diff --git a/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp b/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
index 9edc177f14..2b7fa61678 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
@@ -820,6 +820,10 @@ insert_preloaded_image(struct preloaded_image *preloadedImage, bool kernel)
 	preloadedImage->id = image->id;
 		// modules_init() uses this information to get the preloaded images
 
+	// we now no longer need to write to the text area anymore
+	set_area_protection(image->text_region.id,
+		B_KERNEL_READ_AREA | B_KERNEL_EXECUTE_AREA);
+
 	return B_OK;
 
 error1:
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
index a21c96aa8d..8729d7c193 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
@@ -2167,6 +2167,8 @@ create_preloaded_image_areas(struct preloaded_image *image)
 	image->text_region.id = create_area(name, &address, B_EXACT_ADDRESS,
 		PAGE_ALIGN(image->text_region.size), B_ALREADY_WIRED,
 		B_KERNEL_READ_AREA | B_KERNEL_WRITE_AREA);
+		// this will later be remapped read-only/executable by the
+		// ELF initialization code
 
 	strcpy(name + length, "_data");
 	address = (void *)ROUNDOWN(image->data_region.start, B_PAGE_SIZE);