diff --git a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
index 22b58bf0f5735..0a70a8a7c5b28 100644
--- a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
@@ -8577,6 +8577,35 @@ Example:
 The ``nofree`` metadata indicates the memory pointed by the pointer will not be
 freed after the attached instruction.
 
+'``implicit.ref``' Metadata
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The ``implicit.ref`` metadata may be attached to a function or global variable
+definition with a single argument that references a global object.
+This is typically used when there is some implicit dependence between the
+symbols that is otherwise opaque to the linker. One such example is metadata
+which is accessed by a runtime with associated ``__start_<section_name>`` and
+``__stop_<section_name>`` symbols.
+
+It does not have any effect on non-XCOFF targets.
+
+This metadata lowers to the .ref assembly directive which will add a relocation
+representing an implicit reference from the section the global belongs to, to
+the associated symbol. This link will keep the referenced symbol alive if the
+section is not garbage collected. More than one ref node can be attached
+to the same function or global variable.
+
+
+Example:
+
+.. code-block:: text
+
+    @a = global i32 1
+    @b = global i32 2
+    @c = global i32 3, section "abc", !implicit.ref !0, !implicit.ref !1
+    !0 = !{ptr @a}
+    !1 = !{ptr @b}
+
 
 Module Flags Metadata
 =====================
diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
index 0603abcd6a4da..c7d8aea878025 100644
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/FixedMetadataKinds.def
@@ -56,3 +56,4 @@ LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_noalias_addrspace, "noalias.addrspace", 41)
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_callee_type, "callee_type", 42)
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_nofree, "nofree", 43)
 LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_captures, "captures", 44)
+LLVM_FIXED_MD_KIND(MD_implicit_ref, "implicit.ref", 45)
diff --git a/llvm/lib/IR/Verifier.cpp b/llvm/lib/IR/Verifier.cpp
index 6b3cd27b77a7a..c9eff85e0b3ea 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/IR/Verifier.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/IR/Verifier.cpp
@@ -769,6 +769,31 @@ void Verifier::visitGlobalValue(const GlobalValue &GV) {
                               DL.getIntPtrType(GO->getType()),
                               RangeLikeMetadataKind::AbsoluteSymbol);
     }
+
+    if (GO->hasMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_implicit_ref)) {
+      Check(!GO->isDeclaration(),
+            "ref metadata must not be placed on a declaration", GO);
+
+      SmallVector<MDNode *> MDs;
+      GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_implicit_ref, MDs);
+      for (const MDNode *MD : MDs) {
+        Check(MD->getNumOperands() == 1, "ref metadata must have one operand",
+              &GV, MD);
+        const Metadata *Op = MD->getOperand(0).get();
+        const auto *VM = dyn_cast_or_null<ValueAsMetadata>(Op);
+        Check(VM, "ref metadata must be ValueAsMetadata", GO, MD);
+        if (VM) {
+          Check(isa<PointerType>(VM->getValue()->getType()),
+                "ref value must be pointer typed", GV, MD);
+
+          const Value *Stripped = VM->getValue()->stripPointerCastsAndAliases();
+          Check(isa<GlobalObject>(Stripped) || isa<Constant>(Stripped),
+                "ref metadata must point to a GlobalObject", GO, Stripped);
+          Check(Stripped != GO, "values should not reference themselves", GO,
+                MD);
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   Check(!GV.hasAppendingLinkage() || isa<GlobalVariable>(GV),
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Target/PowerPC/PPCAsmPrinter.cpp b/llvm/lib/Target/PowerPC/PPCAsmPrinter.cpp
index 023fd147535ec..5e5c3344d2517 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Target/PowerPC/PPCAsmPrinter.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Target/PowerPC/PPCAsmPrinter.cpp
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ class PPCAIXAsmPrinter : public PPCAsmPrinter {
   void emitTTypeReference(const GlobalValue *GV, unsigned Encoding) override;
 
   void emitModuleCommandLines(Module &M) override;
+
+  void emitRefMetadata(const GlobalObject *);
 };
 
 } // end anonymous namespace
@@ -2797,6 +2799,10 @@ void PPCAIXAsmPrinter::emitGlobalVariableHelper(const GlobalVariable *GV) {
   // Switch to the containing csect.
   OutStreamer->switchSection(Csect);
 
+  if (GV->hasMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_implicit_ref)) {
+    emitRefMetadata(GV);
+  }
+
   const DataLayout &DL = GV->getDataLayout();
 
   // Handle common and zero-initialized local symbols.
@@ -2889,10 +2895,16 @@ void PPCAIXAsmPrinter::emitFunctionEntryLabel() {
   if (!TM.getFunctionSections() || MF->getFunction().hasSection())
     PPCAsmPrinter::emitFunctionEntryLabel();
 
+  const Function *F = &MF->getFunction();
+
   // Emit aliasing label for function entry point label.
-  for (const GlobalAlias *Alias : GOAliasMap[&MF->getFunction()])
+  for (const GlobalAlias *Alias : GOAliasMap[F])
     OutStreamer->emitLabel(
         getObjFileLowering().getFunctionEntryPointSymbol(Alias, TM));
+
+  if (F->hasMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_implicit_ref)) {
+    emitRefMetadata(F);
+  }
 }
 
 void PPCAIXAsmPrinter::emitPGORefs(Module &M) {
@@ -3332,6 +3344,19 @@ void PPCAIXAsmPrinter::emitTTypeReference(const GlobalValue *GV,
     OutStreamer->emitIntValue(0, GetSizeOfEncodedValue(Encoding));
 }
 
+void PPCAIXAsmPrinter::emitRefMetadata(const GlobalObject *GO) {
+  SmallVector<MDNode *> MDs;
+  GO->getMetadata(LLVMContext::MD_implicit_ref, MDs);
+  assert(MDs.size() && "Expected asscoiated metadata nodes");
+
+  for (const MDNode *MD : MDs) {
+    const ValueAsMetadata *VAM = cast<ValueAsMetadata>(MD->getOperand(0).get());
+    const GlobalValue *GV = cast<GlobalValue>(VAM->getValue());
+    MCSymbol *Referenced = TM.getSymbol(GV);
+    OutStreamer->emitXCOFFRefDirective(Referenced);
+  }
+}
+
 // Return a pass that prints the PPC assembly code for a MachineFunction to the
 // given output stream.
 static AsmPrinter *
diff --git a/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-func-ref.ll b/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-func-ref.ll
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5cb0575f370e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-func-ref.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff < %s | \
+; RUN: FileCheck %s -check-prefixes=NOFSECTS,CHECK
+
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff --function-sections < %s | \
+; RUN: FileCheck %s -check-prefixes=FSECTS,CHECK
+
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff -filetype=obj -o %t.o < %s
+; RUN: llvm-objdump -D -r --symbol-description %t.o | FileCheck -check-prefix=OBJ %s
+
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff --function-sections -filetype=obj -o %t.o < %s
+; RUN: llvm-objdump -D -r --symbol-description %t.o | FileCheck -check-prefix=FSECTOBJ %s
+
+@a = global i32 1
+@b = global i32 2
+@c = global i32 3
+
+define i32 @foo() !implicit.ref !0 {
+  ret i32 0
+}
+
+define i32 @bar() !implicit.ref !1 !implicit.ref !2 {
+  ret i32 0
+}
+
+!0 = !{ptr @a}
+!1 = !{ptr @b}
+!2 = !{ptr @c}
+
+; NOFSECTS:  .foo:
+; FSECTS:    .csect .foo[PR]
+; CHECK:       .ref a[RW]
+
+; NOFSECTS:  .bar:
+; FSECTS:    .csect .bar[PR]
+; CHECK:       .ref b[RW]
+; CHECK:       .ref c[RW]
+
+; OBJ: Disassembly of section .text:
+; OBJ: .foo:
+; OBJ:   li 3, 0
+; OBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} a[RW]
+; OBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} b[RW]
+; OBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} c[RW]
+; OBJ:   blr
+; OBJ: .bar
+
+; FSECTOBJ: .foo[PR]:
+; FSECTOBJ:   li 3, 0
+; FSECTOBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} a[RW]
+; FSECTOBJ:   blr
+; FSECTOBJ: .bar[PR]:
+; FSECTOBJ:   li 3, 0
+; FSECTOBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} b[RW]
+; FSECTOBJ:   R_REF {{.*}} c[RW]
+; FSECTOBJ:   blr
diff --git a/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-ref-metadata.ll b/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-ref-metadata.ll
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7dc9466a7ba9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/CodeGen/PowerPC/aix-ref-metadata.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff < %s | FileCheck %s
+; RUN: llc -data-sections=false -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff < %s | FileCheck -check-prefix=NODATA %s
+
+; RUN: llc -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff -filetype=obj -o %t.o < %s
+; RUN: llvm-objdump -D -r --symbol-description %t.o | FileCheck -check-prefix=OBJ %s
+
+; RUN: llc -data-sections=false -verify-machineinstrs -mtriple powerpc-ibm-aix-xcoff -filetype=obj -o %t.o < %s
+; RUN: llvm-objdump -D -r --symbol-description %t.o | FileCheck -check-prefix=OBJ-NODATA %s
+
+@a = global i32 1
+@b = global i32 2
+@c = global i32 3, section "custom_section_c"
+@d = global i32 4, !implicit.ref !0
+@e = constant i32 5, !implicit.ref !1, !implicit.ref!2
+@f = global i32 6, section "custom_section_f", !implicit.ref !1
+
+
+!0 = !{ptr @a}
+!1 = !{ptr @b}
+!2 = !{ptr @c}
+
+; CHECK: .csect d[RW]
+; CHECK: .ref a[RW]
+
+; CHECK: .csect e[RO]
+; CHECK: .ref b[RW]
+; CHECK: .ref c
+
+; CHECK: .csect custom_section_f[RW]
+; CHECK: .ref b[RW]
+
+; NODATA:      .csect .data[RW]
+; NODATA-NOT:  .csect
+; NODATA:      .globl a
+; NODATA-NOT:  .csect
+; NODATA:      .globl b
+; NODATA:      .csect custom_section_c[RW]
+; NODATA:      .globl c
+; NODATA:      .csect .data[RW]
+; NODATA:      .ref a
+; NODATA:      .globl d
+; NODATA:      .csect .rodata[RO]
+; NODATA:      .ref b
+; NODATA:      .ref c
+; NODATA:      .globl e
+; NODATA:      .csect custom_section_f[RW]
+; NODATA:      .ref b
+; NODATA:      .globl f
+
+; OBJ: Disassembly of section .text:
+
+; OBJ:   e[RO]:
+; OBJ:     R_REF {{.*}} b[RW]
+; OBJ:     R_REF {{.*}} c
+
+; OBJ: Disassembly of section .data:
+; OBJ:   a[RW]:
+; OBJ:   b[RW]:
+; OBJ:   c:
+; OBJ:   d[RW]:
+; OBJ:     R_REF {{.*}} a[RW]
+; OBJ:   f:
+; OBJ:     R_REF {{.*}} b[RW]
+
+; OBJ-NODATA: Disassembly of section .text:
+; OBJ-NODATA:   e:
+; OBJ-NODATA:     R_REF {{.*}} b
+; OBJ-NODATA:     R_REF {{.*}} c
+
+; OBJ-NODATA: Disassembly of section .data:
+; OBJ-NODATA:   a:
+; OBJ-NODATA:     R_REF {{.*}} a
+; OBJ-NODATA:   b:
+; OBJ-NODATA:   d:
+; OBJ-NODATA:   c:
+; OBJ-NODATA:   f:
+; OBJ-NODATA:     R_REF {{.*}} b
diff --git a/llvm/test/Verifier/ref-func.ll b/llvm/test/Verifier/ref-func.ll
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e3cddbb5ee20f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/Verifier/ref-func.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+; RUN: llvm-as < %s -o /dev/null 2>&1
+
+@a = global i32 1
+@b = global i32 2
+@c = global i32 3, !implicit.ref !0
+
+define i32 @foo() !implicit.ref !1 {
+  ret i32 0
+}
+
+!0 = !{ptr @a}
+!1 = !{ptr @b}
diff --git a/llvm/test/Verifier/ref.ll b/llvm/test/Verifier/ref.ll
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..58e195320583e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/Verifier/ref.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+; RUN: not llvm-as -disable-output < %s -o /dev/null 2>&1 | FileCheck %s
+
+@a = global i32 1, !implicit.ref !0
+@b = global i32 2, !implicit.ref !1
+@c = global i32 3, !implicit.ref !1, !implicit.ref !2
+@d = global i32 4, !implicit.ref !3
+@e = external global i32, !implicit.ref !1
+
+!0 = !{i32 1}
+!1 = !{ptr @b}
+!2 = !{!"Hello World!"}
+!3 = !{ptr @c, ptr @a}
+
+; CHECK: ref value must be pointer typed
+; CHECK: ptr @a
+; CHECK: !0 = !{i32 1}
+
+; CHECK: values should not reference themselves
+; CHECK: ptr @b
+; CHECK: !1 = !{ptr @b}
+
+; CHECK: ref metadata must be ValueAsMetadata
+; CHECK: ptr @c
+; CHECK: !2 = !{!"Hello World!"}
+
+; CHECK: ref metadata must have one operand
+; CHECK: ptr @d
+; CHECK: !3 = !{ptr @c, ptr @a}
+
+; CHECK: ref metadata must not be placed on a declaration
+; CHECK: @e