diff --git a/tt_metal/hw/firmware/src/erisck.cc b/tt_metal/hw/firmware/src/erisck.cc
index 54d9ab9b958..e98d2a444a7 100644
--- a/tt_metal/hw/firmware/src/erisck.cc
+++ b/tt_metal/hw/firmware/src/erisck.cc
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 CBInterface cb_interface[NUM_CIRCULAR_BUFFERS];
 
-void kernel_launch(uint32_t) {
+extern "C" [[gnu::section(".start")]] void _start(uint32_t) {
     DeviceZoneScopedMainChildN("ERISC-KERNEL");
     rtos_context_switch_ptr = (void (*)())RtosTable[0];
 
diff --git a/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/sections.ld b/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/sections.ld
index 17162f235c8..457ac6fe99a 100644
--- a/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/sections.ld
+++ b/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/sections.ld
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ SECTIONS
   __kernel_init_local_l1_base = .;
 #endif
 
+#if defined(TYPE_FIRMWARE)
   PROVIDE(__global_pointer$ = ORIGIN(REGION_DATA) + 0x7f0);
+#endif
   .data DATA_START : ALIGN(4)
   {
      . = .; /* Force section emission.  */
diff --git a/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/tmu-crt0k.S b/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/tmu-crt0k.S
index 177d79cdb84..1e2f5bc6939 100644
--- a/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/tmu-crt0k.S
+++ b/tt_metal/hw/toolchain/tmu-crt0k.S
@@ -3,5 +3,8 @@
 .type   _start, @function
 
 _start:
+	// kernel_launch is responsible for the rest of crt -- clear bss, copy data image, run global constructors
+	// Enable GPREL optimizations
+	.reloc _start, R_RISCV_NONE, __global_pointer$
 	tail    _Z13kernel_launchm
 	.size  _start, .-_start
diff --git a/tt_metal/jit_build/build.cpp b/tt_metal/jit_build/build.cpp
index 1d6fadcd9c9..8438ef88c05 100644
--- a/tt_metal/jit_build/build.cpp
+++ b/tt_metal/jit_build/build.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ void JitBuildState::finish_init() {
             this->link_objs_ += build_dir + "ncrisc-halt.o ";
         }
     } else {
-        this->link_objs_ += build_dir + "tmu-crt0k.o ";
+        if (this->target_name_ != "erisc") {
+            this->link_objs_ += build_dir + "tmu-crt0k.o ";
+        }
     }
     if (this->target_name_ == "brisc" or this->target_name_ == "idle_erisc") {
         this->link_objs_ += build_dir + "noc.o ";
@@ -600,7 +602,7 @@ void JitBuildState::weaken(const string& log_file, const string& out_dir) const
 
     ll_api::ElfFile elf;
     elf.ReadImage(pathname_in);
-    static std::string_view const strong_names[] = {"__fw_export_*"};
+    static std::string_view const strong_names[] = {"__fw_export_*", "__global_pointer$"};
     elf.WeakenDataSymbols(strong_names);
     elf.WriteImage(pathname_out);
 }