diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/armlinux.c b/arch/arm/lib/armlinux.c
index be950f00a..78a14a378 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/armlinux.c
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/armlinux.c
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ static struct tag *params;
 #endif
 
 
-int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd)
+int do_bootm_linux(struct image_handle *os_handle, struct image_handle *initrd)
 {
-	ulong initrd_start, initrd_end;
 	void (*theKernel)(int zero, int arch, uint params);
+	image_header_t *os_header = &os_handle->header;
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMDLINE_TAG
 	const char *commandline = getenv ("bootargs");
 #endif
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd)
 		printf("Multifile images not handled at the moment\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
-printf("os header: 0x%p ep: %\n", os_header, os_header + 1);
+
+	printf("commandline: %s\n", commandline);
+
 	theKernel = (void (*)(int, int, uint))ntohl((unsigned long)(os_header->ih_ep));
 
 	debug ("## Transferring control to Linux (at address %08lx) ...\n",
@@ -113,7 +115,7 @@ printf("os header: 0x%p ep: %\n", os_header, os_header + 1);
 #endif
 	setup_end_tag ();
 #endif
-	if (relocate_image(os_header, (void *)ntohl(os_header->ih_load)))
+	if (relocate_image(os_handle, (void *)ntohl(os_header->ih_load)))
 		return -1;
 
 	/* we assume that the kernel is in place */
diff --git a/arch/ppc/lib/ppclinux.c b/arch/ppc/lib/ppclinux.c
index c75b84203..dcd40c225 100644
--- a/arch/ppc/lib/ppclinux.c
+++ b/arch/ppc/lib/ppclinux.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ extern bd_t *bd;
 #define SHOW_BOOT_PROGRESS(x)
 
 int
-do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd_header, const char *oftree)
+do_bootm_linux(struct image_handle *os_handle, struct image_handle *initrd_handle, const char *oftree)
 {
 	ulong	sp;
 	ulong	initrd_end = 0;
@@ -30,18 +30,23 @@ do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd_header, const c
 	void	(*kernel)(bd_t *, ulong, ulong, ulong, ulong);
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
 	char	*of_flat_tree = NULL;
-//	ulong	of_data = 0;
 #endif
+	image_header_t *os_header = &os_handle->header;
+	image_header_t *initrd_header = NULL;
 	void    *os_data = NULL;
 	void    *initrd_data = NULL;
 	void    *of_data = NULL;
+	struct image_handle *oftree_handle;
 	unsigned long os_len, initrd_len;
 
+	if (initrd_handle)
+		initrd_header = &initrd_handle->header;
+
 	printf("entering %s: os_header: %p initrd_header: %p oftree: %p\n",
 			__FUNCTION__, os_header, initrd_header, oftree);
 
 	if (os_header->ih_type == IH_TYPE_MULTI) {
-		unsigned long *data = (unsigned long *)(os_header + 1);
+		unsigned long *data = (unsigned long *)(os_handle->data);
 		unsigned long len1 = 0, len2 = 0;
 
 		if (!*data) {
@@ -83,22 +88,21 @@ do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd_header, const c
 			initrd_len  = len1;
 		}
 	} else {
-		os_data = (void *)(os_header + 1);
+		os_data = os_handle->data;
 		printf("set os_data to %p\n", os_data);
 	}
 
-	if (initrd_header)
-		initrd_data = (void *)(initrd_header + 1);
+	if (initrd_handle)
+		initrd_data = initrd_handle->data;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
 	if (oftree) {
-		image_header_t *oftree_header;
 		/* The oftree can be given either as an uboot image or as a
 		 * binary blob. First try to read it as an image.
 		 */
-		oftree_header = map_image(oftree, 1);
-		if (oftree_header) {
-			of_data = (void *)(oftree_header + 1);
+		oftree_handle = map_image(oftree, 1);
+		if (oftree_handle) {
+			of_data = oftree_handle->data;
 		} else {
 			of_data = read_file(oftree);
 			if (!of_data) {
@@ -197,7 +201,7 @@ do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os_header, image_header_t *initrd_header, const c
 
 	kernel = (void (*)(bd_t *, ulong, ulong, ulong, ulong))ntohl(os_header->ih_ep); /* FIXME */
 
-	if (relocate_image(os_header, (void *)ntohl(os_header->ih_load)))
+	if (relocate_image(os_handle, (void *)ntohl(os_header->ih_load)))
 		return -1;
 
 #if defined(CFG_INIT_RAM_LOCK) && !defined(CONFIG_E500)
diff --git a/commands/bootm.c b/commands/bootm.c
index ec6e11c28..8dac4da4f 100644
--- a/commands/bootm.c
+++ b/commands/bootm.c
@@ -167,10 +167,11 @@ print_type (image_header_t *hdr)
 }
 #endif
 
-int relocate_image(image_header_t *hdr, void *load_address)
+int relocate_image(struct image_handle *handle, void *load_address)
 {
-	unsigned long data = (unsigned long)(hdr + 1);
+	image_header_t *hdr = &handle->header;
 	unsigned long len  = ntohl(hdr->ih_size);
+	unsigned long data = (unsigned long)(handle->data);
 
 #if defined CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_ZLIB || defined CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_BZLIB
 	uint	unc_len = CFG_BOOTM_LEN;
@@ -215,12 +216,12 @@ int relocate_image(image_header_t *hdr, void *load_address)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-image_header_t *map_image(const char *filename, int verify)
+struct image_handle *map_image(const char *filename, int verify)
 {
 	int fd;
 	uint32_t checksum, len;
-	void *data;
-	image_header_t *header, *tmp_header;
+	struct image_handle *handle;
+	image_header_t *header;
 
 	fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd < 0) {
@@ -228,7 +229,8 @@ image_header_t *map_image(const char *filename, int verify)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	header = xmalloc(sizeof(image_header_t));
+	handle = xzalloc(sizeof(struct image_handle));
+	header = &handle->header;
 
 	if (read(fd, header, sizeof(image_header_t)) < 0) {
 		printf("could not read: %s\n", errno_str());
@@ -249,38 +251,47 @@ image_header_t *map_image(const char *filename, int verify)
 	}
 	len  = ntohl(header->ih_size);
 
-	tmp_header = realloc(header, sizeof(image_header_t) + len);
-	if (!tmp_header)
-		goto err_out;
-	header = tmp_header;
-
-	data = (void *)(header + 1);
-
-	if (read(fd, data, len) < 0) {
-		printf("could not read: %s\n", errno_str());
-		goto err_out;
+	handle->data = memmap(fd, PROT_READ);
+	if (!handle) {
+		handle->data = xmalloc(len);
+		handle->flags = IH_MALLOC;
+		if (read(fd, &handle->data, len) < 0) {
+			printf("could not read: %s\n", errno_str());
+			goto err_out;
+		}
+	} else {
+		handle->data = (void *)((unsigned long)handle->data + sizeof(image_header_t));
 	}
 
 	if (verify) {
 		puts ("   Verifying Checksum ... ");
-		if (crc32 (0, data, len) != ntohl(header->ih_dcrc)) {
+		if (crc32 (0, handle->data, len) != ntohl(header->ih_dcrc)) {
 			printf ("Bad Data CRC\n");
 			goto err_out;
 		}
 		puts ("OK\n");
 	}
 
-	print_image_hdr (header);
+	print_image_hdr(header);
 
 	close(fd);
 
-	return header;
+	return handle;
 err_out:
 	close(fd);
-	free(header);
+	if (handle->flags & IH_MALLOC)
+		free(handle->data);
+	free(handle);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+void unmap_image(struct image_handle *handle)
+{
+	if (handle->flags & IH_MALLOC)
+		free(handle->data);
+	free(handle);
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
 #define OPT_OFTREE "o:"
 #else
@@ -295,10 +306,10 @@ int do_bootm (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 	char	*initrd = NULL;
 	image_header_t *os_header;
 	image_header_t *initrd_header = NULL;
+	struct image_handle *os_handle, *initrd_handle = NULL;
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
 	char	*oftree = NULL;
 #endif
-	int ignore_load_address = 0;
 
 	getopt_reset();
 
@@ -310,9 +321,6 @@ int do_bootm (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'n':
 			verify = 0;
 			break;
-		case 'i':
-			ignore_load_address = 1;
-			break;
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
 		case 'o':
 			oftree = optarg;
@@ -328,19 +336,22 @@ int do_bootm (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	os_header = map_image(argv[optind], verify);
-	if (!os_header)
+	os_handle = map_image(argv[optind], verify);
+	if (!os_handle)
 		return 1;
 
+	os_header = &os_handle->header;
+
 	if (os_header->ih_arch != IH_CPU)	{
 		printf ("Unsupported Architecture 0x%x\n", os_header->ih_arch);
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 
 	if (initrd) {
-		initrd_header = map_image(initrd, verify);
-		if (!initrd_header)
+		initrd_handle = map_image(initrd, verify);
+		if (!initrd_handle)
 			goto err_out;
+		initrd_header = &initrd_handle->header;
 	}
 #if 0
 	switch (os_header->ih_type) {
@@ -383,9 +394,9 @@ int do_bootm (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		fixup_silent_linux();
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
-		do_bootm_linux(os_header, initrd_header, oftree);
+		do_bootm_linux(os_handle, initrd_handle, oftree);
 #else
-		do_bootm_linux(os_header, initrd_header);
+		do_bootm_linux(os_handle, initrd_handle);
 #endif
 	    break;
 #ifdef CONFIG_NETBSD
@@ -434,10 +445,10 @@ int do_bootm (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 #endif
 
 err_out:
-	if (os_header)
-		free(os_header);
-	if (initrd_header)
-		free(initrd_header);
+	if (os_handle)
+		unmap_image(os_handle);
+	if (initrd_handle)
+		unmap_image(initrd_handle);
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/boot.h b/include/boot.h
index 09d4ce631..889773bc2 100644
--- a/include/boot.h
+++ b/include/boot.h
@@ -2,21 +2,11 @@
 #define __BOOT_H
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
-int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os, image_header_t *initrd,
+int do_bootm_linux(struct image_handle *os, struct image_handle *initrd,
 	const char *oftree);
 #else
-int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os, image_header_t *initrd);
+int do_bootm_linux(struct image_handle *os, struct image_handle *initrd);
 #endif
 
 #endif /* __BOOT_H */
-#ifndef __BOOT_H
-#define __BOOT_H
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_OF_FLAT_TREE
-int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os, image_header_t *initrd,
-	const char *oftree);
-#else
-int do_bootm_linux(image_header_t *os, image_header_t *initrd);
-#endif
-
-#endif /* __BOOT_H */
diff --git a/include/image.h b/include/image.h
index 5d744beb6..648e9d6be 100644
--- a/include/image.h
+++ b/include/image.h
@@ -180,6 +180,13 @@ typedef struct image_header {
 	uint8_t		ih_name[IH_NMLEN];	/* Image Name		*/
 } image_header_t;
 
+struct image_handle {
+	image_header_t	header;
+	void *data;
+#define IH_MALLOC	1
+	int flags;
+};
+
 /* commamds/bootm.c */
 void	print_image_hdr (image_header_t *hdr);
 
@@ -187,12 +194,12 @@ void	print_image_hdr (image_header_t *hdr);
  * Load an image into memory. Returns a pointer to the loaded
  * image.
  */
-image_header_t *map_image(const char *filename, int verify);
+struct image_handle *map_image(const char *filename, int verify);
 
 /*
  * Relocate an image to load_address by uncompressing
  * or just copying.
  */
-int relocate_image(image_header_t *hdr, void *load_address);
+int relocate_image(struct image_handle *handle, void *load_address);
 
 #endif	/* __IMAGE_H__ */