diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/link-plan-core.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/link-plan-core.ts
index fc05d2961..f8ad20e6f 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/link-plan-core.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/link-plan-core.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export function executableLinkInputs(options: {
  * links as needed: the runtime defines the libm functions most programs
  * reach (scr_glibc_math.c) and Math's transcendentals (scr_ieee754.c), so a
  * program that calls no other libm function, such as pow, starts without
- * loading libm.so. */
+ * loading libm.so when it links with lld (see inputsWithoutLld). */
 export function systemLibraryLinkerArgs(
   target: Pick<NativeTargetSpec, "platform">,
   names: readonly string[],
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/linker.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/linker.ts
index c4f04133e..a29a7c947 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/linker.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/linker.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
 import { type NativeArtifactDependency } from "./native/contracts.js";
 import { RuntimePackError, stageRuntimePackArtifacts } from "./runtime-pack.js";
 import type { NativeLinkPlan } from "./link-plan.js";
-import { lldLinkerArgs } from "./lld.js";
+import { inputsWithoutLld, lldLinkerArgs } from "./lld.js";
 import { systemLibraryLinkerArgs } from "./link-plan-core.js";
 import {
   createDarwinDebugSymbols,
@@ -244,15 +244,19 @@ export async function linkNativeExecutable(
     stagedRoot = staged.root;
     // Linux links with lld when the default driver finds it.
     const lld = explicitLinker === undefined ? lldLinkerArgs(plan.target.platform, linker) : [];
-    const args = [
-      ...(explicitLinker === undefined ? plan.target.defaultLinkerArgs : []),
-      ...lld,
-      ...plan.driverFlags,
-      ...plan.inputs.map((input) => staged.replacements.get(input) ?? input),
-      ...systemLibraryLinkerArgs(plan.target, plan.systemLibraries),
-      "-o",
-      privateOut,
-    ];
+    const linkArgs = (withLld: boolean): string[] => {
+      const inputs = plan.inputs.map((input) => staged.replacements.get(input) ?? input);
+      return [
+        ...(explicitLinker === undefined ? plan.target.defaultLinkerArgs : []),
+        ...(withLld ? lld : []),
+        ...plan.driverFlags,
+        ...(withLld ? inputs : inputsWithoutLld(plan.target.platform, inputs)),
+        ...systemLibraryLinkerArgs(plan.target, plan.systemLibraries),
+        "-o",
+        privateOut,
+      ];
+    };
+    const args = linkArgs(lld.length !== 0);
     // The pack snapshots bracket both verification passes and private staging;
     // the program-object snapshot begins before helper emission. Snapshot the
     // remaining cache-bearing inputs before the linker consumes them, then
@@ -285,10 +289,7 @@ export async function linkNativeExecutable(
       // A failed link with lld runs again with the driver's default linker,
       // whose error (if any) is the one reported.
       if (lld.length === 0) throw error;
-      await execFileAsync(
-        linker,
-        args.filter((arg) => !lld.includes(arg)),
-      );
+      await execFileAsync(linker, linkArgs(false));
     });
     const output = await stat(privateOut);
     if (!output.isFile() || output.size === 0) throw new Error("linker produced no executable");
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.test.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.test.ts
index b0a466cf6..048f2ab94 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.test.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { chmodSync, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync }
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, expect, test } from "vitest";
-import { driverFindsLld, lldLinkerArgs } from "./lld.js";
+import { driverFindsLld, inputsWithoutLld, lldLinkerArgs } from "./lld.js";
 
 const directories: string[] = [];
 afterEach(() => {
@@ -59,3 +59,10 @@ test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")(
     expect(lldLinkerArgs("linux", clang, { ...env, SCRIPTC_LINKER: clang })).toEqual([]);
   },
 );
+
+test("Linux links without lld leave out the glibc math unit", () => {
+  const inputs = ["/pack/scr_lib.o", "/pack/scr_glibc_math.o", "/tmp/program.o"];
+  expect(inputsWithoutLld("linux", inputs)).toEqual(["/pack/scr_lib.o", "/tmp/program.o"]);
+  expect(inputsWithoutLld("darwin", inputs)).toEqual(inputs);
+  expect(inputsWithoutLld("windows", inputs)).toEqual(inputs);
+});
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.ts
index 790e07062..7a9210407 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/lld.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { realpathSync, statSync } from "node:fs";
-import { delimiter, dirname, isAbsolute, join, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { basename, delimiter, dirname, isAbsolute, join, resolve } from "node:path";
 
 function isFile(path: string): boolean {
   try {
@@ -47,3 +47,21 @@ export function lldLinkerArgs(
     ? ["-fuse-ld=lld"]
     : [];
 }
+
+/**
+ * The link inputs for a Linux link without lld. The runtime's
+ * scr_glibc_math.c defines glibc's floor, fmod, frexp and a few others as
+ * hidden functions so that a program calling no other libm function starts
+ * without libm.so. That works with lld, which garbage-collects the unused
+ * definitions and decides `--as-needed` from the live code. GNU ld decides
+ * `--as-needed` before section GC, so the runtime's unreachable code keeps
+ * libm needed, and it keeps every regular definition of a name that a needed
+ * shared library also defines, hidden or not: the unit would add all of its
+ * code to every executable and save nothing. Its functions answer what
+ * glibc's do, so linking glibc's own instead is equivalent.
+ */
+export function inputsWithoutLld(platform: string, inputs: readonly string[]): string[] {
+  return platform === "linux"
+    ? inputs.filter((input) => basename(input) !== "scr_glibc_math.o")
+    : [...inputs];
+}
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/native/compiler.ts b/packages/compiler/src/native/compiler.ts
index ea3772db3..942565327 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/native/compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/native/compiler.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ import {
 import { splitLlvmLibraryProgram } from "../backend/llvm/split.js";
 import { prepareNativeExecutable, prepareNativeLibrary } from "./prepare.js";
 import { buildSanitizedRuntime, sanitizerDriver, sanitizerFlags } from "./sanitizer.js";
-import { lldLinkerArgs } from "../backend/lld.js";
+import { inputsWithoutLld, lldLinkerArgs } from "../backend/lld.js";
 import { openNativeExecutableCache } from "./executable-cache.js";
 import { LinkerJobs } from "./linker-job.js";
 import { nativeFileIdentity } from "./file-identity.js";
@@ -569,15 +569,16 @@ export class NativeCompiler {
         });
         // Linux links with lld when the driver finds it.
         const lld = options.sanitize ? [] : lldLinkerArgs(target.platform, toolchain.linker);
-        const linkArgs = [
+        const linkArgsWith = (withLld: boolean): string[] => [
           ...(options.sanitize ? ["-fsanitize=address"] : toolchain.linkerArgs),
-          ...lld,
+          ...(withLld ? lld : []),
           ...plan.driverFlags,
-          ...plan.inputs,
+          ...(withLld ? plan.inputs : inputsWithoutLld(target.platform, plan.inputs)),
           ...systemLibraryLinkerArgs(target, plan.systemLibraries),
           "-o",
           stagedOutput,
         ];
+        const linkArgs = linkArgsWith(lld.length !== 0);
         // Host Linux links with lld run the linker job the driver would.
         const jobs = LinkerJobs.open(this.cache, toolchain, lld, options.sanitize ?? false);
         const job = jobs?.link([...plan.inputs, stagedOutput], stage);
@@ -593,10 +594,7 @@ export class NativeCompiler {
             // A failed link with lld runs again with the driver's default
             // linker, whose error (if any) is the one reported.
             if (lld.length === 0) throw error;
-            runNativeTool(
-              driver,
-              linkArgs.filter((arg) => !lld.includes(arg)),
-            );
+            runNativeTool(driver, linkArgsWith(false));
           }
         }
         timing("native-link");
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/scr_async.c b/packages/runtime/src/scr_async.c
index aed974892..ec799a4b8 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/scr_async.c
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/scr_async.c
@@ -5385,6 +5385,11 @@ static ScrGen *scr_gen_new_common(void (*entry)(ScrFiber *, void *), void *argpa
                                   bool stackless) {
   ScrGen *g = scr_mem_calloc(sizeof *g);
   if (!g) scr_oom();
+  /* Install the tag reader with each generator rather than in a constructor:
+   * a constructor is a link root, so it would keep scr_gen_tag and this
+   * unit's string literals in every executable, generators or not. Threads
+   * store the same value, relaxed. */
+  __atomic_store_n(&scr_gen_tag_reader, scr_gen_tag, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
   g->rc = 1;
   g->receiver = scr_dyn_this_get();
   g->state = SCR_GEN_UNSTARTED;
@@ -5959,10 +5964,6 @@ const char *scr_gen_tag(const ScrGen *g) {
   return g->tag ? g->tag : g->is_async ? "AsyncGenerator" : "Generator";
 }
 
-__attribute__((constructor)) static void scr_gen_tag_reader_init(void) {
-  scr_gen_tag_reader = scr_gen_tag;
-}
-
 void scr_gen_close(ScrGen *g) {
   scr_gen_slot_reset(&g->ret);
   scr_gen_resume_return(g);
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/scr_generator.h b/packages/runtime/src/scr_generator.h
index cb61d93e4..4f43892b4 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/scr_generator.h
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/scr_generator.h
@@ -82,8 +82,9 @@ void scr_gen_set_tag(ScrGen *g, const char *tag);
 void scr_gen_copy_tag(ScrGen *g, const ScrGen *from);
 const char *scr_gen_tag(const ScrGen *g);
 /* scr_gen_tag for units that also link without the generator runtime (a
- * library links none): the generator runtime sets it at startup, and only
- * then can a generator capsule exist. */
+ * library links none): the generator runtime sets it when it creates a
+ * generator, so it is set whenever a generator capsule exists. Read it with
+ * a relaxed atomic load. */
 extern const char *(*scr_gen_tag_reader)(const ScrGen *g);
 ScrGen *scr_gen_retain(ScrGen *g);
 void scr_gen_release(ScrGen *g); /* NULL-tolerant */
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/scr_inspect.c b/packages/runtime/src/scr_inspect.c
index b4994cd32..e6df0f4cf 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/scr_inspect.c
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/scr_inspect.c
@@ -1613,7 +1613,7 @@ static bool scr_insp_is_generator(const ScrDyn *d) {
 }
 
 static ScrStr *scr_insp_generator(const ScrDyn *d) {
-  const char *tag = scr_gen_tag_reader(d->v.typed_ref.ptr);
+  const char *tag = __atomic_load_n(&scr_gen_tag_reader, __ATOMIC_RELAXED)(d->v.typed_ref.ptr);
   if (tag[0] == '!') {
     static const char message[] = "util.inspect of this iterator object is not supported yet";
     scr_throw_error_msg(SCR_ERR_ERROR, message, sizeof message - 1);
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/scr_json.c b/packages/runtime/src/scr_json.c
index 7b0d44069..d1f2af6cc 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/scr_json.c
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/scr_json.c
@@ -9633,7 +9633,7 @@ ScrStr *scr_dyn_object_tag(const ScrDyn *d) {
   if (d->kind == SCR_DYN_TYPED_REF) {
     if (scr_dyn_ref_is_error(d)) return scr_str_new("[object Error]", 14);
     if (scr_dyn_generator(d)) {
-      const char *gen_tag = scr_gen_tag_reader(d->v.typed_ref.ptr);
+      const char *gen_tag = __atomic_load_n(&scr_gen_tag_reader, __ATOMIC_RELAXED)(d->v.typed_ref.ptr);
       if (gen_tag[0] == '!') {
         static const char message[] = "Object.prototype.toString of this iterator is not supported yet";
         scr_throw_error_msg(SCR_ERR_ERROR, message, sizeof message - 1);
diff --git a/tests/harness/runtime-tree-shaking.test.ts b/tests/harness/runtime-tree-shaking.test.ts
index b33a0d2f9..92584a59e 100644
--- a/tests/harness/runtime-tree-shaking.test.ts
+++ b/tests/harness/runtime-tree-shaking.test.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ nativeToolchainTest(
       "scr_url_",
       "scr_json_parse",
       "scr_date_",
+      // The generator runtime installs its tag reader with its first
+      // generator; a load-time constructor would retain it everywhere.
+      "scr_gen_tag",
     ]) {
       expect(helloSymbols, `hello retains ${family}`).not.toContain(family);
     }
@@ -159,8 +162,10 @@ nativeToolchainTest(
 
     // Symbol absence is the primary reachability contract. Keep a deliberately
     // roomy, platform-specific hello-world ceiling too: it catches losing
-    // section GC without pinning an exact linker/SDK byte count. The canonical
-    // Linux build is about 84KB and current Mach-O builds are about 70KB. Most
+    // section GC without pinning an exact linker/SDK byte count. The Linux
+    // build is about 65KB with lld (CI's pinned LLVM provides it) and about
+    // 94KB with GNU ld, which keeps a unit's string literals whole once any of
+    // them is reachable; current Mach-O builds are about 70KB. Most
     // of Linux hello's runtime code is the cycle collector, which its exit
     // path reaches (scr_lib_cleanup releases an array). ELF segments are page
     // aligned, so the Linux size moves in 4 KiB steps whenever .text crosses