diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs b/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
index 6c19eb18..aa1af3cf 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 //
 
 use crate::util::bytes_to_struct;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::Path;
@@ -144,9 +145,21 @@ pub struct ElfFile {
 
 impl ElfFile {
     pub fn from_path(path: &Path) -> Result<ElfFile, String> {
+        Self::from_split_paths(path, None)
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_split_paths(path: &Path, path_for_symbols: Option<&Path>) -> Result<ElfFile, String> {
         let reader = ElfFileReader::from_path(path)?;
+        let reader_for_symbols = match path_for_symbols {
+            Some(path_for_symbols) => {
+                Cow::Owned(ElfFileReader::from_path(path_for_symbols)?)
+            }
+            None => {
+                Cow::Borrowed(&reader)
+            }
+        };
         let segments = reader.segments();
-        let symbols = reader.symbols()?;
+        let symbols = reader_for_symbols.symbols()?;
         Ok(ElfFile {
             word_size: reader.word_size,
             entry: reader.hdr.entry,
diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/main.rs b/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
index fc02bebe..e6816ccf 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
@@ -3315,7 +3315,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
     for pd in &system.protection_domains {
         match get_full_path(&pd.program_image, &search_paths) {
             Some(path) => {
-                let elf = ElfFile::from_path(&path).unwrap();
+                let path_for_symbols = pd.program_image_for_symbols.as_ref().map(|path_suffix| {
+                    get_full_path(path_suffix, &search_paths).ok_or_else(|| {
+                        format!("unable to find program image for symbols: '{}'", path_suffix.display())
+                    })
+                }).transpose()?;
+                let elf = ElfFile::from_split_paths(&path, path_for_symbols.as_deref()).unwrap();
                 pd_elf_files.push(elf);
             }
             None => {
diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/sdf.rs b/tool/microkit/src/sdf.rs
index e6540b35..2d465096 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/sdf.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/sdf.rs
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ pub struct ProtectionDomain {
     pub passive: bool,
     pub stack_size: u64,
     pub program_image: PathBuf,
+    pub program_image_for_symbols: Option<PathBuf>,
     pub maps: Vec<SysMap>,
     pub irqs: Vec<SysIrq>,
     pub setvars: Vec<SysSetVar>,
@@ -397,6 +398,7 @@ impl ProtectionDomain {
         let mut child_pds = Vec::new();
 
         let mut program_image = None;
+        let mut program_image_for_symbols = None;
         let mut virtual_machine = None;
 
         // Default to minimum priority
@@ -421,7 +423,7 @@ impl ProtectionDomain {
 
             match child.tag_name().name() {
                 "program_image" => {
-                    check_attributes(xml_sdf, &child, &["path"])?;
+                    check_attributes(xml_sdf, &child, &["path", "path_for_symbols"])?;
                     if program_image.is_some() {
                         return Err(value_error(
                             xml_sdf,
@@ -432,6 +434,8 @@ impl ProtectionDomain {
 
                     let program_image_path = checked_lookup(xml_sdf, &child, "path")?;
                     program_image = Some(Path::new(program_image_path).to_path_buf());
+
+                    program_image_for_symbols = child.attribute("path_for_symbols").map(PathBuf::from);
                 }
                 "map" => {
                     let map = SysMap::from_xml(xml_sdf, &child, true)?;
@@ -567,6 +571,7 @@ impl ProtectionDomain {
             passive,
             stack_size,
             program_image: program_image.unwrap(),
+            program_image_for_symbols,
             maps,
             irqs,
             setvars,