--- old/src/hotspot/share/utilities/elfFile.cpp	2018-02-15 12:29:53.739953573 -0500
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/utilities/elfFile.cpp	2018-02-15 12:29:53.540953990 -0500
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@
   }
 }
 
-ElfFile::ElfFile(const char* filepath) :
+ElfFile::ElfFile(const char* filepath, bool load_debug_info) :
   _string_tables(NULL), _symbol_tables(NULL), _funcDesc_table(NULL),
-  _next(NULL), _status(NullDecoder::no_error),
+  _next(NULL), _status(NullDecoder::no_error), _debuginfo(NULL),
   _shdr_string_table(NULL),  _file(NULL), _filepath(NULL) {
   memset(&_elfHdr, 0, sizeof(_elfHdr));
 
@@ -121,10 +121,22 @@
 
   _status = parse_elf(filepath);
 
-  // we no longer need section header string table
-  if (_shdr_string_table != NULL) {
-    delete _shdr_string_table;
-    _shdr_string_table = NULL;
+  // See if we should try to load external debug info
+  if (_status == NullDecoder::no_debug_symbols && load_debug_info) {
+    log_debug(decoder)("No debug symbols in %s, trying external debuginfo", _filepath);
+    _debuginfo = load_debuginfo();
+  }
+
+  if (NullDecoder::is_error(_status)) {
+    // Not be able to decode, cleanup
+    cleanup_tables();
+  } else {
+    log_debug(decoder)("%s contains debug symbols", _filepath);
+    // No longer need section header string table, which is not used for decoding
+    if (_shdr_string_table != NULL) {
+      delete _shdr_string_table;
+      _shdr_string_table = NULL;
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -201,6 +213,9 @@
     return NullDecoder::file_invalid;
   }
 
+  // test if the file contains debug symbols
+  NullDecoder::decoder_status stat = NullDecoder::no_debug_symbols;
+
   // walk elf file's section headers, and load string tables
   Elf_Shdr shdr;
   if (!freader.set_position(_elfHdr.e_shoff)) {
@@ -230,6 +245,10 @@
       if (table == NULL) {
         return NullDecoder::out_of_memory;
       }
+      // see if we have debug symbols
+      if (shdr.sh_type == SHT_SYMTAB) {
+        stat = NullDecoder::no_error;
+      }
       add_symbol_table(table);
     }
   }
@@ -255,7 +274,7 @@
       return NullDecoder::out_of_memory;
   }
 #endif
-  return NullDecoder::no_error;
+  return stat;
 }
 
 int ElfFile::section_by_name(const char* name, Elf_Shdr& hdr) {
@@ -288,6 +307,14 @@
 }
 
 bool ElfFile::decode(address addr, char* buf, int buflen, int* offset) {
+  if (_debuginfo != NULL) {
+    return _debuginfo->decode(addr, buf, buflen, offset);
+  } else {
+    return decode_impl(addr, buf, buflen, offset);
+  }
+}
+
+bool ElfFile::decode_impl(address addr, char* buf, int buflen, int* offset) {
   // something already went wrong, just give up
   if (NullDecoder::is_error(_status)) {
     return false;