diff --git a/compiler/rustc_data_structures/src/sync/vec.rs b/compiler/rustc_data_structures/src/sync/vec.rs
index 314496ce9f095..2d3c23e8b9090 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_data_structures/src/sync/vec.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_data_structures/src/sync/vec.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ impl<I: Idx, T: Copy> AppendOnlyIndexVec<I, T> {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Default)]
 pub struct AppendOnlyVec<T: Copy> {
     vec: parking_lot::RwLock<Vec<T>>,
 }
@@ -80,6 +79,12 @@ impl<T: Copy + PartialEq> AppendOnlyVec<T> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<T: Copy> Default for AppendOnlyVec<T> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        AppendOnlyVec { vec: Default::default() }
+    }
+}
+
 impl<A: Copy> FromIterator<A> for AppendOnlyVec<A> {
     fn from_iter<T: IntoIterator<Item = A>>(iter: T) -> Self {
         let this = Self::new();
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/creader.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/creader.rs
index a3da8c14f63a7..a185cc12ca28c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/creader.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/creader.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ impl CStore {
         CrateMetadataRef { cdata, cstore: self }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn get_crate_data_mut(&mut self, cnum: CrateNum) -> &mut CrateMetadata {
+        self.metas[cnum].as_mut().unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("Failed to get crate data for {cnum:?}"))
+    }
+
     fn set_crate_data(&mut self, cnum: CrateNum, data: CrateMetadata) {
         assert!(self.metas[cnum].is_none(), "Overwriting crate metadata entry");
         self.metas[cnum] = Some(Box::new(data));
@@ -524,7 +528,10 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CrateLoader<'a, 'tcx> {
     ) -> Option<CrateNum> {
         self.used_extern_options.insert(name);
         match self.maybe_resolve_crate(name, dep_kind, None) {
-            Ok(cnum) => Some(cnum),
+            Ok(cnum) => {
+                self.cstore.set_used_recursively(cnum);
+                Some(cnum)
+            }
             Err(err) => {
                 let missing_core =
                     self.maybe_resolve_crate(sym::core, CrateDepKind::Explicit, None).is_err();
@@ -1066,6 +1073,16 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CrateLoader<'a, 'tcx> {
     pub fn maybe_process_path_extern(&mut self, name: Symbol) -> Option<CrateNum> {
         self.maybe_resolve_crate(name, CrateDepKind::Explicit, None).ok()
     }
+
+    pub fn unload_unused_crates(&mut self) {
+        for opt_cdata in &mut self.cstore.metas {
+            if let Some(cdata) = opt_cdata
+                && !cdata.used
+            {
+                *opt_cdata = None;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 fn global_allocator_spans(krate: &ast::Crate) -> Vec<Span> {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder.rs
index 2de29db9e5c84..8535b14d11f84 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ pub(crate) struct CrateMetadata {
     private_dep: AtomicBool,
     /// The hash for the host proc macro. Used to support `-Z dual-proc-macro`.
     host_hash: Option<Svh>,
+    /// The crate was used non-speculatively.
+    pub used: bool,
 
     /// Additional data used for decoding `HygieneData` (e.g. `SyntaxContext`
     /// and `ExpnId`).
@@ -1822,6 +1824,7 @@ impl CrateMetadata {
             source: Lrc::new(source),
             private_dep: AtomicBool::new(private_dep),
             host_hash,
+            used: false,
             extern_crate: Lock::new(None),
             hygiene_context: Default::default(),
             def_key_cache: Default::default(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder/cstore_impl.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder/cstore_impl.rs
index bb8f4af8e97ae..addacf7643d6d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder/cstore_impl.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/decoder/cstore_impl.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use rustc_span::symbol::{kw, Symbol};
 use rustc_span::Span;
 
 use std::any::Any;
+use std::mem;
 
 use super::{Decodable, DecodeContext, DecodeIterator};
 
@@ -581,6 +582,18 @@ impl CStore {
     ) -> Span {
         self.get_crate_data(cnum).get_proc_macro_quoted_span(id, sess)
     }
+
+    pub fn set_used_recursively(&mut self, cnum: CrateNum) {
+        let cdata = self.get_crate_data_mut(cnum);
+        if !cdata.used {
+            cdata.used = true;
+            let dependencies = mem::take(&mut cdata.dependencies);
+            for dep_cnum in dependencies.iter() {
+                self.set_used_recursively(dep_cnum);
+            }
+            self.get_crate_data_mut(cnum).dependencies = dependencies;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl CrateStore for CStore {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/late.rs b/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/late.rs
index a82f7bdfbf3fd..5387da2aa1767 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/late.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/late.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use rustc_hir::def::Namespace::{self, *};
 use rustc_hir::def::{self, CtorKind, DefKind, LifetimeRes, NonMacroAttrKind, PartialRes, PerNS};
 use rustc_hir::def_id::{DefId, LocalDefId, CRATE_DEF_ID, LOCAL_CRATE};
 use rustc_hir::{BindingAnnotation, PrimTy, TraitCandidate};
+use rustc_metadata::creader::CStore;
 use rustc_middle::middle::resolve_bound_vars::Set1;
 use rustc_middle::{bug, span_bug};
 use rustc_session::config::{CrateType, ResolveDocLinks};
@@ -4455,14 +4456,20 @@ impl<'a: 'ast, 'b, 'ast, 'tcx> LateResolutionVisitor<'a, 'b, 'ast, 'tcx> {
                 if let Some(res) = res
                     && let Some(def_id) = res.opt_def_id()
                     && !def_id.is_local()
-                    && self.r.tcx.crate_types().contains(&CrateType::ProcMacro)
-                    && matches!(
-                        self.r.tcx.sess.opts.resolve_doc_links,
-                        ResolveDocLinks::ExportedMetadata
-                    )
                 {
-                    // Encoding foreign def ids in proc macro crate metadata will ICE.
-                    return None;
+                    if self.r.tcx.crate_types().contains(&CrateType::ProcMacro)
+                        && matches!(
+                            self.r.tcx.sess.opts.resolve_doc_links,
+                            ResolveDocLinks::ExportedMetadata
+                        )
+                    {
+                        // Encoding foreign def ids in proc macro crate metadata will ICE.
+                        return None;
+                    }
+                    // Doc paths should be resolved speculatively and should not produce any
+                    // diagnostics, but if they are indeed resolved, then we need to keep the
+                    // corresponding crate alive.
+                    CStore::from_tcx_mut(self.r.tcx).set_used_recursively(def_id.krate);
                 }
                 res
             });
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/lib.rs
index a14f3d494fb4d..7bd904575c7f5 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_resolve/src/lib.rs
@@ -1610,6 +1610,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> Resolver<'a, 'tcx> {
             self.tcx
                 .sess
                 .time("resolve_postprocess", || self.crate_loader(|c| c.postprocess(krate)));
+            self.crate_loader(|c| c.unload_unused_crates());
         });
 
         // Make sure we don't mutate the cstore from here on.
diff --git a/tests/ui/extern-flag/empty-extern-arg.stderr b/tests/ui/extern-flag/empty-extern-arg.stderr
index 54b5e66fc2100..6ad3effe0e26e 100644
--- a/tests/ui/extern-flag/empty-extern-arg.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/extern-flag/empty-extern-arg.stderr
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 error: extern location for std does not exist: 
 
-error: `#[panic_handler]` function required, but not found
+error: requires `sized` lang_item
 
-error: language item required, but not found: `eh_personality`
-   |
-   = note: this can occur when a binary crate with `#![no_std]` is compiled for a target where `eh_personality` is defined in the standard library
-   = help: you may be able to compile for a target that doesn't need `eh_personality`, specify a target with `--target` or in `.cargo/config`
-
-error: aborting due to 3 previous errors
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors