diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/crt0_64.S b/arch/arm/lib/crt0_64.S
index da7c62c..ccefce0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/crt0_64.S
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/crt0_64.S
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ relocation_return:
 #endif /* !CONFIG_SPL_BUILD */
 #if defined(CONFIG_SPL_BUILD)
 	bl	spl_relocate_stack_gd           /* may return NULL */
+	/* set up gd here, outside any C code */
+	mov	x18, x0
 	/*
 	 * Perform 'sp = (x0 != NULL) ? x0 : sp' while working
 	 * around the constraint that conditional moves can not