diff --git a/grub-core/kern/dl.c b/grub-core/kern/dl.c
index 59a6ef4ca..e394cd96f 100644
--- a/grub-core/kern/dl.c
+++ b/grub-core/kern/dl.c
@@ -333,8 +333,11 @@ grub_dl_resolve_symbols (grub_dl_t mod, Elf_Ehdr *e)
     if (s->sh_type == SHT_SYMTAB)
       break;
 
+  /* Module without symbol table may still be used to pull in dependencies.
+     We verify at build time that such modules do not contain any relocations
+     that may reference symbol table. */
   if (i == e->e_shnum)
-    return grub_error (GRUB_ERR_BAD_MODULE, N_("no symbol table"));
+    return GRUB_ERR_NONE;
 
 #ifdef GRUB_MODULES_MACHINE_READONLY
   mod->symtab = grub_malloc (s->sh_size);
@@ -576,6 +579,9 @@ grub_dl_relocate_symbols (grub_dl_t mod, void *ehdr)
 
 	if (seg)
 	  {
+	    if (!mod->symtab)
+	      return grub_error (GRUB_ERR_BAD_MODULE, "relocation without symbol table");
+
 	    err = grub_arch_dl_relocate_symbols (mod, ehdr, s, seg);
 	    if (err)
 	      return err;
diff --git a/util/grub-module-verifierXX.c b/util/grub-module-verifierXX.c
index f612d51f3..9c04caa63 100644
--- a/util/grub-module-verifierXX.c
+++ b/util/grub-module-verifierXX.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ get_symtab (const struct grub_module_verifier_arch *arch, Elf_Ehdr *e, Elf_Word
       break;
 
   if (i == grub_target_to_host16 (e->e_shnum))
-    grub_util_error ("no symbol table");
+    return NULL;
 
   sym = (Elf_Sym *) ((char *) e + grub_target_to_host (s->sh_offset));
   *size = grub_target_to_host (s->sh_size);
@@ -191,7 +191,21 @@ check_symbols (const struct grub_module_verifier_arch *arch, Elf_Ehdr *e)
   Elf_Word size, entsize;
   unsigned i;
 
+  /* Module without symbol table and without .moddeps section is useless
+     at boot time, so catch it early to prevent build errors */
   sym = get_symtab (arch, e, &size, &entsize);
+  if (!sym)
+    {
+      Elf_Shdr *s = find_section (arch, e, ".moddeps");
+
+      if (!s)
+	grub_util_error ("no symbol table and no .moddeps section");
+
+      if (!s->sh_size)
+	grub_util_error ("no symbol table and empty .moddeps section");
+
+      return;
+    }
 
   for (i = 0;
        i < size / entsize;
@@ -243,6 +257,8 @@ section_check_relocations (const struct grub_module_verifier_arch *arch, void *e
   Elf_Word symtabsize, symtabentsize;
 
   symtab = get_symtab (arch, ehdr, &symtabsize, &symtabentsize);
+  if (!symtab)
+    grub_util_error ("relocation without symbol table");
 
   for (rel = (Elf_Rel *) ((char *) ehdr + grub_target_to_host (s->sh_offset)),
 	 max = (Elf_Rel *) ((char *) rel + grub_target_to_host (s->sh_size));