diff --git a/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.cpp b/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.cpp
index 4427a12008680..550659464a440 100644
--- a/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.cpp
@@ -2872,7 +2872,8 @@ createSymbols(
 }
 
 // Returns a newly-created .gdb_index section.
-template <class ELFT> GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create() {
+template <class ELFT>
+std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> GdbIndexSection::create() {
   llvm::TimeTraceScope timeScope("Create gdb index");
 
   // Collect InputFiles with .debug_info. See the comment in
@@ -2918,7 +2919,7 @@ template <class ELFT> GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create() {
     nameAttrs[i] = readPubNamesAndTypes<ELFT>(dobj, chunks[i].compilationUnits);
   });
 
-  auto *ret = make<GdbIndexSection>();
+  auto ret = std::make_unique<GdbIndexSection>();
   ret->chunks = std::move(chunks);
   std::tie(ret->symbols, ret->size) = createSymbols(nameAttrs, ret->chunks);
 
@@ -3860,6 +3861,7 @@ void InStruct::reset() {
   ppc32Got2.reset();
   ibtPlt.reset();
   relaPlt.reset();
+  gdbIndex.reset();
   shStrTab.reset();
   strTab.reset();
   symTab.reset();
@@ -3986,10 +3988,10 @@ InStruct elf::in;
 std::vector<Partition> elf::partitions;
 Partition *elf::mainPart;
 
-template GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create<ELF32LE>();
-template GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create<ELF32BE>();
-template GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create<ELF64LE>();
-template GdbIndexSection *GdbIndexSection::create<ELF64BE>();
+template std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> GdbIndexSection::create<ELF32LE>();
+template std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> GdbIndexSection::create<ELF32BE>();
+template std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> GdbIndexSection::create<ELF64LE>();
+template std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> GdbIndexSection::create<ELF64BE>();
 
 template void elf::splitSections<ELF32LE>();
 template void elf::splitSections<ELF32BE>();
diff --git a/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.h b/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.h
index 7490fb61fb6f1..68b4cdb1dde04 100644
--- a/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.h
+++ b/lld/ELF/SyntheticSections.h
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ class GdbIndexSection final : public SyntheticSection {
   };
 
   GdbIndexSection();
-  template <typename ELFT> static GdbIndexSection *create();
+  template <typename ELFT> static std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> create();
   void writeTo(uint8_t *buf) override;
   size_t getSize() const override { return size; }
   bool isNeeded() const override;
@@ -1359,6 +1359,8 @@ struct InStruct {
   std::unique_ptr<PPC32Got2Section> ppc32Got2;
   std::unique_ptr<IBTPltSection> ibtPlt;
   std::unique_ptr<RelocationBaseSection> relaPlt;
+  // Non-SHF_ALLOC sections
+  std::unique_ptr<GdbIndexSection> gdbIndex;
   std::unique_ptr<StringTableSection> shStrTab;
   std::unique_ptr<StringTableSection> strTab;
   std::unique_ptr<SymbolTableBaseSection> symTab;
diff --git a/lld/ELF/Writer.cpp b/lld/ELF/Writer.cpp
index fc9084f40044d..021b9bb0d5e22 100644
--- a/lld/ELF/Writer.cpp
+++ b/lld/ELF/Writer.cpp
@@ -541,9 +541,6 @@ template <class ELFT> void elf::createSyntheticSections() {
       in.got->hasGotOffRel = true;
   }
 
-  if (config->gdbIndex)
-    add(*GdbIndexSection::create<ELFT>());
-
   // We always need to add rel[a].plt to output if it has entries.
   // Even for static linking it can contain R_[*]_IRELATIVE relocations.
   in.relaPlt = std::make_unique<RelocationSection<ELFT>>(
@@ -568,6 +565,11 @@ template <class ELFT> void elf::createSyntheticSections() {
   if (config->andFeatures || !ctx.aarch64PauthAbiCoreInfo.empty())
     add(*make<GnuPropertySection>());
 
+  if (config->gdbIndex) {
+    in.gdbIndex = GdbIndexSection::create<ELFT>();
+    add(*in.gdbIndex);
+  }
+
   // .note.GNU-stack is always added when we are creating a re-linkable
   // object file. Other linkers are using the presence of this marker
   // section to control the executable-ness of the stack area, but that