diff --git a/include/common/bl_common.ld.h b/include/common/bl_common.ld.h
index 3fc8e97..8ea7d6a 100644
--- a/include/common/bl_common.ld.h
+++ b/include/common/bl_common.ld.h
@@ -58,13 +58,32 @@
 	*(.got)						\
 	__GOT_END__ = .;
 
+/*
+ * The base xlat table
+ *
+ * It is put into the rodata section if PLAT_RO_XLAT_TABLES=1,
+ * or into the bss section otherwise.
+ */
+#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE					\
+	. = ALIGN(16);					\
+	*(base_xlat_table)
+
+#if PLAT_RO_XLAT_TABLES
+#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_RO		BASE_XLAT_TABLE
+#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_BSS
+#else
+#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_RO
+#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_BSS		BASE_XLAT_TABLE
+#endif
+
 #define RODATA_COMMON					\
 	RT_SVC_DESCS					\
 	FCONF_POPULATOR					\
 	PMF_SVC_DESCS					\
 	PARSER_LIB_DESCS				\
 	CPU_OPS						\
-	GOT
+	GOT						\
+	BASE_XLAT_TABLE_RO
 
 #define STACK_SECTION					\
 	stacks (NOLOAD) : {				\
@@ -142,6 +161,7 @@
 		*(COMMON)				\
 		BAKERY_LOCK_NORMAL			\
 		PMF_TIMESTAMP				\
+		BASE_XLAT_TABLE_BSS			\
 		__BSS_END__ = .;			\
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/lib/xlat_tables/xlat_tables_v2.h b/include/lib/xlat_tables/xlat_tables_v2.h
index ab311f4..9fe4a6e 100644
--- a/include/lib/xlat_tables/xlat_tables_v2.h
+++ b/include/lib/xlat_tables/xlat_tables_v2.h
@@ -164,20 +164,15 @@
  *   Would typically be PLAT_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE
  *   (resp. PLAT_PHY_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE) for the translation context describing the
  *   BL image currently executing.
-
- * _base_table_section:
- *   Specify the name of the section where the base translation tables have to
- *   be placed by the linker.
  */
 #define REGISTER_XLAT_CONTEXT(_ctx_name, _mmap_count, _xlat_tables_count, \
-			      _virt_addr_space_size, _phy_addr_space_size, \
-			      _base_table_section)			\
+			      _virt_addr_space_size, _phy_addr_space_size) \
 	REGISTER_XLAT_CONTEXT_FULL_SPEC(_ctx_name, (_mmap_count),	\
 					 (_xlat_tables_count),		\
 					 (_virt_addr_space_size),	\
 					 (_phy_addr_space_size),	\
 					 EL_REGIME_INVALID,		\
-					 "xlat_table", (_base_table_section))
+					 "xlat_table", "base_xlat_table")
 
 /*
  * Same as REGISTER_XLAT_CONTEXT plus the additional parameters:
diff --git a/lib/xlat_tables_v2/xlat_tables_context.c b/lib/xlat_tables_v2/xlat_tables_context.c
index 032e142..95dae88 100644
--- a/lib/xlat_tables_v2/xlat_tables_context.c
+++ b/lib/xlat_tables_v2/xlat_tables_context.c
@@ -25,15 +25,8 @@
  * Allocate and initialise the default translation context for the BL image
  * currently executing.
  */
-#if PLAT_RO_XLAT_TABLES
-#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_SECTION		".rodata"
-#else
-#define BASE_XLAT_TABLE_SECTION		".bss"
-#endif
-
 REGISTER_XLAT_CONTEXT(tf, MAX_MMAP_REGIONS, MAX_XLAT_TABLES,
-		      PLAT_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE, PLAT_PHY_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE,
-		      BASE_XLAT_TABLE_SECTION);
+		      PLAT_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE, PLAT_PHY_ADDR_SPACE_SIZE);
 
 void mmap_add_region(unsigned long long base_pa, uintptr_t base_va, size_t size,
 		     unsigned int attr)