diff --git a/include/arch/i386/vm.h b/include/arch/i386/vm.h
index ef0ff79d5..757a14a8e 100644
--- a/include/arch/i386/vm.h
+++ b/include/arch/i386/vm.h
@@ -84,4 +84,15 @@ i386/vm.h
 #define CPUID1_ECX_SSE4_1	(1L << 19)
 #define CPUID1_ECX_SSE4_2	(1L << 20)
 
+#ifndef __ASSEMBLY__
+
+#include <minix/type.h>
+
+/* structure used by VM to pass data to the kernel while enabling paging */
+struct vm_ep_data {
+	struct mem_map	* mem_map;
+	vir_bytes	data_seg_limit;
+};
+#endif
+
 #endif /* __SYS_VM_386_H__ */
diff --git a/include/minix/syslib.h b/include/minix/syslib.h
index bfad9ff6e..430eda042 100644
--- a/include/minix/syslib.h
+++ b/include/minix/syslib.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ _PROTOTYPE( int sys_vmctl_get_cr3_i386, (endpoint_t who, u32_t *cr3)  );
 _PROTOTYPE( int sys_vmctl_get_memreq, (endpoint_t *who, vir_bytes *mem,
         vir_bytes *len, int *wrflag, endpoint_t *who_s, vir_bytes *mem_s,
         endpoint_t *) );
-_PROTOTYPE( int sys_vmctl_enable_paging, (struct mem_map *));
+_PROTOTYPE( int sys_vmctl_enable_paging, (void * data));
 
 _PROTOTYPE( int sys_readbios, (phys_bytes address, void *buf, size_t size));
 _PROTOTYPE( int sys_stime, (time_t boottime));
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c b/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
index ab20ecbc3..99745da74 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include "../../proc.h"
 #include "../../vm.h"
 
+#include <machine/vm.h>
+
 #include <minix/type.h>
 #include <minix/syslib.h>
 #include <minix/cpufeature.h>
@@ -956,8 +958,37 @@ PUBLIC int arch_phys_map_reply(int index, vir_bytes addr)
 	return OK;
 }
 
-PUBLIC int arch_enable_paging(void)
+PUBLIC int arch_enable_paging(struct proc * caller, message * m_ptr)
 {
+	struct vm_ep_data ep_data;
+	int r;
+
+	/*
+	 * copy the extra data associated with the call from userspace
+	 */
+	if((r=data_copy(caller->p_endpoint, (vir_bytes)m_ptr->SVMCTL_VALUE,
+		KERNEL, (vir_bytes) &ep_data, sizeof(ep_data))) != OK) {
+		printf("vmctl_enable_paging: data_copy failed! (%d)\n", r);
+		return r;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * when turning paging on i386 we also change the segment limits to make
+	 * the special mappings requested by the kernel reachable
+	 */
+	if ((r = prot_set_kern_seg_limit(ep_data.data_seg_limit)) != OK)
+		return r;
+
+	/*
+	 * install the new map provided by the call
+	 */
+	if (newmap(caller, caller, ep_data.mem_map) != OK)
+		panic("arch_enable_paging: newmap failed");
+
+	FIXLINMSG(caller);
+	assert(caller->p_delivermsg_lin == umap_local(caller, D,
+				caller->p_delivermsg_vir, sizeof(message)));
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_APIC
 	/* if local APIC is enabled */
 	if (lapic_addr) {
diff --git a/kernel/proto.h b/kernel/proto.h
index c3261d399..451bb9d71 100644
--- a/kernel/proto.h
+++ b/kernel/proto.h
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ _PROTOTYPE( void arch_do_syscall, (struct proc *proc)			);
 _PROTOTYPE( int arch_phys_map, (int index, phys_bytes *addr,
 	phys_bytes *len, int *flags));
 _PROTOTYPE( int arch_phys_map_reply, (int index, vir_bytes addr));
-_PROTOTYPE( int arch_enable_paging, (void));
+_PROTOTYPE( int arch_enable_paging, (struct proc * caller, message * m_ptr));
 
 _PROTOTYPE( int copy_msg_from_user, (struct proc * p, message * user_mbuf,
 							message * dst));
diff --git a/kernel/system/do_vmctl.c b/kernel/system/do_vmctl.c
index 862e586a3..136b20b55 100644
--- a/kernel/system/do_vmctl.c
+++ b/kernel/system/do_vmctl.c
@@ -127,15 +127,7 @@ PUBLIC int do_vmctl(struct proc * caller, message * m_ptr)
 		vm_init(p);
 		if(!vm_running)
 			panic("do_vmctl: paging enabling failed");
-		if ((err = arch_enable_paging()) != OK) {
-			return err;
-		}
-		if(newmap(caller, p, (struct mem_map *) m_ptr->SVMCTL_VALUE) != OK)
-			panic("do_vmctl: newmap failed");
-		FIXLINMSG(p);
-		assert(p->p_delivermsg_lin ==
-		  umap_local(p, D, p->p_delivermsg_vir, sizeof(message)));
-		return OK;
+		return arch_enable_paging(caller, m_ptr);
 	case VMCTL_KERN_PHYSMAP:
 	{
 		int i = m_ptr->SVMCTL_VALUE;
diff --git a/lib/libsys/sys_vmctl.c b/lib/libsys/sys_vmctl.c
index 2bbe28f5b..ad85216cd 100644
--- a/lib/libsys/sys_vmctl.c
+++ b/lib/libsys/sys_vmctl.c
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ PUBLIC int sys_vmctl_get_memreq(endpoint_t *who, vir_bytes *mem,
   return r;
 }
 
-PUBLIC int sys_vmctl_enable_paging(struct mem_map *map)
+PUBLIC int sys_vmctl_enable_paging(void * data)
 {
 	message m;
 	m.SVMCTL_WHO = SELF;
 	m.SVMCTL_PARAM = VMCTL_ENABLE_PAGING;
-	m.SVMCTL_VALUE = (int) map;
+	m.SVMCTL_VALUE = (u32_t) data;
 	return _kernel_call(SYS_VMCTL, &m);
 }
 
diff --git a/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c b/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
index c045cf9b7..1d9d8a999 100644
--- a/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
+++ b/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ PUBLIC void pt_init(phys_bytes usedlimit)
 	int global_bit_ok = 0;
 	int free_pde;
 	int p;
-	vir_bytes kernlimit;
+	struct vm_ep_data ep_data;
 	vir_bytes sparepages_mem;
 	phys_bytes sparepages_ph;
 
@@ -803,13 +803,6 @@ PUBLIC void pt_init(phys_bytes usedlimit)
 	/* first pde in use by process. */
 	proc_pde = free_pde;
 
-	kernlimit = free_pde*I386_BIG_PAGE_SIZE;
-
-	/* Increase kernel segment to address this memory. */
-	if((r=sys_vmctl(SELF, VMCTL_I386_KERNELLIMIT, kernlimit)) != OK) {
-                panic("VMCTL_I386_KERNELLIMIT failed: %d", r);
-	}
-
 	kpagedir = arch_map2vir(&vmproc[VMP_SYSTEM],
 		pagedir_pde*I386_BIG_PAGE_SIZE);
 
@@ -822,8 +815,13 @@ PUBLIC void pt_init(phys_bytes usedlimit)
 	pt_mapkernel(newpt);	/* didn't know about vm_dir pages earlier */
         pt_bind(newpt, vmp);
        
+	/* new segment limit for the kernel after paging is enabled */
+	ep_data.data_seg_limit = free_pde*I386_BIG_PAGE_SIZE;
+	/* the memory map which must be installed after paging is enabled */
+	ep_data.mem_map = vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg;
+
 	/* Now actually enable paging. */
-	if(sys_vmctl_enable_paging(vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg) != OK)
+	if(sys_vmctl_enable_paging(&ep_data) != OK)
         	panic("pt_init: enable paging failed");
 
         /* Back to reality - this is where the stack actually is. */