diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/ChangeLog b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/ChangeLog
index 453b40a110..1206fed7b9 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/ChangeLog
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2008-07-21	Till Straumann <strauman@slac.stanford.edu>
+
+	* dlentry/dlentry.S: load R13 with _SDA_BASE_ so that
+	SVR4-ABI access of short data area works. No support
+	for R2/sdata2/eabi, so far but that would be easy
+	(atm R2 is loaded with got address IIRC).
+
 2008-07-21	Till Straumann <strauman@slac.stanford.edu>
 
 	* startup/linkcmds: fixed sdata/sbss areas -- these
diff --git a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/dlentry/dlentry.S b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/dlentry/dlentry.S
index afca899ef4..abf015566c 100644
--- a/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/dlentry/dlentry.S
+++ b/c/src/lib/libbsp/powerpc/virtex/dlentry/dlentry.S
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ text_length:
         la	r5,environ@l(r5)	/* environp */
 	li	r4, 0			/* argv */
 	li	r3, 0			/* argc */
+	.extern SYM(_SDA_BASE_)
+	lis r13,SYM(_SDA_BASE_)@h
+	ori r13,r13,SYM(_SDA_BASE_)@l
         .extern SYM (boot_card)
         b       SYM (boot_card) 	 /* call the first C routine */