diff --git a/compiler/aggas.pas b/compiler/aggas.pas
index ccec72eea6..6387aafd60 100644
--- a/compiler/aggas.pas
+++ b/compiler/aggas.pas
@@ -615,22 +615,26 @@ implementation
                  end
                else
                  begin
+                   { The .comm is required for COMMON symbols. These are used
+                     in the shared library loading. All the symbols declared in
+                     the .so file need to resolve to the data allocated in the main
+                     program (PFV) }
                    if Tai_datablock(hp).is_global then
                      begin
-                       asmwrite(#9'.globl ');
-                       asmwriteln(Tai_datablock(hp).sym.name);
-                     end;
-                   if (target_info.system <> system_arm_linux) then
-                     sepChar := '@'
+                       asmwrite(#9'.comm'#9);
+                       asmwrite(tai_datablock(hp).sym.name);
+                       asmwrite(','+tostr(tai_datablock(hp).size));
+                       asmwrite(','+tostr(last_align));
+                       asmwriteln('');
+                     end
                    else
-                     sepChar := '%';
-                   if (tf_needs_symbol_type in target_info.flags) then
-                     asmwriteln(#9'.type '+Tai_datablock(hp).sym.name+','+sepChar+'object');
-                   if (tf_needs_symbol_size in target_info.flags) and (tai_datablock(hp).size > 0) then
-                     asmwriteln(#9'.size '+Tai_datablock(hp).sym.name+','+tostr(Tai_datablock(hp).size));
-                   asmwrite(Tai_datablock(hp).sym.name);
-                   asmwriteln(':');
-                   asmwriteln(#9'.zero '+tostr(Tai_datablock(hp).size));
+                     begin
+                       asmwrite(#9'.lcomm'#9);
+                       asmwrite(tai_datablock(hp).sym.name);
+                       asmwrite(','+tostr(tai_datablock(hp).size));
+                       asmwrite(','+tostr(last_align));
+                       asmwriteln('');
+                     end;
                  end;
              end;
 
diff --git a/compiler/assemble.pas b/compiler/assemble.pas
index 352d023163..28e3b09bd9 100644
--- a/compiler/assemble.pas
+++ b/compiler/assemble.pas
@@ -276,7 +276,6 @@ Implementation
         end;
 
       var
-        dir : TSearchRec;
         hs  : string;
       begin
         if PathExists(s,false) then
@@ -713,6 +712,8 @@ Implementation
                     end;
                   hs[0]:=chr(len);
                   val(hs,exprvalue,code);
+                  if code<>0 then
+                    internalerror(200702251);
                 end;
               '.','_',
               'A'..'Z',
@@ -918,9 +919,14 @@ Implementation
                end;
              ait_datablock :
                begin
-                 ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
-                 ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym);
-                 ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                 if Tai_datablock(hp).is_global then
+                   ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym)
+                 else
+                   begin
+                     ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
+                     ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym);
+                     ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                   end;
                end;
              ait_real_80bit :
                ObjData.alloc(10);
@@ -979,10 +985,19 @@ Implementation
                begin
                  if (oso_data in ObjData.CurrObjSec.secoptions) then
                    Message(asmw_e_alloc_data_only_in_bss);
-                 ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
-                 objsym:=ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym);
-                 objsym.size:=Tai_datablock(hp).size;
-                 ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                 if Tai_datablock(hp).is_global then
+                   begin
+                     objsym:=ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym);
+                     objsym.size:=Tai_datablock(hp).size;
+                     objsym.bind:=AB_COMMON;
+                   end
+                 else
+                   begin
+                     ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
+                     objsym:=ObjData.SymbolDefine(Tai_datablock(hp).sym);
+                     objsym.size:=Tai_datablock(hp).size;
+                     ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                   end;
                end;
              ait_real_80bit :
                ObjData.alloc(10);
@@ -1074,9 +1089,12 @@ Implementation
                end;
              ait_datablock :
                begin
-                 ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
                  ObjOutput.exportsymbol(ObjData.SymbolRef(Tai_datablock(hp).sym));
-                 ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                 if not Tai_datablock(hp).is_global then
+                   begin
+                     ObjData.allocalign(used_align(size_2_align(Tai_datablock(hp).size),0,ObjData.CurrObjSec.secalign));
+                     ObjData.alloc(Tai_datablock(hp).size);
+                   end;
                end;
              ait_real_80bit :
                ObjData.writebytes(Tai_real_80bit(hp).value,10);