diff --git a/gdb/Makefile.in b/gdb/Makefile.in
index 17b71c6e7c..0a4a06b242 100644
--- a/gdb/Makefile.in
+++ b/gdb/Makefile.in
@@ -1770,6 +1770,15 @@ install-only: $(CONFIG_INSTALL)
 		  $(INSTALL_SCRIPT) gcore \
 			  $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/$$transformed_name; \
 	fi
+	transformed_name=`t='$(program_transform_name)'; \
+			  echo gdb-add-index | sed -e "$$t"` ; \
+	if test "x$$transformed_name" = x; then \
+	  transformed_name=gdb-add-index ; \
+	else \
+	  true ; \
+	fi ; \
+	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) $(srcdir)/contrib/gdb-add-index.sh \
+		$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/$$transformed_name$(EXEEXT)
 	@$(MAKE) DO=install "DODIRS=$(SUBDIRS)" $(FLAGS_TO_PASS) subdir_do
 
 install-strip:
diff --git a/gdb/doc/Makefile.in b/gdb/doc/Makefile.in
index eafadee899..0323bc4ecb 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/Makefile.in
+++ b/gdb/doc/Makefile.in
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ POD2MAN5 = pod2man --center="GNU Development Tools" \
 		   --release="gdb-`sed q version.subst`" --section=5
 
 # List of man pages generated from gdb.texi
-MAN1S = gdb.1 gdbserver.1 gcore.1
+MAN1S = gdb.1 gdbserver.1 gcore.1 gdb-add-index.1
 MAN5S = gdbinit.5
 MANS = $(MAN1S) $(MAN5S)
 
@@ -633,6 +633,13 @@ gcore.1: $(GDB_DOC_FILES)
 		mv -f $@.T$$$$ $@) || (rm -f $@.T$$$$ && exit 1)
 	rm -f gcore.pod
 
+gdb-add-index.1: $(GDB_DOC_FILES)
+	touch $@
+	-$(TEXI2POD) $(MANCONF) -Dgdb-add-index < $(srcdir)/gdb.texinfo > gdb-add-index.pod
+	-($(POD2MAN1) gdb-add-index.pod | sed -e '/^.if n .na/d' > $@.T$$$$ && \
+		mv -f $@.T$$$$ $@) || (rm -f $@.T$$$$ && exit 1)
+	rm -f gdb-add-index.pod
+
 gdbinit.5: $(GDB_DOC_FILES)
 	touch $@
 	-$(TEXI2POD) $(MANCONF) -Dgdbinit < $(srcdir)/gdb.texinfo > gdbinit.pod
diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
index dba2fa766a..894ac6095f 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
+++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
@@ -19712,6 +19712,17 @@ on.  For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
 startup.
 
+For convenience, @value{GDBN} comes with a program,
+@command{gdb-add-index}, which can be used to add the index to a
+symbol file.  It takes the symbol file as its only argument:
+
+@smallexample
+$ gdb-add-index symfile
+@end smallexample
+
+It is also possible to do the work manually.  Here is what
+@command{gdb-add-index} does behind the curtains.
+
 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file.  @value{GDBN} can
 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
 using @command{objcopy}.
@@ -42750,6 +42761,7 @@ switch (die->tag)
 * gdbserver man::               Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
 * gcore man::                   Generate a core file of a running program
 * gdbinit man::                 gdbinit scripts
+* gdb-add-index man::           Add index files to speed up GDB
 @end menu
 
 @node gdb man
@@ -43426,6 +43438,59 @@ Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
 @end ifset
 @c man end
 
+@node gdb-add-index man
+@heading gdb-add-index
+
+@c man title gdb-add-index Add index files to speed up GDB
+
+@c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb-add-index
+gdb-add-index @var{filename}
+@c man end
+
+@c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb-add-index
+When GDB finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the file in order
+to construct an internal symbol table.  This lets most GDB operations
+work quickly--at the cost of a delay early on.  For large programs,
+this delay can be quite lengthy, so GDB provides a way to build an
+index, which speeds up startup.
+
+To determine whether a file contains such an index, use the command
+@command{readelf -S filename}: the index is stored in a section named
+@code{.gdb_index}.  Note that the index is never generated for files that do
+not contain DWARF debug information (sections named @code{.debug_*}).
+
+@command{gdb-add-index} uses @value{GDBN} and @command{objdump} found
+in the @code{PATH} environment variable.  If you want to use different
+versions of these programs, you can specify them through the
+@code{GDB} and @code{OBJDUMP} environment variables.
+
+See more in
+@ifset man
+the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Index Files}
+-- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Index Files'}.
+@end ifset
+@ifclear man
+@ref{Index Files}.
+@end ifclear
+@c man end
+
+@c man begin SEEALSO gdb-add-index
+@ifset man
+The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
+If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
+documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
+
+@smallexample
+info gdb
+@end smallexample
+
+should give you access to the complete manual.
+
+@cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
+Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
+@end ifset
+@c man end
+
 @include gpl.texi
 
 @node GNU Free Documentation License
