diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/pbl.lds.S b/arch/arm/lib/pbl.lds.S
index 0954c89ce..d7a3cc522 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/pbl.lds.S
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/pbl.lds.S
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ SECTIONS
 	/DISCARD/ : { *(.ARM.ex*) }
 
 	BAREBOX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
+	BAREBOX_PBL_SIZE
 
 	. = ALIGN(4);
 	.rodata : { *(.rodata*) }
diff --git a/common/Kconfig b/common/Kconfig
index 8af7ec1a8..b65bdd8b2 100644
--- a/common/Kconfig
+++ b/common/Kconfig
@@ -145,13 +145,24 @@ config BAREBOX_MAX_IMAGE_SIZE
 	help
 	  Define the maximum size of barebox
 
-config BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
-	prompt "Maximum bare_init size"
+config BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE
+	depends on PBL_IMAGE
+	prompt "Maximum pre-bootloader size"
 	hex
 	default 0xffffffff
+	help
+	  On some hardware the ROM code can load the pbl into SRAM, but not
+	  the whole image. This option specifies how big the pbl may get.
+
+config BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
+	prompt "Maximum bare_init size"
+	hex
+	range 0x0 BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE if LOAD_PBL_SRAM
+	default BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE if LOAD_PBL_SRAM
+	default 0xffffffff
 	help
 	  Define the maximum size of bare_init
-	  this will allow your bare_init will fit in SRAM as example
+	  this will allow your bare_init to fit in SRAM as example
 	  ARCH can overwrite it via ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
 
 config HAVE_CONFIGURABLE_MEMORY_LAYOUT
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h b/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
index 6d3a69ef2..5dabda3fb 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ CONFIG_ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE < CONFIG_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
 #define MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE CONFIG_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
 #endif
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE) && \
+CONFIG_ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE < CONFIG_BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE
+#define MAX_PBL_SIZE CONFIG_ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE
+#else
+#define MAX_PBL_SIZE CONFIG_BAREBOX_MAX_PBL_SIZE
+#endif
+
 #include <linux/stringify.h>
 /* use 2 ASSERT because ld can not accept '"size" "10"' format */
 #define BAREBOX_BARE_INIT_SIZE					\
@@ -67,3 +74,9 @@ CONFIG_ARCH_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE < CONFIG_BAREBOX_MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE
 	ASSERT(_barebox_bare_init_size < MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE, "Barebox bare_init size > ") \
 	ASSERT(_barebox_bare_init_size < MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE, __stringify(MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE)) \
 
+#define BAREBOX_PBL_SIZE					\
+	_barebox_pbl_size = __bss_start - _text;		\
+	ASSERT(MAX_BARE_INIT_SIZE <= MAX_PBL_SIZE, "bare_init cannot be bigger than pbl") \
+	ASSERT(_barebox_pbl_size < MAX_PBL_SIZE, "Barebox pbl size > ") \
+	ASSERT(_barebox_pbl_size < MAX_PBL_SIZE, __stringify(MAX_PBL_SIZE)) \
+