diff --git a/src/system/boot/platform/efi/arch/arm/arch_start.cpp b/src/system/boot/platform/efi/arch/arm/arch_start.cpp
index b43e5029d1..242188a5b2 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/platform/efi/arch/arm/arch_start.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/platform/efi/arch/arm/arch_start.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 
+#include <kernel.h>
 #include <boot/platform.h>
 #include <boot/stage2.h>
 #include <boot/stdio.h>
@@ -11,6 +12,9 @@
 #include "efi_platform.h"
 
 
+#define ALIGN_MEMORY_MAP	4
+
+
 extern "C" void arch_enter_kernel(uint32_t ttbr, struct kernel_args *kernelArgs,
 	addr_t kernelEntry, addr_t kernelStackTop);
 
@@ -85,7 +89,12 @@ arch_start_kernel(addr_t kernelEntry)
 	// between calls to ExitBootServices.
 	size_t actual_memory_map_size = memory_map_size * 2;
 	memory_map
-		= (efi_memory_descriptor *)kernel_args_malloc(actual_memory_map_size);
+		= (efi_memory_descriptor *)kernel_args_malloc(actual_memory_map_size +
+			ALIGN_MEMORY_MAP);
+
+	// align memory_map to 4-byte boundary
+	// otherwise we get alignment exception when calling GetMemoryMap below
+	memory_map = (efi_memory_descriptor *)ROUNDUP((uint32_t)memory_map, ALIGN_MEMORY_MAP);
 
 	if (memory_map == NULL)
 		panic("Unable to allocate memory map.");