diff --git a/sys/kern/link_elf.c b/sys/kern/link_elf.c
index 450901d42a5..e9bd2119c1d 100644
--- a/sys/kern/link_elf.c
+++ b/sys/kern/link_elf.c
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ link_elf_load_file(linker_class_t cls, const char* filename,
 		goto out;
 	}
 #else
-	ef->address = malloc(mapsize, M_LINKER, M_WAITOK);
+	ef->address = malloc(mapsize, M_LINKER, M_EXEC | M_WAITOK);
 #endif
 	mapbase = ef->address;