diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/ChangeLog b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/ChangeLog
index 519bbb7291..77ee31f2b0 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/ChangeLog
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2008-09-16	Joel Sherrill <joel.sherrill@oarcorp.com>
+
+	* startup/bspgetworkarea.c, startup/linkcmds.base: Do some prep work in
+	anticipation of gen5200 and gen83xx being able to shared
+	bsp_get_work_area() implementation.
+
 2008-09-16	Joel Sherrill <joel.sherrill@oarcorp.com>
 
 	* clock/clock.c, startup/bspstart.c: Remove unnecessary includes of
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/bspgetworkarea.c b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
index 591ed811ef..935088ed06 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@
 #include <bsp/bootcard.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+/*
+ *  These are provided by the linkcmds for ALL of the BSPs which use this file.
+ */
+extern char RamBase[];
+extern char WorkAreaBase[];
+extern char HeapSize[];
+extern char RamSize[];
+
 #if defined(HAS_UBOOT)
   extern bd_t *uboot_bdinfo_ptr;
 #endif
@@ -31,12 +39,12 @@ void bsp_get_work_area(
     char *ram_end = (char *) uboot_bdinfo_ptr->bi_memstart +
                                  uboot_bdinfo_ptr->bi_memsize;
   #else /* HAS_UBOOT */
-    char *ram_end = bsp_ram_end;
+    char *ram_end = (uintptr_t)RamBase + (uintptr_t)RamSize;
   #endif /* HAS_UBOOT */
 
   *work_area_start = bsp_work_area_start;
   *work_area_size = ram_end - bsp_work_area_start;
   *heap_start = BSP_BOOTCARD_HEAP_USES_WORK_AREA;
-  *heap_size = BSP_BOOTCARD_HEAP_SIZE_DEFAULT;
+  *heap_size = HeapSize;
 }
 
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/linkcmds.base b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/linkcmds.base
index 1a9e40ec66..88d366f4e1 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/linkcmds.base
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen5200/startup/linkcmds.base
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ bsp_dpram_size = LENGTH (DPRAM);
 
 bsp_section_align = 32;
 
+RamBase = bsp_ram_start;
+RamSize = bsp_ram_size;
+HeapSize = DEFINED(HeapSize) ? HeapSize : 0x0;
+
 SECTIONS {
 	/*
 	 * BSP: MPC5200 registers
@@ -268,6 +272,7 @@ SECTIONS {
 	 * BSP: Work area start
 	 */
 	bsp_work_area_start = .;
+        WorkAreaBase = .;
 	
 	/* Stabs debugging sections.  */
 	.stab          0 : { *(.stab) }
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/ChangeLog b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/ChangeLog
index 475b98b9e9..dc88f1087c 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/ChangeLog
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2008-09-16	Joel Sherrill <joel.sherrill@oarcorp.com>
+
+	* startup/bspgetworkarea.c, startup/linkcmds.base: Do some prep work in
+	anticipation of gen5200 and gen83xx being able to shared
+	bsp_get_work_area() implementation.
+
 2008-09-16	Joel Sherrill <joel.sherrill@oarcorp.com>
 
 	* Makefile.am, startup/bspstart.c: Add use of bsp_get_work_area() in
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/bspgetworkarea.c b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
index 3e052ee2ce..70062dcc84 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/bspgetworkarea.c
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@
 #include <bsp.h>
 #include <bsp/bootcard.h>
 
+/*
+ *  These are provided by the linkcmds for ALL of the BSPs which use this file.
+ */
+extern char RamBase[];
+extern char WorkAreaBase[];
+extern char HeapSize[];
+extern char RamSize[];
+
 #ifdef HAS_UBOOT
   extern bd_t mpc83xx_uboot_board_info;
 #endif /* HAS_UBOOT */
@@ -37,11 +45,11 @@ void bsp_get_work_area(
     char *ram_end = (char *) mpc83xx_uboot_board_info.bi_memstart +
 				   mpc83xx_uboot_board_info.bi_memsize;
   #else /* HAS_UBOOT */
-    char *ram_end = bsp_ram_end;
+    char *ram_end = RamBase + (uintptr_t)RamSize;
   #endif /* HAS_UBOOT */
 
   *work_area_start = bsp_work_area_start;
   *work_area_size = ram_end - bsp_work_area_start;
   *heap_start = BSP_BOOTCARD_HEAP_USES_WORK_AREA;
-  *heap_size = BSP_BOOTCARD_HEAP_SIZE_DEFAULT;
+  *heap_size = HeapSize;
 }
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/linkcmds.base b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/linkcmds.base
index 1eab88ebf3..946dfd4679 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/linkcmds.base
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/gen83xx/startup/linkcmds.base
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ bsp_rom_size = LENGTH (ROM);
 
 bsp_section_align = 32;
 
+RamBase = bsp_ram_start;
+RamSize = bsp_ram_size;
+HeapSize = DEFINED(HeapSize) ? HeapSize : 0x0;
+
 SECTIONS {
 	/*
 	 * BSP: MPC83XX registers
@@ -274,6 +278,7 @@ SECTIONS {
 	 * BSP: Work area start
 	 */
 	bsp_work_area_start = .;
+        WorkAreaBase = .;
 	
 	/* Stabs debugging sections.  */
 	.stab          0 : { *(.stab) }