diff --git a/src/arch/x86/lib/c_start.S b/src/arch/x86/lib/c_start.S
index 762aa8c264..32af0ccdf9 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/lib/c_start.S
+++ b/src/arch/x86/lib/c_start.S
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ _stack:
 .space CONFIG_MAX_CPUS*CONFIG_STACK_SIZE
 _estack:
 
-	.section ".textfirst"
+	.section ".textfirst", "ax", @progbits
 	.code32
 	.globl _start
 _start: