diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index b76cb4ed..f85779f3 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -691,42 +691,6 @@ static u8 *open_output_file(u64 filesize) {
   return (u8 *)buf;
 }
 
-static void write_symtab() {
-  MyTimer t("write_symtab", copy_timer);
-
-  std::vector<u64> local_symtab_off(out::files.size() + 1);
-  std::vector<u64> local_strtab_off(out::files.size() + 1);
-  local_symtab_off[0] = sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
-  local_strtab_off[0] = 1;
-
-  for (int i = 1; i < out::files.size() + 1; i++) {
-    local_symtab_off[i] = local_symtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->local_symtab_size;
-    local_strtab_off[i] = local_strtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->local_strtab_size;
-  }
-
-  out::symtab->shdr.sh_info = local_symtab_off.back() / sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
-
-  std::vector<u64> global_symtab_off(out::files.size() + 1);
-  std::vector<u64> global_strtab_off(out::files.size() + 1);
-  global_symtab_off[0] = local_symtab_off.back();
-  global_strtab_off[0] = local_strtab_off.back();
-
-  for (int i = 1; i < out::files.size() + 1; i++) {
-    global_symtab_off[i] =
-      global_symtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->global_symtab_size;
-    global_strtab_off[i] =
-      global_strtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->global_strtab_size;
-  }
-
-  assert(global_symtab_off.back() == out::symtab->shdr.sh_size);
-  assert(global_strtab_off.back() == out::strtab->shdr.sh_size);
-
-  tbb::parallel_for((size_t)0, out::files.size(), [&](size_t i) {
-    out::files[i]->write_local_symtab(local_symtab_off[i], local_strtab_off[i]);
-    out::files[i]->write_global_symtab(global_symtab_off[i], global_strtab_off[i]);
-  });
-}
-
 static int get_thread_count(InputArgList &args) {
   if (auto *arg = args.getLastArg(OPT_thread_count)) {
     int n;
@@ -981,9 +945,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     });
   }
 
-  // Fill .symtab and .strtab
-  write_symtab();
-
   // Fill .plt, .got, got.plt, .rela.plt sections
   write_got_plt();
 
diff --git a/mold.h b/mold.h
index 6bb3376c..c75668d4 100644
--- a/mold.h
+++ b/mold.h
@@ -518,14 +518,16 @@ public:
     shdr.sh_entsize = sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
     shdr.sh_addralign = 8;
     shdr.sh_size = sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
-    contents.push_back({});
   }
 
   void update_shdr() override;
-  void initialize_buf() override;
+  void copy_buf() override;
 
 private:
-  std::vector<ELF64LE::Sym> contents;
+  std::vector<u64> local_symtab_off;
+  std::vector<u64> local_strtab_off;
+  std::vector<u64> global_symtab_off;
+  std::vector<u64> global_strtab_off;
 };
 
 class DynsymSection : public OutputChunk {
diff --git a/output_chunks.cc b/output_chunks.cc
index a68a731c..9a6a147e 100644
--- a/output_chunks.cc
+++ b/output_chunks.cc
@@ -234,10 +234,43 @@ void DynstrSection::copy_buf() {
 
 void SymtabSection::update_shdr() {
   shdr.sh_link = out::strtab->shndx;
+
+  local_symtab_off.resize(out::files.size() + 1);
+  local_strtab_off.resize(out::files.size() + 1);
+  global_symtab_off.resize(out::files.size() + 1);
+  global_strtab_off.resize(out::files.size() + 1);
+
+  local_symtab_off[0] = sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
+  local_strtab_off[0] = 1;
+
+  for (int i = 1; i < out::files.size() + 1; i++) {
+    local_symtab_off[i] = local_symtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->local_symtab_size;
+    local_strtab_off[i] = local_strtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->local_strtab_size;
+  }
+
+  shdr.sh_info = local_symtab_off.back() / sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym);
+
+  global_symtab_off[0] = local_symtab_off.back();
+  global_strtab_off[0] = local_strtab_off.back();
+
+  for (int i = 1; i < out::files.size() + 1; i++) {
+    global_symtab_off[i] =
+      global_symtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->global_symtab_size;
+    global_strtab_off[i] =
+      global_strtab_off[i - 1] + out::files[i - 1]->global_strtab_size;
+  }
+
+  assert(global_symtab_off.back() == out::symtab->shdr.sh_size);
+  assert(global_strtab_off.back() == out::strtab->shdr.sh_size);
 }
 
-void SymtabSection::initialize_buf() {
+void SymtabSection::copy_buf() {
   memset(out::buf + shdr.sh_offset, 0, sizeof(ELF64LE::Sym));
+
+  tbb::parallel_for((size_t)0, out::files.size(), [&](size_t i) {
+    out::files[i]->write_local_symtab(local_symtab_off[i], local_strtab_off[i]);
+    out::files[i]->write_global_symtab(global_symtab_off[i], global_strtab_off[i]);
+  });
 }
 
 void DynamicSection::update_shdr() {