diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in
index 4e728834a1b9dea2d0d6a41076d9a3d572424321..4919f2ac8b89709a6cd3929603b1f3fc401293c5 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ SECTIONS
   _got_start = .;
   .got			: { *(.got) }
   _got_end = .;
+
+  /* ensure the zImage file size is always a multiple of 64 bits */
+  /* (without a dummy byte, ld just ignores the empty section) */
+  .pad			: { BYTE(0); . = ALIGN(8); }
   _edata = .;
 
   . = BSS_START;