diff --git a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
index 5bf52eeb4bbd103e04ee6d6fca66cef8897f4590..9318be4d109e73475b22b7b6f646f6462adb7a04 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
@@ -207,7 +207,15 @@ static void ppc_heathrow_init (ram_addr_t ram_size, int vga_ram_size,
     if (linux_boot) {
         kernel_base = KERNEL_LOAD_ADDR;
         /* now we can load the kernel */
-        kernel_size = load_image(kernel_filename, phys_ram_base + kernel_base);
+        kernel_size = load_elf(kernel_filename, kernel_base - 0xc0000000ULL,
+                               NULL, NULL, NULL);
+        if (kernel_size < 0)
+            kernel_size = load_aout(kernel_filename, kernel_base,
+                                    ram_size - kernel_base);
+        if (kernel_size < 0)
+            kernel_size = load_image_targphys(kernel_filename,
+                                              kernel_base,
+                                              ram_size - kernel_base);
         if (kernel_size < 0) {
             cpu_abort(env, "qemu: could not load kernel '%s'\n",
                       kernel_filename);