diff --git a/src/commonlib/bsd/include/commonlib/bsd/cbfs_serialized.h b/src/commonlib/bsd/include/commonlib/bsd/cbfs_serialized.h
index ac4b38f7a2..dd504695b3 100644
--- a/src/commonlib/bsd/include/commonlib/bsd/cbfs_serialized.h
+++ b/src/commonlib/bsd/include/commonlib/bsd/cbfs_serialized.h
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ struct cbfs_file_attribute {
 	uint8_t data[0];
 } __packed;
 
+/* All attribute sizes must be divisible by this! */
+#define CBFS_ATTRIBUTE_ALIGN 4
+
 /* Depending on how the header was initialized, it may be backed with 0x00 or
  * 0xff. Support both. */
 enum cbfs_file_attr_tag {
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfs_image.c b/util/cbfstool/cbfs_image.c
index 0191682de9..d3c6c94d48 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfs_image.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfs_image.c
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@
  * removing said guarantees.
  */
 
-/* The file name align is not defined in CBFS spec -- only a preference by
- * (old) cbfstool. */
-#define CBFS_FILENAME_ALIGN	(16)
-
 static const char *lookup_name_by_type(const struct typedesc_t *desc, uint32_t type,
 				const char *default_value)
 {
@@ -70,7 +66,7 @@ int cbfs_parse_comp_algo(const char *name)
 size_t cbfs_calculate_file_header_size(const char *name)
 {
 	return (sizeof(struct cbfs_file) +
-		align_up(strlen(name) + 1, CBFS_FILENAME_ALIGN));
+		align_up(strlen(name) + 1, CBFS_ATTRIBUTE_ALIGN));
 }
 
 /* Only call on legacy CBFSes possessing a master header. */
@@ -1870,6 +1866,7 @@ struct cbfs_file_attribute *cbfs_add_file_attr(struct cbfs_file *header,
 					       uint32_t tag,
 					       uint32_t size)
 {
+	assert(IS_ALIGNED(size, CBFS_ATTRIBUTE_ALIGN));
 	struct cbfs_file_attribute *attr, *next;
 	next = cbfs_file_first_attr(header);
 	do {
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c b/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
index c7330a493e..72c01b9ea0 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
@@ -751,7 +751,8 @@ static int cbfs_add_component(const char *filename,
 
 	if (param.padding) {
 		const uint32_t hs = sizeof(struct cbfs_file_attribute);
-		uint32_t size = MAX(hs, param.padding);
+		uint32_t size = ALIGN_UP(MAX(hs, param.padding),
+					 CBFS_ATTRIBUTE_ALIGN);
 		INFO("Padding %d bytes\n", size);
 		struct cbfs_file_attribute *attr =
 			(struct cbfs_file_attribute *)cbfs_add_file_attr(