diff --git a/grub-core/loader/arm64/linux.c b/grub-core/loader/arm64/linux.c
index 47f8cf0d8..4a252d5e7 100644
--- a/grub-core/loader/arm64/linux.c
+++ b/grub-core/loader/arm64/linux.c
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ GRUB_MOD_LICENSE ("GPLv3+");
 static grub_dl_t my_mod;
 static int loaded;
 
+static void *kernel_alloc_addr;
+static grub_uint32_t kernel_alloc_pages;
 static void *kernel_addr;
 static grub_uint64_t kernel_size;
 static grub_uint32_t handover_offset;
@@ -204,9 +206,8 @@ grub_linux_unload (void)
 			 GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (initrd_end - initrd_start));
   initrd_start = initrd_end = 0;
   grub_free (linux_args);
-  if (kernel_addr)
-    grub_efi_free_pages ((grub_addr_t) kernel_addr,
-			 GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (kernel_size));
+  if (kernel_alloc_addr)
+    grub_efi_free_pages ((grub_addr_t) kernel_alloc_addr, kernel_alloc_pages);
   grub_fdt_unload ();
   return GRUB_ERR_NONE;
 }
@@ -311,14 +312,35 @@ grub_cmd_initrd (grub_command_t cmd __attribute__ ((unused)),
   return grub_errno;
 }
 
+static grub_err_t
+parse_pe_header (void *kernel, grub_uint64_t *total_size,
+		 grub_uint32_t *entry_offset,
+		 grub_uint32_t *alignment)
+{
+  struct linux_arch_kernel_header *lh = kernel;
+  struct grub_armxx_linux_pe_header *pe;
+
+  pe = (void *)((unsigned long)kernel + lh->hdr_offset);
+
+  if (pe->opt.magic != GRUB_PE32_PE64_MAGIC)
+    return grub_error(GRUB_ERR_BAD_OS, "Invalid PE optional header magic");
+
+  *total_size   = pe->opt.image_size;
+  *entry_offset = pe->opt.entry_addr;
+  *alignment    = pe->opt.section_alignment;
+
+  return GRUB_ERR_NONE;
+}
+
 static grub_err_t
 grub_cmd_linux (grub_command_t cmd __attribute__ ((unused)),
 		int argc, char *argv[])
 {
   grub_file_t file = 0;
-  struct linux_arch_kernel_header lh;
-  struct grub_armxx_linux_pe_header *pe;
   grub_err_t err;
+  grub_off_t filelen;
+  grub_uint32_t align;
+  void *kernel = NULL;
   int rc;
 
   grub_dl_ref (my_mod);
@@ -333,40 +355,24 @@ grub_cmd_linux (grub_command_t cmd __attribute__ ((unused)),
   if (!file)
     goto fail;
 
-  kernel_size = grub_file_size (file);
-
-  if (grub_file_read (file, &lh, sizeof (lh)) < (long) sizeof (lh))
-    return grub_errno;
-
-  if (grub_arch_efi_linux_check_image (&lh) != GRUB_ERR_NONE)
-    goto fail;
-
-  grub_loader_unset();
-
-  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel file size: %lld\n", (long long) kernel_size);
-  kernel_addr = grub_efi_allocate_any_pages (GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (kernel_size));
-  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel numpages: %lld\n",
-		(long long) GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (kernel_size));
-  if (!kernel_addr)
+  filelen = grub_file_size (file);
+  kernel = grub_malloc(filelen);
+  if (!kernel)
     {
-      grub_error (GRUB_ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY, N_("out of memory"));
+      grub_error (GRUB_ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY, N_("cannot allocate kernel load buffer"));
       goto fail;
     }
 
-  grub_file_seek (file, 0);
-  if (grub_file_read (file, kernel_addr, kernel_size)
-      < (grub_int64_t) kernel_size)
+  if (grub_file_read (file, kernel, filelen) < (grub_ssize_t)filelen)
     {
-      if (!grub_errno)
-	grub_error (GRUB_ERR_BAD_OS, N_("premature end of file %s"), argv[0]);
+      grub_error (GRUB_ERR_FILE_READ_ERROR, N_("Can't read kernel %s"),
+		  argv[0]);
       goto fail;
     }
 
-  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel @ %p\n", kernel_addr);
-
   if (grub_efi_get_secureboot () == GRUB_EFI_SECUREBOOT_MODE_ENABLED)
     {
-      rc = grub_linuxefi_secure_validate (kernel_addr, kernel_size);
+      rc = grub_linuxefi_secure_validate (kernel, filelen);
       if (rc <= 0)
 	{
 	  grub_error (GRUB_ERR_INVALID_COMMAND,
@@ -375,8 +381,32 @@ grub_cmd_linux (grub_command_t cmd __attribute__ ((unused)),
 	}
     }
 
-  pe = (void *)((unsigned long)kernel_addr + lh.hdr_offset);
-  handover_offset = pe->opt.entry_addr;
+  if (grub_arch_efi_linux_check_image (kernel) != GRUB_ERR_NONE)
+    goto fail;
+  if (parse_pe_header (kernel, &kernel_size, &handover_offset, &align) != GRUB_ERR_NONE)
+    goto fail;
+  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel mem size     : %lld\n", (long long) kernel_size);
+  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel entry offset : %d\n", handover_offset);
+  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel alignment    : 0x%x\n", align);
+
+  grub_loader_unset();
+
+  kernel_alloc_pages = GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (kernel_size + align - 1);
+  kernel_alloc_addr = grub_efi_allocate_any_pages (kernel_alloc_pages);
+  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel numpages: %d\n", kernel_alloc_pages);
+  if (!kernel_alloc_addr)
+    {
+      grub_error (GRUB_ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY, N_("out of memory"));
+      goto fail;
+    }
+  kernel_addr = (void *)ALIGN_UP((grub_uint64_t)kernel_alloc_addr, align);
+
+  grub_dprintf ("linux", "kernel @ %p\n", kernel_addr);
+  grub_memcpy (kernel_addr, kernel, grub_min(filelen, kernel_size));
+  if (kernel_size > filelen)
+    grub_memset ((char *)kernel_addr + filelen, 0, kernel_size - filelen);
+  grub_free(kernel);
+  kernel = NULL;
 
   cmdline_size = grub_loader_cmdline_size (argc, argv) + sizeof (LINUX_IMAGE);
   linux_args = grub_malloc (cmdline_size);
@@ -400,6 +430,9 @@ grub_cmd_linux (grub_command_t cmd __attribute__ ((unused)),
     }
 
 fail:
+  if (kernel)
+    grub_free (kernel);
+
   if (file)
     grub_file_close (file);
 
@@ -412,9 +445,8 @@ fail:
   if (linux_args && !loaded)
     grub_free (linux_args);
 
-  if (kernel_addr && !loaded)
-    grub_efi_free_pages ((grub_addr_t) kernel_addr,
-			 GRUB_EFI_BYTES_TO_PAGES (kernel_size));
+  if (kernel_alloc_addr && !loaded)
+    grub_efi_free_pages ((grub_addr_t) kernel_alloc_addr, kernel_alloc_pages);
 
   return grub_errno;
 }
