diff --git a/payloads/libpayload/libcbfs/cbfs.c b/payloads/libpayload/libcbfs/cbfs.c
index 6243473170..4dfe30a780 100644
--- a/payloads/libpayload/libcbfs/cbfs.c
+++ b/payloads/libpayload/libcbfs/cbfs.c
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ void * cbfs_load_stage(struct cbfs_media *media, const char *name)
 	/* this is a mess. There is no ntohll. */
 	/* for now, assume compatible byte order until we solve this. */
 	uint32_t entry;
+	uint32_t final_size;
 
 	if (stage == NULL)
 		return (void *) -1;
@@ -144,15 +145,18 @@ void * cbfs_load_stage(struct cbfs_media *media, const char *name)
 			name,
 			(uint32_t) stage->load, stage->memlen,
 			stage->entry);
-	memset((void *) (uint32_t) stage->load, 0, stage->memlen);
 
-	if (!cbfs_decompress(stage->compression,
-			     ((unsigned char *) stage) +
-			     sizeof(struct cbfs_stage),
-			     (void *) (uint32_t) stage->load,
-			     stage->len))
+	final_size = cbfs_decompress(stage->compression,
+				     ((unsigned char *) stage) +
+				     sizeof(struct cbfs_stage),
+				     (void *) (uint32_t) stage->load,
+				     stage->len);
+	if (!final_size)
 		return (void *) -1;
 
+	memset((void *)((uintptr_t)stage->load + final_size), 0,
+	       stage->memlen - final_size);
+
 	DEBUG("stage loaded.\n");
 
 	entry = stage->entry;
diff --git a/src/lib/cbfs.c b/src/lib/cbfs.c
index 400b8a5f9d..f48d887d87 100644
--- a/src/lib/cbfs.c
+++ b/src/lib/cbfs.c
@@ -268,8 +268,6 @@ void * cbfs_load_stage(struct cbfs_media *media, const char *name)
 			name,
 			(uint32_t) stage->load, stage->memlen,
 			stage->entry);
-	/* Stages rely the below clearing so that the bss is initialized. */
-	memset((void *) (uint32_t) stage->load, 0, stage->memlen);
 
 	final_size = cbfs_decompress(stage->compression,
 				     ((unsigned char *) stage) +
@@ -279,6 +277,10 @@ void * cbfs_load_stage(struct cbfs_media *media, const char *name)
 	if (!final_size)
 		return (void *) -1;
 
+	/* Stages rely the below clearing so that the bss is initialized. */
+	memset((void *)((uintptr_t)stage->load + final_size), 0,
+	       stage->memlen - final_size);
+
 	DEBUG("stage loaded.\n");
 
 	entry = stage->entry;