diff --git a/src/lib/cbmem_stage_cache.c b/src/lib/cbmem_stage_cache.c
index b45c9505f8..5e76fb0801 100644
--- a/src/lib/cbmem_stage_cache.c
+++ b/src/lib/cbmem_stage_cache.c
@@ -21,14 +21,21 @@ void stage_cache_add(int stage_id, const struct prog *stage)
 	meta->entry_addr = (uintptr_t)prog_entry(stage);
 	meta->arg = (uintptr_t)prog_entry_arg(stage);
 
-	c = cbmem_add(CBMEM_ID_STAGEx_CACHE + stage_id, prog_size(stage));
+	unsigned int p_size = prog_size(stage);
+	if (stage_id == STAGE_RAMSTAGE) {
+		/* heap resides at the end of the image and will be
+		   reinitialized, so it doesn't make sense to copy it around. */
+		p_size -= CONFIG_HEAP_SIZE;
+	}
+
+	c = cbmem_add(CBMEM_ID_STAGEx_CACHE + stage_id, p_size);
 	if (c == NULL) {
 		printk(BIOS_ERR, "Can't add stage_cache %x to cbmem\n",
 				CBMEM_ID_STAGEx_CACHE + stage_id);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	memcpy(c, prog_start(stage), prog_size(stage));
+	memcpy(c, prog_start(stage), p_size);
 }
 
 void stage_cache_add_raw(int stage_id, const void *base, const size_t size)
diff --git a/src/lib/ext_stage_cache.c b/src/lib/ext_stage_cache.c
index a35ce37ccc..462a635dc8 100644
--- a/src/lib/ext_stage_cache.c
+++ b/src/lib/ext_stage_cache.c
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@ void stage_cache_add(int stage_id, const struct prog *stage)
 	meta->entry_addr = (uintptr_t)prog_entry(stage);
 	meta->arg = (uintptr_t)prog_entry_arg(stage);
 
-	e = imd_entry_add(imd, CBMEM_ID_STAGEx_CACHE + stage_id,
-				prog_size(stage));
+	unsigned int p_size = prog_size(stage);
+	if (stage_id == STAGE_RAMSTAGE) {
+		/* heap resides at the end of the image and will be
+		 * reinitialized, so it doesn't make sense to copy it around.
+		 */
+		p_size -= CONFIG_HEAP_SIZE;
+	}
+
+	e = imd_entry_add(imd, CBMEM_ID_STAGEx_CACHE + stage_id, p_size);
 
 	if (e == NULL) {
 		printk(BIOS_DEBUG, "Error: Can't add stage_cache %x to imd\n",
@@ -70,7 +77,7 @@ void stage_cache_add(int stage_id, const struct prog *stage)
 
 	c = imd_entry_at(imd, e);
 
-	memcpy(c, prog_start(stage), prog_size(stage));
+	memcpy(c, prog_start(stage), p_size);
 }
 
 void stage_cache_add_raw(int stage_id, const void *base, const size_t size)
diff --git a/src/lib/program.ld b/src/lib/program.ld
index f406f9f3b4..68bcab6405 100644
--- a/src/lib/program.ld
+++ b/src/lib/program.ld
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@
 _eprogram = .;
 RECORD_SIZE(program)
 
+/* The stage cache drops CONFIG_HEAP_SIZE bytes from the end of the in-memory
+   image of the ramstage, so ensure that when moving that many bytes backwards
+   from the program end, we're in the heap (or later), in some region that
+   doesn't contain initialized code or data. */
+#if ENV_RAMSTAGE
+_bogus = ASSERT(_eprogram - CONFIG_HEAP_SIZE >= _heap,
+	"HEAP_SIZE and heap misaligned");
+#endif
+
 /* Discard the sections we don't need/want */
 
 zeroptr = 0;