diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
index a068622..f2910e1 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
+++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
@@ -1032,6 +1032,14 @@ Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
 
+@item --readnever
+@cindex @code{--readnever}
+Do not read each symbol file's symbolic debug information.  This makes
+startup faster but at the expense of not being able to perform
+symbolic debugging.
+
+This option is currently limited to debug information in DWARF format.
+For all other format, this option has no effect.
 @end table
 
 @node Mode Options
diff --git a/gdb/dwarf2read.c b/gdb/dwarf2read.c
index 6658a38..b34b06f 100644
--- a/gdb/dwarf2read.c
+++ b/gdb/dwarf2read.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 #include "filestuff.h"
 #include "build-id.h"
 #include "namespace.h"
+#include "top.h"
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -2062,6 +2063,9 @@ int
 dwarf2_has_info (struct objfile *objfile,
                  const struct dwarf2_debug_sections *names)
 {
+  if (readnever_symbol_files)
+    return 0;
+
   dwarf2_per_objfile = ((struct dwarf2_per_objfile *)
 			objfile_data (objfile, dwarf2_objfile_data_key));
   if (!dwarf2_per_objfile)
diff --git a/gdb/main.c b/gdb/main.c
index 5477379..3e8701b 100644
--- a/gdb/main.c
+++ b/gdb/main.c
@@ -601,6 +601,7 @@ captured_main (void *data)
       {"tui", no_argument, 0, OPT_TUI},
       {"dbx", no_argument, &dbx_commands, 1},
       {"readnow", no_argument, &readnow_symbol_files, 1},
+      {"readnever", no_argument, &readnever_symbol_files, 1},
       {"r", no_argument, &readnow_symbol_files, 1},
       {"quiet", no_argument, &quiet, 1},
       {"q", no_argument, &quiet, 1},
@@ -1199,6 +1200,9 @@ Selection of debuggee and its files:\n\n\
   --se=FILE          Use FILE as symbol file and executable file.\n\
   --symbols=SYMFILE  Read symbols from SYMFILE.\n\
   --readnow          Fully read symbol files on first access.\n\
+  --readnever        Do not read symbol files.\n\
+                     There is currently a known limitation that this only\n\
+                     has an effect on symbol files provided in DWARF format.\n\
   --write            Set writing into executable and core files.\n\n\
 "), stream);
   fputs_unfiltered (_("\
diff --git a/gdb/symfile.c b/gdb/symfile.c
index d29e96c..bbc2c24 100644
--- a/gdb/symfile.c
+++ b/gdb/symfile.c
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ static void clear_symtab_users_cleanup (void *ignore);
 
 /* Global variables owned by this file.  */
 int readnow_symbol_files;	/* Read full symbols immediately.  */
+int readnever_symbol_files;	/* Never read full symbols.  */
 
 /* Functions this file defines.  */
 
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.c b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..803a554
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/* Copyright 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+void
+fun_three (void)
+{
+  /* Do nothing.  */
+}
+
+void
+fun_two (void)
+{
+  fun_three ();
+}
+
+void
+fun_one (void)
+{
+  fun_two ();
+}
+
+int
+main (void)
+{
+  fun_one ();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.exp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5bf31a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/readnever.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# Copyright 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+# This file is part of the gdb testsuite.  It is intended to test that
+# gdb can correctly print arrays with indexes for each element of the
+# array.
+
+standard_testfile .c
+
+if { [gdb_compile "${srcdir}/${subdir}/${srcfile}" "${binfile}" executable {debug}] != "" } {
+    untested "Couldn't compile ${srcfile}"
+    return -1
+}
+
+set saved_gdbflags $GDBFLAGS
+set GDBFLAGS "$GDBFLAGS --readnever"
+clean_restart ${binfile}
+set GDBFLAGS $saved_gdbflags
+
+
+if ![runto_main] then {
+    perror "couldn't run to breakpoint"
+    continue
+}
+
+gdb_test "break fun_three" \
+         "Breakpoint $decimal at $hex"
+
+gdb_test "continue" \
+         "Breakpoint $decimal, $hex in fun_three \\(\\)"
+
+gdb_test "backtrace" \
+         [multi_line "#0  $hex in fun_three \\(\\)" \
+                     "#1  $hex in fun_two \\(\\)" \
+                     "#2  $hex in fun_one \\(\\)" \
+                     "#3  $hex in main \\(\\)" ]
diff --git a/gdb/top.h b/gdb/top.h
index 64f7211..6f75eea 100644
--- a/gdb/top.h
+++ b/gdb/top.h
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ extern int gdb_in_secondary_prompt_p (struct ui *ui);
 
 /* From random places.  */
 extern int readnow_symbol_files;
+extern int readnever_symbol_files;
 
 /* Perform _initialize initialization.  */
 extern void gdb_init (char *);
