diff --git a/servers/vm/alloc.c b/servers/vm/alloc.c
index fe97cf39b..e28f4574d 100644
--- a/servers/vm/alloc.c
+++ b/servers/vm/alloc.c
@@ -426,9 +426,7 @@ PRIVATE PUBLIC phys_bytes alloc_pages(int pages, int memflags)
 #define ALLOCRETURNCHECK			\
 	availbytes(&avail2, &chunks2);		\
 	vm_assert(avail1 - bytes == avail2);	\
-	vm_assert(chunks1 == chunks2 || chunks1-1 == chunks2);	\
-	if(verbosealloc)					\
-		printf("memory: 0x%lx bytes in %d chunks\n", avail2, chunks2);
+	vm_assert(chunks1 == chunks2 || chunks1-1 == chunks2);
 #else
 #define ALLOCRETURNCHECK
 #endif
@@ -493,11 +491,9 @@ PRIVATE PUBLIC void free_pages(phys_bytes pageno, int npages)
 
 #if SANITYCHECKS
 #define FREERETURNCHECK								\
-	availbytes(&avail2, &chunks2);						\
-	vm_assert(avail1 + origsize  == avail2);				\
-	vm_assert(chunks1 == chunks2 || chunks1+1 == chunks2 || chunks1-1 == chunks2);	\
-	if(verbosealloc)							\
-		printf("memory: 0x%lx bytes in %d chunks\n", avail2, chunks2);
+	availbytes(&avail2, &chunks2);					\
+	vm_assert(avail1 + origsize  == avail2);			\
+	vm_assert(chunks1 == chunks2 || chunks1+1 == chunks2 || chunks1-1 == chunks2);
 #else
 #define FREERETURNCHECK
 #endif
diff --git a/servers/vm/exec.c b/servers/vm/exec.c
index 06d514b04..e486f1bef 100644
--- a/servers/vm/exec.c
+++ b/servers/vm/exec.c
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ PUBLIC int proc_new(struct vmproc *vmp,
 	vmp->vm_offset = vstart;
 
 	/* page mapping flags for code */
-#define TEXTFLAGS (PTF_PRESENT | PTF_USER | PTF_WRITE)
+#define TEXTFLAGS (PTF_PRESENT | PTF_USER)
 	SANITYCHECK(SCL_DETAIL);
 	if(text_bytes > 0) {
 		if(!map_page_region(vmp, vstart, 0, text_bytes,
diff --git a/servers/vm/glo.h b/servers/vm/glo.h
index 2566830d8..065bee9c4 100644
--- a/servers/vm/glo.h
+++ b/servers/vm/glo.h
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ u32_t data1[200];
 EXTERN long vm_sanitychecklevel;
 #endif
 
-int verbosealloc;
-
 #define VMP_SYSTEM	_NR_PROCS
 
 /* vm operation mode state and values */
diff --git a/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c b/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
index e80a5e313..bda5f5c4c 100644
--- a/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
+++ b/servers/vm/i386/pagetable.c
@@ -781,12 +781,12 @@ PUBLIC int pt_mapkernel(pt_t *pt)
 
         /* Map in text. flags: don't write, supervisor only */
         if((r=pt_writemap(pt, KERNEL_TEXT, KERNEL_TEXT, KERNEL_TEXT_LEN,
-                 I386_VM_PRESENT | I386_VM_USER | I386_VM_WRITE, 0)) != OK)
+		I386_VM_PRESENT, 0)) != OK)
 		return r;
  
         /* Map in data. flags: read-write, supervisor only */
         if((r=pt_writemap(pt, KERNEL_DATA, KERNEL_DATA, KERNEL_DATA_LEN,
-                I386_VM_PRESENT | I386_VM_USER | I386_VM_WRITE, 0)) != OK)
+		I386_VM_PRESENT|I386_VM_WRITE, 0)) != OK)
 		return r;
 
 	return OK;
diff --git a/servers/vm/main.c b/servers/vm/main.c
index cec3b0fa2..624a5bb17 100644
--- a/servers/vm/main.c
+++ b/servers/vm/main.c
@@ -247,6 +247,23 @@ PRIVATE void vm_init(void)
 	 */
         kernel_top_bytes = find_kernel_top();
 
+	/* Can first kernel pages of code and data be (left) mapped out?
+	 * If so, change the SYSTEM process' memory map to reflect this
+	 * (future mappings of SYSTEM into other processes will not include
+	 * first pages), and free the first pages.
+	 */
+	if(vm_paged && sys_vmctl(SELF, VMCTL_NOPAGEZERO, 0) == OK) {
+	  	struct vmproc *vmp;
+		vmp = &vmproc[VMP_SYSTEM];
+		if(vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg[T].mem_len > 0) {
+#define DIFF CLICKSPERPAGE
+			vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg[T].mem_phys += DIFF;
+			vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg[T].mem_len -= DIFF;
+		}
+		vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg[D].mem_phys += DIFF;
+		vmp->vm_arch.vm_seg[D].mem_len -= DIFF;
+	}
+
 	/* Give these processes their own page table. */
 	for (ip = &image[0]; ip < &image[NR_BOOT_PROCS]; ip++) {
 		int s;
diff --git a/servers/vm/vm.h b/servers/vm/vm.h
index b305817b8..cdddf1539 100644
--- a/servers/vm/vm.h
+++ b/servers/vm/vm.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #define ABS2CLICK(a) ((a) >> CLICK_SHIFT)
 
 /* Compile in asserts and custom sanity checks at all? */
-#define SANITYCHECKS	0
+#define SANITYCHECKS	1
 #define VMSTATS		1
 
 /* If so, this level: */