chains = ef->buckets + ef->nbuckets;
+	}
 
-	if (__elfN(parse_modmetadata)(fp, ef, p_start, p_end) == 0)
-		goto out;
+	/* Don't emit a warning if there is no symbol table. */
+	if (ef->buckets != 0 && __elfN(lookup_symbol)(ef,
+	    "__start_set_modmetadata_set", &sym, STT_NOTYPE) == 0) {
+		p_start = sym.st_value + ef->off;
+		if (__elfN(lookup_symbol)(ef, "__stop_set_modmetadata_set",
+		    &sym, STT_NOTYPE) != 0)
+			goto out;
+		p_end = sym.st_value + ef->off;
+
+		if (__elfN(parse_modmetadata)(fp, ef, p_start, p_end) != 0)
+			goto out;
+	}
+
+	ret = lastaddr - firstaddr;
 
 out:
 	if (dp)