diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
index e6b7049f4f8fa..799da4150c5d3 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
@@ -300,10 +300,6 @@ fn resolve_crate<'a>(e: &mut Env,
                 dylib, rlib, metadata
             } = load_ctxt.load_library_crate(root);
 
-            // Claim this crate number and cache it
-            let cnum = e.next_crate_num;
-            e.next_crate_num += 1;
-
             // Stash paths for top-most crate locally if necessary.
             let crate_paths = if root.is_none() {
                 Some(CratePaths {
@@ -324,6 +320,17 @@ fn resolve_crate<'a>(e: &mut Env,
                 @RefCell::new(HashMap::new())
             };
 
+            // Claim this crate number and cache it if we're linking to the
+            // crate, otherwise it's a syntax-only crate and we don't need to
+            // reserve a number
+            let cnum = if should_link {
+                let n = e.next_crate_num;
+                e.next_crate_num += 1;
+                n
+            } else {
+                -1
+            };
+
             let cmeta = @cstore::crate_metadata {
                 name: load_ctxt.crate_id.name.to_owned(),
                 data: metadata,
diff --git a/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-1.rs b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-1.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..858d7269cd874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-1.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright 2014 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// no-prefer-dynamic
+
+#![crate_type = "dylib"]
diff --git a/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-2.rs b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-2.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8e46acca1244f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-2.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright 2014 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// no-prefer-dynamic
+
+#![crate_type = "rlib"]
diff --git a/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-3.rs b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-3.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3b77b244ce879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/auxiliary/issue-13560-3.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Copyright 2014 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// no-prefer-dynamic
+
+#![crate_type = "rlib"]
+#![feature(phase)]
+
+#[phase(syntax)] extern crate t1 = "issue-13560-1";
+#[phase(syntax, link)] extern crate t2 = "issue-13560-2";
+
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass-fulldeps/issue-13560.rs b/src/test/run-pass-fulldeps/issue-13560.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..24010c7c8b18c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass-fulldeps/issue-13560.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright 2014 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// aux-build:issue-13560-1.rs
+// aux-build:issue-13560-2.rs
+// aux-build:issue-13560-3.rs
+// ignore-stage1
+// ignore-android
+// ignore-cross-compile #12102
+
+// Regression test for issue #13560, the test itself is all in the dependent
+// libraries. The fail which previously failed to compile is the one numbered 3.
+
+extern crate t2 = "issue-13560-2";
+extern crate t3 = "issue-13560-3";
+
+fn main() {}