diff --git a/arch/x86/src/qemu/qemu_head.S b/arch/x86/src/qemu/qemu_head.S
index 2b205208b3e..32c3f163af3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/src/qemu/qemu_head.S
+++ b/arch/x86/src/qemu/qemu_head.S
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
 __start:
 	/* Set up the stack */
 
-	mov		$(idle_stack + CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE), %esp
+	mov		$(_ebss + CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE), %esp
 
 	/* Multiboot setup */
 
@@ -129,20 +129,6 @@ hang:
 	jmp	hang
 	.size	__start, . - __start
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * .bss
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-/* The stack for the IDLE task thread is declared in .bss.  NuttX boots and
- * initializes on the IDLE thread, then at the completion of OS startup, this
- * thread becomes the thread that executes when there is nothing else to
- * do in the system (see up_idle()).
- */
-
-	.type	idle_stack, @object
-	.comm   idle_stack, CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE, 32
-	.size	idle_stack, CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE
-
 /****************************************************************************
  * .rodata
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -156,6 +142,6 @@ hang:
 
 	.type	g_idle_topstack, @object
 g_idle_topstack:
-	.long	_ebss
+	.long	_ebss + CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE
 	.size	g_idle_topstack, . - g_idle_topstack
 	.end