# Call relocation types

DevFeed: [Call relocation types](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/call-relocation-types-31126.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://maskray.me/blog/call-relocation-types>)

Published: 2026-02-16T08:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [MaskRay](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/maskray.md>)

Topics: [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/x86.md>), [Assembly](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/assembly.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [architectures](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architectures.md>), [binutils](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/binutils.md>), [function](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/function.md>), [linker](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linker.md>), [static-linking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/static-linking.md>), [symbols](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/symbols.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86.md>), [x86-64](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86-64.md>)

## AI overview

This technical post explains why some architectures use separate ELF relocation types for direct function calls and tail calls. It contrasts static linking, where a PC-relative relocation can often be reused, with dynamic linking, where calls may use PLT indirection and therefore require relocation types that encode call semantics.

## Source excerpt

Most architectures encode direct branch/call instructions with a PC-relative displacement. This post discusses a specific category of branch relocations: those used for direct function calls and tail calls. Some architectures use two ELF relocation types for a call instruction: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 # i386, x86-64 call foo # R_386_PC32, R_X86_64_PC32 call foo@plt # R_386_PLT32, R_X86_64_PLT32 # m68k bsr.l foo # R_68K_PC32 bsr.l foo@plt # R_68K_PLT32 # s390/s390x brasl %r14, foo # R_390_PC32DBL brasl %r14, foo@plt # R_390_PLT32DBL # sparc call foo, 0 # not PIC: R_SPARC_WDISP30 call foo, 0 # gas -KPIC: R_SPARC_WPLT30