diff --git a/arch/blackfin/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S b/arch/blackfin/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
index 0896e38d61087f1398a096cb6790d96afc4febc6..d062597e6217faf7dff3b7e42e542bbd3929a299 100644
--- a/arch/blackfin/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
+++ b/arch/blackfin/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ SECTIONS
 #if !L1_DATA_B_LENGTH
 		*(.l1.bss.B)
 #endif
+		. = ALIGN(4);
 		___bss_stop = .;
 	}
 
diff --git a/arch/blackfin/mach-common/arch_checks.c b/arch/blackfin/mach-common/arch_checks.c
index f9160d83b91f5ecd632d011f71c6f29e9f7746f3..5986758b2752b75737141ebb5cec6d76c423c38d 100644
--- a/arch/blackfin/mach-common/arch_checks.c
+++ b/arch/blackfin/mach-common/arch_checks.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
  * 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  */
 
+#include <asm/fixed_code.h>
 #include <asm/mach/anomaly.h>
 #include <asm/mach-common/clocks.h>
 
@@ -53,3 +54,11 @@
 # endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_BFIN_KERNEL_CLOCK */
+
+#if CONFIG_BOOT_LOAD < FIXED_CODE_END
+# error "The kernel load address must be after the fixed code section"
+#endif
+
+#if (CONFIG_BOOT_LOAD & 0x3)
+# error "The kernel load address must be 4 byte aligned"
+#endif