diff --git a/src/bootloader/Makefile b/src/bootloader/Makefile
index 726e226..12a0a68 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/Makefile
+++ b/src/bootloader/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ else
   ENDIAN_FLAGS=-EB
 endif
 
-CFLAGS=$(ENDIAN_FLAGS) -Os -flto -Wl,-M -I. -I../libsys -msoft-float -march=r3000 -G0 -I../libsys/boards/$(BOARD) -D$(BOARD)
+CFLAGS=$(ENDIAN_FLAGS) -Os -flto -Wl,-M -I. -I../libsys -msoft-float -march=r3000 -G0 -I../libsys/boards/$(BOARD) -D$(BOARD) -DWITH_GDB_STUB
 LFLAGS=$(ENDIAN_FLAGS) -Os -flto
 
 ifeq ($(TLB),yes)
diff --git a/src/bootloader/boards/denano/board.c b/src/bootloader/boards/denano/board.c
index 797cd68..5dc45d8 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/boards/denano/board.c
+++ b/src/bootloader/boards/denano/board.c
@@ -13,11 +13,17 @@
 extern uart_if_t uart_if[];
 extern void handle_exception (unsigned long *registers);
 
-extern int gdb_stub(struct xcptcontext * xcp) __attribute__ ((section (".gdb"))) __attribute__ ((used));
-int gdb_stub(struct xcptcontext * xcp)
+extern int dbg_stub(struct xcptcontext * xcp) __attribute__ ((section (".dbg_stub"))) __attribute__ ((used));
+
+int dbg_stub(struct xcptcontext * xcp)
 {
+#ifdef WITH_GDB_STUB
 	handle_exception((unsigned long *)xcp);
 	return 0;
+#else
+	return dbg_handler(xcp);
+#endif
+	
 }
 
 void dbg_putchar(char c)
diff --git a/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld b/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
index f23b5b1..92faeed 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
+++ b/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ SECTIONS
      *(.text*)
      *(.rodata*)
      . = ORIGIN(rom) + 0x1F00;
-     *(.gdb*)
+     *(.dbg_stub*)
    }  > rom
 
    .data ORIGIN(ram) :
diff --git a/src/libsys/gdb_stub.c b/src/libsys/gdb_stub.c
index d96e814..b551b63 100644
--- a/src/libsys/gdb_stub.c
+++ b/src/libsys/gdb_stub.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void flush_i_cache()
 /* at least NUMREGBYTES*2 are needed for register packets */
 #define BUFMAX 2048
 
-static const char hexchars[]="0123456789abcdef";
+const char hexchars[]="0123456789abcdef";
 
 #define NUMREGS 72
 
diff --git a/src/libsys/kernel.S b/src/libsys/kernel.S
index 354890b..ef08cb4 100644
--- a/src/libsys/kernel.S
+++ b/src/libsys/kernel.S
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 		.section .exc_vect, "ax"
 		.align	2
 _xcpt_vector_tbl:
-		la k0, _xcpt_handler
-		jr k0
+		j _xcpt_handler
 		nop
 		.text