diff --git a/src/librustc_trans/base.rs b/src/librustc_trans/base.rs
index fcfe53d0c85..2c3880d21ad 100644
--- a/src/librustc_trans/base.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_trans/base.rs
@@ -1421,21 +1421,7 @@ fn internalize_symbols<'a, 'tcx>(sess: &Session,
             .iter()
             .cloned()
             .filter(|trans_item|{
-                let def_id = match *trans_item {
-                    TransItem::DropGlue(..) => {
-                        return false
-                    },
-                    TransItem::Fn(ref instance) => {
-                        instance.def
-                    }
-                    TransItem::Static(node_id) => {
-                        tcx.map.local_def_id(node_id)
-                    }
-                };
-
-                trans_item.explicit_linkage(tcx).is_some() ||
-                attr::contains_extern_indicator(tcx.sess.diagnostic(),
-                                                &tcx.get_attrs(def_id))
+                trans_item.explicit_linkage(tcx).is_some()
             })
             .map(|trans_item| symbol_map.get_or_compute(scx, trans_item))
             .collect();
@@ -1900,8 +1886,7 @@ fn collect_and_partition_translation_items<'a, 'tcx>(scx: &SharedCrateContext<'a
         partitioning::partition(scx,
                                 items.iter().cloned(),
                                 strategy,
-                                &inlining_map,
-                                scx.reachable())
+                                &inlining_map)
     });
 
     assert!(scx.tcx().sess.opts.cg.codegen_units == codegen_units.len() ||
diff --git a/src/librustc_trans/partitioning.rs b/src/librustc_trans/partitioning.rs
index 798e883c955..65615e6b644 100644
--- a/src/librustc_trans/partitioning.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_trans/partitioning.rs
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ use symbol_map::SymbolMap;
 use syntax::ast::NodeId;
 use syntax::parse::token::{self, InternedString};
 use trans_item::TransItem;
-use util::nodemap::{FnvHashMap, FnvHashSet, NodeSet};
+use util::nodemap::{FnvHashMap, FnvHashSet};
 
 pub enum PartitioningStrategy {
     /// Generate one codegen unit per source-level module.
@@ -254,8 +254,7 @@ const FALLBACK_CODEGEN_UNIT: &'static str = "__rustc_fallback_codegen_unit";
 pub fn partition<'a, 'tcx, I>(scx: &SharedCrateContext<'a, 'tcx>,
                               trans_items: I,
                               strategy: PartitioningStrategy,
-                              inlining_map: &InliningMap<'tcx>,
-                              reachable: &NodeSet)
+                              inlining_map: &InliningMap<'tcx>)
                               -> Vec<CodegenUnit<'tcx>>
     where I: Iterator<Item = TransItem<'tcx>>
 {
@@ -265,8 +264,7 @@ pub fn partition<'a, 'tcx, I>(scx: &SharedCrateContext<'a, 'tcx>,
     // respective 'home' codegen unit. Regular translation items are all
     // functions and statics defined in the local crate.
     let mut initial_partitioning = place_root_translation_items(scx,
-                                                                trans_items,
-                                                                reachable);
+                                                                trans_items);
 
     debug_dump(tcx, "INITIAL PARTITONING:", initial_partitioning.codegen_units.iter());
 
@@ -304,8 +302,7 @@ struct PreInliningPartitioning<'tcx> {
 struct PostInliningPartitioning<'tcx>(Vec<CodegenUnit<'tcx>>);
 
 fn place_root_translation_items<'a, 'tcx, I>(scx: &SharedCrateContext<'a, 'tcx>,
-                                             trans_items: I,
-                                             _reachable: &NodeSet)
+                                             trans_items: I)
                                              -> PreInliningPartitioning<'tcx>
     where I: Iterator<Item = TransItem<'tcx>>
 {
@@ -344,6 +341,10 @@ fn place_root_translation_items<'a, 'tcx, I>(scx: &SharedCrateContext<'a, 'tcx>,
                                 // This is a non-generic functions, we always
                                 // make it visible externally on the chance that
                                 // it might be used in another codegen unit.
+                                // Later on base::internalize_symbols() will
+                                // assign "internal" linkage to those symbols
+                                // that are not referenced from other codegen
+                                // units (and are not publicly visible).
                                 llvm::ExternalLinkage
                             } else {
                                 // In the current setup, generic functions cannot
diff --git a/src/librustc_trans/trans_item.rs b/src/librustc_trans/trans_item.rs
index bde393b77e1..5c7cbbbd88d 100644
--- a/src/librustc_trans/trans_item.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_trans/trans_item.rs
@@ -251,7 +251,11 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> TransItem<'tcx> {
 
     /// True if the translation item should only be translated to LLVM IR if
     /// it is referenced somewhere (like inline functions, for example).
-    pub fn is_instantiated_only_on_demand(&self, tcx: TyCtxt) -> bool {
+    pub fn is_instantiated_only_on_demand(&self, tcx: TyCtxt<'a, 'tcx, 'tcx>) -> bool {
+        if self.explicit_linkage(tcx).is_some() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         match *self {
             TransItem::Fn(ref instance) => {
                 !instance.def.is_local() ||