diff --git a/linker.ld b/linker.ld
index 4f30b65..55cadad 100644
--- a/linker.ld
+++ b/linker.ld
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ SECTIONS
 	.bss :
 	{
 		. = ALIGN(4);
+		_sbss = .;
 		*(.bss)
+		. = ALIGN(4);
+		_ebss = .;
 	} > RAM
 
 	/* memory space allocated to stack. The stack is situated at the very end of
diff --git a/startup.s b/startup.s
index 3a3b5a1..8f48739 100644
--- a/startup.s
+++ b/startup.s
@@ -34,19 +34,35 @@ hdr_reset:
 	ldr r1, = _sdata
 	ldr r2, = _edata
 	subs r2, r2, r1
-	bcc startup_init_end
+	bcc data_init_end
 	ldr r3, = _sromdata
 
 	movs r0, #0
 
-startup_init_loop:
+data_init_loop:
 	ldr r4, [r3, r0]
 	str r4, [r1, r0]
 	adds r0, r0, #4
 	cmp r0, r2
-	bcc startup_init_loop
+	bcc data_init_loop
 
-startup_init_end:
+data_init_end:
+//initialize RAM to zero
+	ldr r1, = _sbss
+	ldr r2, = _ebss
+	subs r2, r2, r1
+	bcc bss_init_end
+	movs r3, #0
+
+	movs r0, #0
+
+bss_init_loop:
+	str r3, [r1, r0]
+	adds r0, r0, #4
+	cmp r0, r2
+	bcc bss_init_loop
+
+bss_init_end:
 	b main
 	b hdr_reset