diff --git a/src/linker.h b/src/linker.h
index 2d3ae6c4..73554210 100644
--- a/src/linker.h
+++ b/src/linker.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
 class ElfLinker : private nocopy
 {
+    friend class Packer;
 public:
     const N_BELE_RTP::AbstractPolicy *bele;
 protected:
@@ -86,7 +87,6 @@ public:
     virtual int getSection(const char *sname, int *slen=NULL) const;
     virtual int getSectionSize(const char *sname) const;
     virtual upx_byte *getLoader(int *llen=NULL) const;
-    virtual void relocate();
     virtual void defineSymbol(const char *name, unsigned value);
     virtual unsigned getSymbolOffset(const char *) const;
 
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ public:
     virtual void alignCode(unsigned len) { alignWithByte(len, 0); }
     virtual void alignData(unsigned len) { alignWithByte(len, 0); }
 
+protected:
+    virtual void relocate();
     virtual void relocate1(const Relocation *, upx_byte *location,
                            unsigned value, const char *type);
 };
diff --git a/src/p_armpe.cpp b/src/p_armpe.cpp
index 6f67b086..013e61c8 100644
--- a/src/p_armpe.cpp
+++ b/src/p_armpe.cpp
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ void PackArmPe::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     linker->defineSymbol("compressed_length", ph.c_len);
     linker->defineSymbol("start_of_compressed", ih.imagebase + s1addr + identsize - identsplit);
     defineDecompressorSymbols();
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_com.cpp b/src/p_com.cpp
index 2b8fc6f0..a931971f 100644
--- a/src/p_com.cpp
+++ b/src/p_com.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ void PackCom::patchLoader(OutputFile *fo,
     linker->defineSymbol("neg_e_len", 0 - e_len);
     linker->defineSymbol("NRV2B160", ph.u_len + ph.overlap_overhead);
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
     loader = getLoader();
 
     // some day we could use the relocation stuff for patchPackHeader too
diff --git a/src/p_djgpp2.cpp b/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
index 08a410bd..7c00f244 100644
--- a/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
+++ b/src/p_djgpp2.cpp
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ void PackDjgpp2::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     data->size = ALIGN_UP(data->size, 4);
 
     linker->defineSymbol("DJ2MAIN1", coff_hdr.a_entry);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     // prepare loader
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_exe.cpp b/src/p_exe.cpp
index 9d712ff5..27c1ba5e 100644
--- a/src/p_exe.cpp
+++ b/src/p_exe.cpp
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ void PackExe::pack(OutputFile *fo)
 
     oh.ip = device_driver ? getLoaderSection("EXEENTRY") - 2 : 0;
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
     patchPackHeader(loader,e_len);
 
diff --git a/src/p_lx_elf.cpp b/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
index 7f8206eb..ebb7412e 100644
--- a/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
+++ b/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ PackLinuxElf32::buildLinuxLoader(
     addStubEntrySections(ft);
 
     defineSymbols(ft);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 }
 
 void
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ PackLinuxElf64::buildLinuxLoader(
     addStubEntrySections(ft);
 
     defineSymbols(ft);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/p_lx_exc.cpp b/src/p_lx_exc.cpp
index a6a86565..3e321b52 100644
--- a/src/p_lx_exc.cpp
+++ b/src/p_lx_exc.cpp
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ PackLinuxI386::buildLinuxLoader(
             linker->defineSymbol("NMRU", mru - is_pwr2);
         }
     }
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/p_mach.cpp b/src/p_mach.cpp
index cefd9ade..0e35123a 100644
--- a/src/p_mach.cpp
+++ b/src/p_mach.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ PackMachPPC32::buildMachLoader(
     addStubEntrySections(ft);
 
     defineSymbols(ft);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/p_ps1.cpp b/src/p_ps1.cpp
index 1b385eac..7b2b5216 100644
--- a/src/p_ps1.cpp
+++ b/src/p_ps1.cpp
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ void PackPs1::pack(OutputFile *fo)
         linker->defineSymbol("entry", ih.epc);
         linker->defineSymbol("SC",
                              sa_cnt > (0x10000 << 2) ? sa_cnt >> 5 : sa_cnt >> 2);
-        linker->relocate();
+        relocateLoader();
 
         buildPart2 = true;
         buildLoader(&ft);
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ void PackPs1::pack(OutputFile *fo)
                                              - getLoaderSectionStart("cdb.entry.lzma"));
     }
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
     //linker->dumpSymbols();
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     assert(lsize == getLoaderSize());
diff --git a/src/p_sys.cpp b/src/p_sys.cpp
index b65f8e94..99d73709 100644
--- a/src/p_sys.cpp
+++ b/src/p_sys.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void PackSys::patchLoader(OutputFile *fo,
     linker->defineSymbol("NRV2B160", ph.u_len + ph.overlap_overhead + 1);
     linker->defineSymbol("original_strategy", get_le16(ibuf + 6));
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
     loader = getLoader();
 
     patchPackHeader(loader,e_len);
diff --git a/src/p_tmt.cpp b/src/p_tmt.cpp
index 53bc5de0..430d32c9 100644
--- a/src/p_tmt.cpp
+++ b/src/p_tmt.cpp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ void PackTmt::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     //                e_len,d_len,copy_len,copy_to,ph.overlap_overhead,jmp_pos,ph.u_len,ph.c_len);
 
     linker->defineSymbol("TMTCUTPO", ph.u_len + ph.overlap_overhead);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader,getLoader(),lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_tos.cpp b/src/p_tos.cpp
index 66010091..652dcd34 100644
--- a/src/p_tos.cpp
+++ b/src/p_tos.cpp
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ void PackTos::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     linker->defineSymbol("copy_to_stack_len", symbols.copy_to_stack_len);
     linker->defineSymbol("clear_dirty_stack_len", symbols.clear_dirty_stack_len);
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     //
     // write
diff --git a/src/p_vmlinx.cpp b/src/p_vmlinx.cpp
index 528dd8dc..1c889812 100644
--- a/src/p_vmlinx.cpp
+++ b/src/p_vmlinx.cpp
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ void PackVmlinuxI386::pack(OutputFile *fo)
         linker->defineSymbol("filter_length", ph.u_len); // redefine
     }
     defineDecompressorSymbols();
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_vmlinz.cpp b/src/p_vmlinz.cpp
index e2e18a38..1d679dfe 100644
--- a/src/p_vmlinz.cpp
+++ b/src/p_vmlinz.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ void PackVmlinuzI386::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     linker->defineSymbol("src_for_decompressor", zimage_offset + lsize);
     linker->defineSymbol("original_entry", physical_start);
     linker->defineSymbol("stack_offset", stack_offset_during_uncompression);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ void PackBvmlinuzI386::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     defineDecompressorSymbols();
     linker->defineSymbol("original_entry", physical_start);
     linker->defineSymbol("stack_offset", stack_offset_during_uncompression);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_w32pe.cpp b/src/p_w32pe.cpp
index 37022f2e..26cd2fd2 100644
--- a/src/p_w32pe.cpp
+++ b/src/p_w32pe.cpp
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ void PackW32Pe::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     linker->defineSymbol("start_of_compressed", esi0 + ih.imagebase);
 
     linker->defineSymbol(isdll ? "PEISDLL1" : "PEMAIN01", upxsection);
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     const unsigned lsize = getLoaderSize();
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
diff --git a/src/p_wcle.cpp b/src/p_wcle.cpp
index 365cf71d..79735af0 100644
--- a/src/p_wcle.cpp
+++ b/src/p_wcle.cpp
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ void PackWcle::pack(OutputFile *fo)
     linker->defineSymbol("copy_dest", ((ic + d_len + 3) &~ 3) - 4);
     linker->defineSymbol("copy_source", e_len + jpos * 4 - 4);
 
-    linker->relocate();
+    relocateLoader();
 
     MemBuffer loader(lsize);
     memcpy(loader, getLoader(), lsize);
diff --git a/src/packer.cpp b/src/packer.cpp
index f9ffd70b..cb8d1ca1 100644
--- a/src/packer.cpp
+++ b/src/packer.cpp
@@ -642,11 +642,15 @@ void Packer::updatePackHeader()
 }
 
 
+// FIXME: remove patchPackHeader() and fold into relocateLoader();
+//   then make linker->relocate() private (friend Packer)
 int Packer::patchPackHeader(void *b, int blen)
 {
-    const int size = ph.getPackHeaderSize();
     assert(isValidFilter(ph.filter));
 
+    const int size = ph.getPackHeaderSize();
+    if (linker->findSection("UPX1HEAD", false))
+        assert(size == linker->getSectionSize("UPX1HEAD"));
     int boff = find_le32(b, blen, UPX_MAGIC_LE32);
     checkPatch(b, blen, boff, size);
 
@@ -1089,6 +1093,26 @@ int Packer::getLoaderSectionStart(const char *name, int *slen) const
 }
 
 
+void Packer::relocateLoader()
+{
+    linker->relocate();
+
+#if 0
+    // "relocate" packheader
+    if (linker->findSection("UPX1HEAD", false))
+    {
+        int lsize = -1;
+        int loff = getLoaderSectionStart("UPX1HEAD", &lsize);
+        assert(lsize == ph.getPackHeaderSize());
+        unsigned char *p = getLoader() + loff;
+        assert(get_le32(p) == UPX_MAGIC_LE32);
+        //patchPackHeader(p, lsize);
+        ph.putPackHeader(p);
+    }
+#endif
+}
+
+
 /*************************************************************************
 // Try compression with several methods and filters, choose the best
 /  or first working one. Needs buildLoader().
diff --git a/src/packer.h b/src/packer.h
index fa0c404d..672a1f7a 100644
--- a/src/packer.h
+++ b/src/packer.h
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ protected:
     // loader core
     virtual void buildLoader(const Filter *ft) = 0;
     virtual Linker* newLinker() const = 0;
+    virtual void relocateLoader();
     // loader util for linker
     virtual upx_byte *getLoader() const;
     virtual int getLoaderSize() const;
diff --git a/src/packmast.cpp b/src/packmast.cpp
index 213d8ceb..aa5d7674 100644
--- a/src/packmast.cpp
+++ b/src/packmast.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
 #include "p_ps1.h"
 #include "p_mach.h"
 #include "p_armpe.h"
-#include "linker.h"
 
 
 /*************************************************************************