diff --git a/mos-platform/atari8/link.ld b/mos-platform/atari8/link.ld
index 12cf8299b..237cfd00d 100644
--- a/mos-platform/atari8/link.ld
+++ b/mos-platform/atari8/link.ld
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ OUTPUT_FORMAT {
     SHORT(_start)
     /* Address where first byte of main segment should be loaded. */
     SHORT(0x2000)
-    /* Address of last byte of main segment. */
-    SHORT(__data_end - 1)
+    /* Address of last byte of main segment.
+       -- is a hack to force the early evalutation of __data_end; otherwise the
+       -1 offset may be interpreted as requesting the end of the containing
+       section. */
+    SHORT(--__data_end - 1)
 
     TRIM(ram)
 }