diff --git a/arch/nios2/cpu/u-boot.lds b/arch/nios2/cpu/u-boot.lds
index 5b9e27d9406..fc366d44341 100644
--- a/arch/nios2/cpu/u-boot.lds
+++ b/arch/nios2/cpu/u-boot.lds
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ SECTIONS
 	  *(.sdata)
 	  *(.sdata.*)
 	  *(.gnu.linkonce.s.*)
+	  . = ALIGN(8);
 	}
-	. = ALIGN(4);
 
 	_edata = .;
 	PROVIDE (edata = .);
@@ -124,3 +124,5 @@ SECTIONS
 	.debug_typenames 0 : { *(.debug_typenames) }
 	.debug_varnames	 0 : { *(.debug_varnames) }
 }
+
+ASSERT(_end % 8 == 0, "_end must be 8-byte aligned for device tree");