diff --git a/arch/arm/arm/arch.c b/arch/arm/arm/arch.c
index 3accb62fff..9ebac39c19 100644
--- a/arch/arm/arm/arch.c
+++ b/arch/arm/arm/arch.c
@@ -341,8 +341,22 @@ void arch_chain_load(void *entry, ulong arg0, ulong arg1, ulong arg2, ulong arg3
     LTRACEF("loader address %p, phys 0x%lx, surrounding large page 0x%lx\n",
             &arm_chain_load, loader_pa, loader_pa_section);
 
+    arch_aspace_t *aspace;
+    bool need_context_switch;
+    // if loader_pa is within the kernel aspace, we can simply use arch_mmu_map to identity map it
+    // if its outside, we need to create a new aspace and context switch to it
+    if (arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(&vmm_get_kernel_aspace()->arch_aspace, loader_pa)) {
+      aspace = &vmm_get_kernel_aspace()->arch_aspace;
+      need_context_switch = false;
+    } else {
+      aspace = malloc(sizeof(*aspace));
+      arch_mmu_init_aspace(aspace, loader_pa_section, SECTION_SIZE, 0);
+      need_context_switch = true;
+    }
+
     /* using large pages, map around the target location */
-    arch_mmu_map(&vmm_get_kernel_aspace()->arch_aspace, loader_pa_section, loader_pa_section, (2 * SECTION_SIZE / PAGE_SIZE), 0);
+    arch_mmu_map(aspace, loader_pa_section, loader_pa_section, (2 * SECTION_SIZE / PAGE_SIZE), 0);
+    if (need_context_switch) arch_mmu_context_switch(aspace);
 #else
     /* for non vm case, just branch directly into it */
     entry_pa = (paddr_t)entry;
@@ -358,6 +372,9 @@ void arch_chain_load(void *entry, ulong arg0, ulong arg1, ulong arg2, ulong arg3
     /* put the booting cpu back into close to a default state */
     arch_quiesce();
 
+    // linux wont re-enable the FPU during boot, so it must be enabled when chainloading
+    arm_fpu_set_enable(true);
+
     LTRACEF("branching to physical address of loader\n");
 
     /* branch to the physical address version of the chain loader routine */
diff --git a/arch/arm/arm/include/arch/aspace.h b/arch/arm/arm/include/arch/aspace.h
index c0e3f93df1..f0ff86d78e 100644
--- a/arch/arm/arm/include/arch/aspace.h
+++ b/arch/arm/arm/include/arch/aspace.h
@@ -25,4 +25,8 @@ struct arch_aspace {
     struct list_node pt_page_list;
 };
 
+static inline bool arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(struct arch_aspace *aspace, vaddr_t vaddr) {
+    return (vaddr >= aspace->base && vaddr <= aspace->base + aspace->size - 1);
+}
+
 __END_CDECLS
diff --git a/arch/arm/arm/mmu.c b/arch/arm/arm/mmu.c
index b633911144..eed5a6c4b6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/arm/mmu.c
+++ b/arch/arm/arm/mmu.c
@@ -132,10 +132,6 @@ static uint32_t mmu_flags_to_l2_arch_flags_small_page(uint flags) {
     return arch_flags;
 }
 
-static inline bool is_valid_vaddr(arch_aspace_t *aspace, vaddr_t vaddr) {
-    return (vaddr >= aspace->base && vaddr <= aspace->base + aspace->size - 1);
-}
-
 static void arm_mmu_map_section(arch_aspace_t *aspace, addr_t paddr, addr_t vaddr, uint flags) {
     int index;
 
@@ -242,8 +238,8 @@ status_t arch_mmu_query(arch_aspace_t *aspace, vaddr_t vaddr, paddr_t *paddr, ui
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace);
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace->tt_virt);
 
-    DEBUG_ASSERT(is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
-    if (!is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
+    DEBUG_ASSERT(arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
+    if (!arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
         return ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE;
 
     /* Get the index into the translation table */
@@ -487,8 +483,8 @@ int arch_mmu_map(arch_aspace_t *aspace, addr_t vaddr, paddr_t paddr, uint count,
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace);
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace->tt_virt);
 
-    DEBUG_ASSERT(is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
-    if (!is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
+    DEBUG_ASSERT(arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
+    if (!arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
         return ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE;
 
 #if !WITH_ARCH_MMU_PICK_SPOT
@@ -583,9 +579,9 @@ int arch_mmu_unmap(arch_aspace_t *aspace, vaddr_t vaddr, uint count) {
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace);
     DEBUG_ASSERT(aspace->tt_virt);
 
-    DEBUG_ASSERT(is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
+    DEBUG_ASSERT(arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr));
 
-    if (!is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
+    if (!arch_mmu_is_valid_vaddr(aspace, vaddr))
         return ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE;
 
     DEBUG_ASSERT(IS_PAGE_ALIGNED(vaddr));