diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/emultempl/pe.em binutils-2.31.1/ld/emultempl/pe.em
--- binutils.orig/ld/emultempl/pe.em	2018-09-04 11:00:05.546667021 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/emultempl/pe.em	2018-09-04 11:00:58.427292612 +0100
@@ -2165,7 +2165,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_place_orphan (asec
 			       &add_child);
       if (bfd_link_relocatable (&link_info))
 	{
-	  os->section_alignment = s->alignment_power;
+	  os->section_alignment = exp_intop (1U << s->alignment_power);
 	  os->bfd_section->alignment_power = s->alignment_power;
 	}
     }
diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/emultempl/pep.em binutils-2.31.1/ld/emultempl/pep.em
--- binutils.orig/ld/emultempl/pep.em	2018-09-04 11:00:05.545667029 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/emultempl/pep.em	2018-09-04 11:01:29.340073740 +0100
@@ -1962,7 +1962,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_place_orphan (asec
 			       &add_child);
       if (bfd_link_relocatable (&link_info))
 	{
-	  os->section_alignment = s->alignment_power;
+	  os->section_alignment = exp_intop (1U << s->alignment_power);
 	  os->bfd_section->alignment_power = s->alignment_power;
 	}
     }
diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/ldexp.c binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldexp.c
--- binutils.orig/ld/ldexp.c	2018-09-04 11:00:05.535667100 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldexp.c	2018-09-04 11:03:29.179225246 +0100
@@ -1528,6 +1528,28 @@ exp_get_value_int (etree_type *tree, int
   return exp_get_vma (tree, def, name);
 }
 
+/* Return the smallest non-negative integer such that two raised to
+   that power is at least as large as the vma evaluated at TREE, if
+   TREE is a non-NULL expression that can be resolved.  If TREE is
+   NULL or cannot be resolved, return -1.  */
+
+signed int
+exp_get_power (etree_type *tree, char *name)
+{
+  bfd_vma x = exp_get_vma (tree, -1, name);
+  bfd_vma p2;
+  int n;
+
+  if (x == (bfd_vma) -1)
+    return -1;
+
+  for (n = 0, p2 = 1; p2 < x; ++n, p2 <<= 1)
+    if (p2 == 0)
+      break;
+
+  return n;
+}
+
 fill_type *
 exp_get_fill (etree_type *tree, fill_type *def, char *name)
 {
diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/ldexp.h binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldexp.h
--- binutils.orig/ld/ldexp.h	2018-09-04 11:00:05.536667092 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldexp.h	2018-09-04 11:04:12.937915422 +0100
@@ -231,6 +231,8 @@ bfd_vma exp_get_vma
   (etree_type *, bfd_vma, char *);
 int exp_get_value_int
   (etree_type *, int, char *);
+signed int exp_get_power
+  (etree_type *, char *);
 fill_type *exp_get_fill
   (etree_type *, fill_type *, char *);
 bfd_vma exp_get_abs_int
diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/ldlang.c binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldlang.c
--- binutils.orig/ld/ldlang.c	2018-09-04 11:00:05.536667092 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldlang.c	2018-09-04 11:07:42.249433438 +0100
@@ -1199,8 +1199,8 @@ output_section_statement_newfunc (struct
   ret = (struct out_section_hash_entry *) entry;
   memset (&ret->s, 0, sizeof (ret->s));
   ret->s.header.type = lang_output_section_statement_enum;
-  ret->s.output_section_statement.subsection_alignment = -1;
-  ret->s.output_section_statement.section_alignment = -1;
+  ret->s.output_section_statement.subsection_alignment = NULL;
+  ret->s.output_section_statement.section_alignment = NULL;
   ret->s.output_section_statement.block_value = 1;
   lang_list_init (&ret->s.output_section_statement.children);
   lang_statement_append (stat_ptr, &ret->s, &ret->s.header.next);
@@ -2193,8 +2193,9 @@ init_os (lang_output_section_statement_t
     exp_init_os (s->load_base);
 
   /* If supplied an alignment, set it.  */
-  if (s->section_alignment != -1)
-    s->bfd_section->alignment_power = s->section_alignment;
+  if (s->section_alignment != NULL)
+    s->bfd_section->alignment_power = exp_get_power (s->section_alignment,
+                                                    "section alignment");
 }
 
 /* Make sure that all output sections mentioned in an expression are
@@ -4706,8 +4707,10 @@ size_input_section
 	 is greater than any seen before, then record it too.  Perform
 	 the alignment by inserting a magic 'padding' statement.  */
 
-      if (output_section_statement->subsection_alignment != -1)
-	i->alignment_power = output_section_statement->subsection_alignment;
+      if (output_section_statement->subsection_alignment != NULL)
+	i->alignment_power
+	  = exp_get_power (output_section_statement->subsection_alignment,
+			   "subsection alignment");
 
       if (o->alignment_power < i->alignment_power)
 	o->alignment_power = i->alignment_power;
@@ -5147,7 +5150,8 @@ lang_size_sections_1
 		    section_alignment = os->bfd_section->alignment_power;
 		  }
 		else
-		  section_alignment = os->section_alignment;
+                 section_alignment = exp_get_power (os->section_alignment,
+                                                    "section alignment");
 
 		/* Align to what the section needs.  */
 		if (section_alignment > 0)
@@ -5225,7 +5229,8 @@ lang_size_sections_1
 		       only align according to the value in the output
 		       statement.  */
 		    if (os->lma_region != os->region)
-		      section_alignment = os->section_alignment;
+		      section_alignment = exp_get_power (os->section_alignment,
+							 "section alignment");
 		    if (section_alignment > 0)
 		      lma = align_power (lma, section_alignment);
 		  }
@@ -6673,25 +6678,6 @@ lang_add_output (const char *name, int f
     }
 }
 
-static int
-topower (int x)
-{
-  unsigned int i = 1;
-  int l;
-
-  if (x < 0)
-    return -1;
-
-  for (l = 0; l < 32; l++)
-    {
-      if (i >= (unsigned int) x)
-	return l;
-      i <<= 1;
-    }
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
 lang_output_section_statement_type *
 lang_enter_output_section_statement (const char *output_section_statement_name,
 				     etree_type *address_exp,
@@ -6727,10 +6713,8 @@ lang_enter_output_section_statement (con
     einfo (_("%F%P:%pS: error: align with input and explicit align specified\n"),
 	   NULL);
 
-  os->subsection_alignment =
-    topower (exp_get_value_int (subalign, -1, "subsection alignment"));
-  os->section_alignment =
-    topower (exp_get_value_int (align, -1, "section alignment"));
+  os->subsection_alignment = subalign;
+  os->section_alignment = align;
 
   os->load_base = ebase;
   return os;
@@ -7748,7 +7732,7 @@ lang_new_phdr (const char *name,
   n = (struct lang_phdr *) stat_alloc (sizeof (struct lang_phdr));
   n->next = NULL;
   n->name = name;
-  n->type = exp_get_value_int (type, 0, "program header type");
+  n->type = exp_get_vma (type, 0, "program header type");
   n->filehdr = filehdr;
   n->phdrs = phdrs;
   n->at = at;
diff -rup binutils.orig/ld/ldlang.h binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldlang.h
--- binutils.orig/ld/ldlang.h	2018-09-04 11:00:05.533667114 +0100
+++ binutils-2.31.1/ld/ldlang.h	2018-09-04 11:08:29.224100845 +0100
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ typedef struct lang_output_section_state
   fill_type *fill;
   union etree_union *addr_tree;
   union etree_union *load_base;
+  union etree_union *section_alignment;
+  union etree_union *subsection_alignment;
 
   /* If non-null, an expression to evaluate after setting the section's
      size.  The expression is evaluated inside REGION (above) with '.'
@@ -153,8 +155,6 @@ typedef struct lang_output_section_state
   lang_output_section_phdr_list *phdrs;
 
   unsigned int block_value;
-  int subsection_alignment;	/* Alignment of components.  */
-  int section_alignment;	/* Alignment of start of section.  */
   int constraint;
   flagword flags;
   enum section_type sectype;