diff --git a/src/arch/arm/ArmSystem.py b/src/arch/arm/ArmSystem.py
index 4fa9fd8..b42f219 100644
--- a/src/arch/arm/ArmSystem.py
+++ b/src/arch/arm/ArmSystem.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2009, 2012-2013, 2015 ARM Limited
+# Copyright (c) 2009, 2012-2013, 2015-2017 ARM Limited
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 class ArmSystem(System):
     type = 'ArmSystem'
     cxx_header = "arch/arm/system.hh"
-    load_addr_mask = 0xffffffff
     multi_proc = Param.Bool(True, "Multiprocessor system?")
     boot_loader = VectorParam.String([],
         "File that contains the boot loader code. Zero or more files may be "
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@
 class GenericArmSystem(ArmSystem):
     type = 'GenericArmSystem'
     cxx_header = "arch/arm/system.hh"
-    load_addr_mask = 0x0fffffff
     machine_type = Param.ArmMachineType('DTOnly',
         "Machine id from http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/developer/machines/")
     atags_addr = Param.Addr("Address where default atags structure should " \
@@ -108,6 +106,10 @@
         """Dump dmesg from the simulated kernel to standard out"""
         pass
 
+    # Have Linux systems for ARM auto-calc their load_addr_mask for proper
+    # kernel relocation.
+    load_addr_mask = 0x0
+
 class FreebsdArmSystem(GenericArmSystem):
     type = 'FreebsdArmSystem'
     cxx_header = "arch/arm/freebsd/system.hh"
diff --git a/src/dev/arm/RealView.py b/src/dev/arm/RealView.py
index 08145bf..699b7df 100644
--- a/src/dev/arm/RealView.py
+++ b/src/dev/arm/RealView.py
@@ -369,7 +369,6 @@
         self.nvmem.port = mem_bus.master
         cur_sys.boot_loader = loc('boot.arm')
         cur_sys.atags_addr = 0x100
-        cur_sys.load_addr_mask = 0xfffffff
         cur_sys.load_offset = 0
 
 
@@ -746,7 +745,6 @@
         if not cur_sys.boot_loader:
             cur_sys.boot_loader = loc('boot_emm.arm')
         cur_sys.atags_addr = 0x8000000
-        cur_sys.load_addr_mask = 0xfffffff
         cur_sys.load_offset = 0x80000000
 
 class VExpress_EMM64(VExpress_EMM):
@@ -764,7 +762,6 @@
         if not cur_sys.boot_loader:
             cur_sys.boot_loader = loc('boot_emm.arm64')
         cur_sys.atags_addr = 0x8000000
-        cur_sys.load_addr_mask = 0xfffffff
         cur_sys.load_offset = 0x80000000
 
 
@@ -936,9 +933,6 @@
         if not cur_sys.boot_loader:
             cur_sys.boot_loader = [ loc('boot_emm.arm64'), loc('boot_emm.arm') ]
         cur_sys.atags_addr = 0x8000000
-        # the old load_add_mask 0xfffffff works for 32-bit kernel
-        # but not the 64-bit one. The new value 0x7ffffff works for both
-        cur_sys.load_addr_mask = 0x7ffffff
         cur_sys.load_offset = 0x80000000
 
         #  Setup m5ops. It's technically not a part of the boot
diff --git a/src/sim/System.py b/src/sim/System.py
index 6876138..f45decb 100644
--- a/src/sim/System.py
+++ b/src/sim/System.py
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2017 ARM Limited
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
+# not be construed as granting a license to any other intellectual
+# property including but not limited to intellectual property relating
+# to a hardware implementation of the functionality of the software
+# licensed hereunder.  You may use the software subject to the license
+# terms below provided that you ensure that this notice is replicated
+# unmodified and in its entirety in all distributions of the software,
+# modified or unmodified, in source code or in binary form.
+#
 # Copyright (c) 2005-2007 The Regents of The University of Michigan
 # Copyright (c) 2011 Regents of the University of California
 # All rights reserved.
@@ -96,8 +108,10 @@
     kernel_extras = VectorParam.String([],"Additional object files to load")
     readfile = Param.String("", "file to read startup script from")
     symbolfile = Param.String("", "file to get the symbols from")
-    load_addr_mask = Param.UInt64(0xffffffffff,
-            "Address to mask loading binaries with")
+    load_addr_mask = Param.UInt64(0xffffffffffffffff,
+            "Address to mask loading binaries with, if 0, system "
+            "auto-calculates the mask to be the most restrictive, "
+            "otherwise it obeys a custom mask.")
     load_offset = Param.UInt64(0, "Address to offset loading binaries with")
 
     multi_thread = Param.Bool(False,
diff --git a/src/sim/system.cc b/src/sim/system.cc
index 9d0b919..e720db0 100644
--- a/src/sim/system.cc
+++ b/src/sim/system.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2014 ARM Limited
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2014,2017 ARM Limited
  * All rights reserved
  *
  * The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -158,6 +158,14 @@
             kernelEnd = kernel->bssBase() + kernel->bssSize();
             kernelEntry = kernel->entryPoint();
 
+            // If load_addr_mask is set to 0x0, then auto-calculate
+            // the smallest mask to cover all kernel addresses so gem5
+            // can relocate the kernel to a new offset.
+            if (loadAddrMask == 0) {
+                Addr shift_amt = findMsbSet(kernelEnd - kernelStart) + 1;
+                loadAddrMask = ((Addr)1 << shift_amt) - 1;
+            }
+
             // load symbols
             if (!kernel->loadGlobalSymbols(kernelSymtab))
                 fatal("could not load kernel symbols\n");