diff --git a/gcc/btfout.cc b/gcc/btfout.cc
index a5e0d640e19..db4f1084f85 100644
--- a/gcc/btfout.cc
+++ b/gcc/btfout.cc
@@ -486,7 +486,15 @@ btf_collect_datasec (ctf_container_ref ctfc)
 
       /* Mark extern variables.  */
       if (DECL_EXTERNAL (node->decl))
-	dvd->dvd_visibility = BTF_VAR_GLOBAL_EXTERN;
+	{
+	  dvd->dvd_visibility = BTF_VAR_GLOBAL_EXTERN;
+
+	  /* PR112849: avoid assuming a section for extern decls without
+	     an explicit section, which would result in incorrectly
+	     emitting a BTF_KIND_DATASEC entry for them.  */
+	  if (node->get_section () == NULL)
+	    continue;
+	}
 
       const char *section_name = get_section_name (node);
       if (section_name == NULL)
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.dg/debug/btf/btf-datasec-3.c b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.dg/debug/btf/btf-datasec-3.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..297340cabfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.dg/debug/btf/btf-datasec-3.c
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/* PR debug/112849
+   Test that we do not incorrectly create BTF_KIND_DATASEC entries for
+   extern decls with no known section.  */
+
+/* { dg-do compile } */
+/* { dg-options "-O0 -gbtf -dA" } */
+
+extern int VERSION __attribute__((section (".version")));
+
+extern int test_bss1;
+extern int test_data1;
+
+int test_bss2;
+int test_data2 = 2;
+
+int
+foo (void)
+{
+  test_bss2 = VERSION;
+  return test_bss1 + test_data1 + test_data2;
+}
+
+/* There should be 3 DATASEC entries total.  Of the extern decls, only VERSION
+   has a known section; entries are not created for the other two.  */
+/* { dg-final { scan-assembler-times "bts_type" 3 } } */
+/* { dg-final { scan-assembler-times "bts_type: \\(BTF_KIND_VAR 'test_data2'\\)" 1 } } */
+/* { dg-final { scan-assembler-times "bts_type: \\(BTF_KIND_VAR 'test_bss2'\\)" 1 } } */
+/* { dg-final { scan-assembler-times "bts_type: \\(BTF_KIND_VAR 'VERSION'\\)" 1 } } */