diff --git a/gold/archive.cc b/gold/archive.cc
index b1ba6d9..21bdbe9 100644
--- a/gold/archive.cc
+++ b/gold/archive.cc
@@ -544,22 +544,9 @@ Archive::get_elf_object_for_member(off_t off, Input_objects* input_objects)
   if (filesize - memoff < read_size)
     read_size = filesize - memoff;
 
-  if (read_size < 4)
-    {
-      gold_error(_("%s: member at %zu is not an ELF object"),
-		 this->name().c_str(), static_cast<size_t>(off));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  const unsigned char* ehdr = input_file->file().get_view(memoff, 0, read_size,
-							  true, false);
-
-  static unsigned char elfmagic[4] =
-    {
-      elfcpp::ELFMAG0, elfcpp::ELFMAG1,
-      elfcpp::ELFMAG2, elfcpp::ELFMAG3
-    };
-  if (memcmp(ehdr, elfmagic, 4) != 0)
+  const unsigned char* ehdr;
+  
+  if (!is_elf_object(input_file, memoff, read_size, &ehdr))
     {
       gold_error(_("%s: member at %zu is not an ELF object"),
 		 this->name().c_str(), static_cast<size_t>(off));
diff --git a/gold/object.cc b/gold/object.cc
index aa45127..76d8b78 100644
--- a/gold/object.cc
+++ b/gold/object.cc
@@ -2112,6 +2112,25 @@ make_elf_sized_object(const std::string& name, Input_file* input_file,
 namespace gold
 {
 
+bool
+is_elf_object(Input_file* input_file, off_t offset, int read_size,
+	      const unsigned char** ehdr)
+{
+  if (read_size < 4)
+    return false;
+
+  const unsigned char* p = input_file->file().get_view(offset, 0, read_size,
+						       true, false);
+  *ehdr = p;
+
+  static unsigned char elfmagic[4] =
+      {
+	elfcpp::ELFMAG0, elfcpp::ELFMAG1,
+	elfcpp::ELFMAG2, elfcpp::ELFMAG3
+      };
+  return memcmp(p, elfmagic, 4) == 0;
+}
+
 // Read an ELF file and return the appropriate instance of Object.
 
 Object*
diff --git a/gold/object.h b/gold/object.h
index 614a02e..7447927 100644
--- a/gold/object.h
+++ b/gold/object.h
@@ -1950,6 +1950,10 @@ make_elf_object(const std::string& name, Input_file*,
 		off_t offset, const unsigned char* p,
 		section_offset_type bytes);
 
+bool
+is_elf_object(Input_file* input_file, off_t offset, int read_size,
+	      const unsigned char** ehdr);
+
 } // end namespace gold
 
 #endif // !defined(GOLD_OBJECT_H)
diff --git a/gold/readsyms.cc b/gold/readsyms.cc
index 412ffcd..6e35e03 100644
--- a/gold/readsyms.cc
+++ b/gold/readsyms.cc
@@ -157,8 +157,9 @@ Read_symbols::do_read_symbols(Workqueue* workqueue)
   if (filesize < read_size)
     read_size = filesize;
 
-  const unsigned char* ehdr = input_file->file().get_view(0, 0, read_size,
-							  true, false);
+  const unsigned char* ehdr;
+
+  bool is_elf = is_elf_object(input_file, 0, read_size, &ehdr);
 
   if (read_size >= Archive::sarmag)
     {
@@ -209,46 +210,38 @@ Read_symbols::do_read_symbols(Workqueue* workqueue)
         }
     }
 
-  if (read_size >= 4)
+  if (is_elf)
     {
-      static unsigned char elfmagic[4] =
-	{
-	  elfcpp::ELFMAG0, elfcpp::ELFMAG1,
-	  elfcpp::ELFMAG2, elfcpp::ELFMAG3
-	};
-      if (memcmp(ehdr, elfmagic, 4) == 0)
-	{
-	  // This is an ELF object.
+      // This is an ELF object.
 
-	  Object* obj = make_elf_object(input_file->filename(),
-					input_file, 0, ehdr, read_size);
-	  if (obj == NULL)
-	    return false;
+      Object* obj = make_elf_object(input_file->filename(),
+				    input_file, 0, ehdr, read_size);
+      if (obj == NULL)
+	return false;
 
-	  Read_symbols_data* sd = new Read_symbols_data;
-	  obj->read_symbols(sd);
+      Read_symbols_data* sd = new Read_symbols_data;
+      obj->read_symbols(sd);
 
-	  // Opening the file locked it, so now we need to unlock it.
-	  // We need to unlock it before queuing the Add_symbols task,
-	  // because the workqueue doesn't know about our lock on the
-	  // file.  If we queue the Add_symbols task first, it will be
-	  // stuck on the end of the file lock, but since the
-	  // workqueue doesn't know about that lock, it will never
-	  // release the Add_symbols task.
+      // Opening the file locked it, so now we need to unlock it.
+      // We need to unlock it before queuing the Add_symbols task,
+      // because the workqueue doesn't know about our lock on the
+      // file.  If we queue the Add_symbols task first, it will be
+      // stuck on the end of the file lock, but since the
+      // workqueue doesn't know about that lock, it will never
+      // release the Add_symbols task.
 
-	  input_file->file().unlock(this);
+      input_file->file().unlock(this);
 
-	  // We use queue_next because everything is cached for this
-	  // task to run right away if possible.
+      // We use queue_next because everything is cached for this
+      // task to run right away if possible.
 
-	  workqueue->queue_next(new Add_symbols(this->input_objects_,
-						this->symtab_, this->layout_,
-						obj, sd,
-						this->this_blocker_,
-						this->next_blocker_));
+      workqueue->queue_next(new Add_symbols(this->input_objects_,
+					    this->symtab_, this->layout_,
+					    obj, sd,
+					    this->this_blocker_,
+					    this->next_blocker_));
 
-	  return true;
-	}
+      return true;
     }
 
   // Queue up a task to try to parse this file as a script.  We use a