diff --git a/src/bootloader/Makefile b/src/bootloader/Makefile
index 7d895e5..2f800e2 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/Makefile
+++ b/src/bootloader/Makefile
@@ -31,14 +31,15 @@ ROMGEN=$(MIPS_HOME)/tools/romgen
 
 all: bootloader_flash
 
-libsys: startup_boot.S kernel_boot.S libsys_boot.c
+libsys: startup_boot.S kernel_boot.S libsys_boot.c ../libsys/xcpt.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c startup_boot.S -o startup.o
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c kernel_boot.S -o kernel.o
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c libsys_boot.c -o libsys.o
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c ../libsys/xcpt.c -o xcpt.o
 
 bootloader: libsys bootloader.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -g -c bootloader.c
-	$(LD) $(LFLAGS) $(LIB_DIRS) startup.o kernel.o libsys.o bootloader.o -o $@.elf $(LIBS) >$@.map
+	$(LD) $(LFLAGS) $(LIB_DIRS) startup.o kernel.o xcpt.o libsys.o bootloader.o -o $@.elf $(LIBS) >$@.map
 	$(OBJDUMP) -D $@.elf > $@.dis
 	$(OBJCOPY) $@.elf -O binary $@.ROM.bin
 	$(OBJCOPY) -O srec $@.elf $@.srec
@@ -53,13 +54,15 @@ bootloader_flash: libsys bootloader_with_flash.c
 	$(OBJCOPY) -O srec $@.elf $@.srec
 	$(ROMGEN) $@.ROM.bin 11 $(ENDIAN_FLAGS)
 
-test: libsys test.c
+test: libsys test.c ../libsys/irq.c ../libsys/xcpt.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -g -c test.c
-	$(LD) $(LFLAGS) $(LIB_DIRS) startup.o kernel.o libsys.o test.o -o $@.elf $(LIBS) >$@.map
-	$(OBJDUMP) -d $@.elf > $@.dis
-	$(OBJCOPY) $@.elf -O binary $@.ROM.bin
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -g -c ../libsys/irq.c
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -g -c ../libsys/xcpt.c
+	$(LD) $(LFLAGS) $(LIB_DIRS) startup.o kernel.o libsys.o irq.o xcpt.o test.o -o $@.elf $(LIBS) >$@.map
+	$(OBJDUMP) -D $@.elf > $@.dis
+	$(OBJCOPY) $@.elf -j ROM --output-target=binary $@.ROM.bin
 	$(OBJCOPY) -O srec $@.elf $@.srec
-	$(ROMGEN) $@.ROM.bin 10 $(ENDIAN_FLAGS)
+	$(ROMGEN) $@.ROM.bin 11 $(ENDIAN_FLAGS)
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf *.o *.bin *.map *.dis *.srec *.elf *.vhd* *.tcl bootloader > /dev/null
diff --git a/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld b/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
index 3b5149f..60cc538 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
+++ b/src/bootloader/bootloader.ld
@@ -18,27 +18,16 @@ sys_timer_sec = 0xA000000C;
 
 SECTIONS
 {
-   .init ORIGIN(rom) :
+   ROM :
    {
       start = ALIGN(4);
       entry = ALIGN(4);
       _entry = ALIGN(4);
       __entry = ALIGN(4);
      *(.init)
-   }  > rom
-   
-   .ktext ORIGIN(rom) + 0x180 :
-   {
+     . = ORIGIN(rom) + 0x180;
      *(.ktext)
-   }  > rom
-
-   .text . :
-   {
-     *(.text)
-   }  > rom
-
-   .rodata . :
-   {
+     *(.text*)
      *(.rodata*)
    }  > rom
 
diff --git a/src/bootloader/kernel_boot.S b/src/bootloader/kernel_boot.S
index 62fd710..b79b254 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/kernel_boot.S
+++ b/src/bootloader/kernel_boot.S
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#include <regdef.h>
+#include <xcpt_asm.h>
+
 		.file	"kernel.S"
 
 		.section .ktext,"ax"
@@ -13,34 +16,178 @@
 		addiu	$sp, -4
 		.endm
 
-_exc_handler:
-
-		.set	noreorder
+LEAF(_xcpt_handler)
+		.set noreorder
+		.set noat
+		/* Note: exceptions do not save and restore registers k0 and k1.
+		* on entry, k1 = exception class.
+		*/
 		
-		# Set Error LED and ExcCode LEDs
-		# Get Cause
-		mfc0	$26, $13
-		li 		$27, 0xC0000000
-		srl		$26, 2
-		andi	$26, 0x000F
-		or 		$26, $27
-		la 		$27, sys_led_port
-		sw 		$26, 0($27)
+		/* allocate exception stack frame (on 8-byte boundary) */
+		subu k1, sp, XCP_SIZE
+		srl k1, 3 	/* shift right/left -> alligned on boundary */
+		sll k1, 3
 
-		# wait for all interrupts = 0
-$w4x:	mfc0	$26, $13
-		nop
-		srl		$26, 8
-		andi	$26, 0xFF
-		bnez	$26, $w4x
-		nop
+		/* save enough registers to get by */
+		sw AT, XCP_AT(k1)
+		sw v0, XCP_V0(k1)
+		sw v1, XCP_V1(k1)
+		sw a0, XCP_A0(k1)
+		sw a1, XCP_A1(k1)
+		sw a2, XCP_A2(k1)
+		sw a3, XCP_A3(k1)
+		sw sp, XCP_SP(k1)
+		sw ra, XCP_RA(k1)
 		
-		# Get return address
-		mfc0	$26, $14
+		/* get coprocessor 0 exception state */
+		mfc0 a0, CP0_CR
+		mfc0 a1, CP0_SR
+		mfc0 a2, CP0_BADDR
+		mfc0 a3, CP0_EPC
 
-		# Return
-		nop
-		jr	$26
+		/* we can safely use AT now */
+		.set at
+
+		/* switch to using sp to point at exception frame */
+		move sp, k1
+		
+		/* nothing sensible to store for k0/k1, store zero */
+		sw zero, XCP_K0(sp)
+		sw zero, XCP_K1(sp)		
+
+		/* we are now interruptible: dump all remaining state
+		* into the exception stack frame.
+		*/
+		/* coprocessor exception state */
+		sw a0, XCP_CR(sp)
+		sw a1, XCP_SR(sp)
+		sw a2, XCP_BADDR(sp)
+		sw a3, XCP_EPC(sp)
+
+		/* mdhi and mdlo */
+		mfhi v0
+		mflo v1
+		sw v0, XCP_MDHI(sp)
+		sw v1, XCP_MDLO(sp)
+
+		/* Save all the other general registers.
+		* We save zero, s0-s7 and s8 as well, as instruction emulators (e.g. FP
+		* operations) and debuggers rely on all registers stored together in
+		* well-defined structure.
+		*/
+		sw zero, XCP_ZERO(sp)
+		sw t0, XCP_T0(sp)
+		sw t1, XCP_T1(sp)
+		sw t2, XCP_T2(sp)
+		sw t3, XCP_T3(sp)
+		sw t4, XCP_T4(sp)
+		sw t5, XCP_T5(sp)
+		sw t6, XCP_T6(sp)
+		sw t7, XCP_T7(sp)
+		sw s0, XCP_S0(sp)
+		sw s1, XCP_S1(sp)
+		sw s2, XCP_S2(sp)
+		sw s3, XCP_S3(sp)
+		sw s4, XCP_S4(sp)
+		sw s5, XCP_S5(sp)
+		sw s6, XCP_S6(sp)
+		sw s7, XCP_S7(sp)
+		sw t8, XCP_T8(sp)
+		sw t9, XCP_T9(sp)
+		sw gp, XCP_GP(sp)
+		sw s8, XCP_S8(sp)
+
+		/* I don't know what the following does. [rb] */
+		/* load our _gp pointer */
+#		la gp, _gp
+
+		/* and call the C exception handler */
+		move a0, sp	# arg1 = &xcp
+		subu sp, 16	# (arg save area)
+		j _xcpt_call
+		move ra, zero	# fake return address
+		
+		/* This strange call to _xcpt_call with zero return address is to
+		* help exception-aware debuggers to trace back over the exception event.
+		* We are basically interposing a bogus stackframe (with a zero return
+		* address) between the C exception handler and the actual machine
+		* exception.
+		*/
+$xcptrest:
+		.set noat
+		add AT, sp, 16
+		
+		/* at points to exception frame */
+$xcptrestother:
+		/* restore all state */
+		/* restore most general registers */
+		lw t0, XCP_T0(AT)
+		lw t1, XCP_T1(AT)
+		lw t2, XCP_T2(AT)
+		lw t3, XCP_T3(AT)
+		lw t4, XCP_T4(AT)
+		lw t5, XCP_T5(AT)
+		lw t6, XCP_T6(AT)
+		lw t7, XCP_T7(AT)
+		lw s0, XCP_S0(AT)
+		lw s1, XCP_S1(AT)
+		lw s2, XCP_S2(AT)
+		lw s3, XCP_S3(AT)
+		lw s4, XCP_S4(AT)
+		lw s5, XCP_S5(AT)
+		lw s6, XCP_S6(AT)
+		lw s7, XCP_S7(AT)
+		lw t8, XCP_T8(AT)
+		lw t9, XCP_T9(AT)
+		lw gp, XCP_GP(AT)
+		lw s8, XCP_S8(AT)
+
+		/* mdhi and mdlo */
+		lw v0, XCP_MDHI(AT)
+		lw v1, XCP_MDLO(AT)
+		mthi v0
+		mtlo v1
+
+		/* remaining general registers */
+		lw a0, XCP_A0(AT)
+		lw a1, XCP_A1(AT)
+		lw a2, XCP_A2(AT)
+		lw a3, XCP_A3(AT)
+		lw ra, XCP_RA(AT)
+
+		/* restore the exception-time status register */
+		.set noreorder
+		lw v0, XCP_SR(AT)
+		nop			
+		mtc0 v0, CP0_SR
+		lw v1, XCP_V1(AT)
+		lw v0, XCP_V0(AT)
+		lw sp, XCP_SP(AT)
+
+		/* we are not uninterruptible and can use k1 safely */
+		lw k1, XCP_EPC(AT)
+		lw AT, XCP_AT(AT)
+		mtc0 k1, CP0_EPC
+		j	k1
 		rfe
-		.set	reorder
-	
+
+		.set reorder
+		.set at
+END(_xcpt_handler)
+		
+		
+LEAF(_xcpt_call)
+		/* on entry: a0 == &xcp */
+		subu sp, 24
+		sw ra, 16(sp)
+		
+		/* punt out to _xcpt_deliver */
+		jal _xcpt_deliver
+		nop
+		lw ra, 16(sp)
+		addu sp, 24
+		beqz ra, $xcptrest
+		nop
+		j ra
+		nop
+END(_xcpt_call)	
diff --git a/src/bootloader/libsys_boot.c b/src/bootloader/libsys_boot.c
index 00950f6..a5e6600 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/libsys_boot.c
+++ b/src/bootloader/libsys_boot.c
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@
 #include "libsys_boot.h"
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void _exit(int reason)
+{
+}
+
+void libsys_init()
+{
+	// Initialzie interrupt support
+	interrupt_init();
+}
+
 // MIPS specific
 uint32_t CP0_SR_read(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/bootloader/test.c b/src/bootloader/test.c
index f9f5580..f5973c8 100644
--- a/src/bootloader/test.c
+++ b/src/bootloader/test.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ void main()
 {
 	uint32_t i;
 	
+	volatile uint32_t *pUART0_stat = (uint32_t*)SYS_UART_STAT;
 	volatile uint32_t *pGPIO = (uint32_t*)SYS_GPIO_0_DATA;
 	volatile uint32_t *pGPIODIR = (uint32_t*)SYS_GPIO_0_DIR;
 	volatile uint32_t *pRAM = (uint32_t*)SDRAM_BASE;
@@ -10,21 +11,23 @@ void main()
 	*pGPIODIR = GPIO_0_DFLT_DIR;
 	uint8_t led = 0;
 
+	// UART: enable RX interrupt
+	*pUART0_stat |= (1 << 6);
+	interrupt_enable(3);
+
 	sputs("Hello, world!\n");
 	while(1)
 	{
 		sputs("Iteration # ");print_word(led);sputs("\n");
+		sputs("Uart status : ");print_word(*pUART0_stat);sputs("\n");
+		sputs("CPU status  : ");print_word(CP0_SR_read());sputs("\n");
 
+		*pGPIO = led;
 		if(led == 0)
 		{
 			memdump((uint8_t*)pRAM, 0, 16, 256);
 		}
 
-		*pGPIO = led;
-		for (i=0; i < 1024*1024; i++)
-		{
-			pRAM[i] = i;
-		}
 		led = (led+1) % 64;
 	}
 	*pGPIO = 1;