diff --git a/common/lib/elsewhere.c b/common/lib/elsewhere.c
index c27b74c1..063a538d 100644
--- a/common/lib/elsewhere.c
+++ b/common/lib/elsewhere.c
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@ bool elsewhere_append(
         *target = ALIGN_UP(top, 4096);
     }
 
+    uint64_t max_retries = 0x10000;
+
 retry:
+    if (max_retries-- == 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     for (size_t i = 0; i < *ranges_count; i++) {
         uint64_t t_top = *target + t_length;
 
diff --git a/common/protos/multiboot1.c b/common/protos/multiboot1.c
index 4dfa7900..071e5554 100644
--- a/common/protos/multiboot1.c
+++ b/common/protos/multiboot1.c
@@ -194,9 +194,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot1_load(char *config, char *cmdline) {
     void *mb1_info_raw = ext_mem_alloc(mb1_info_size);
     uint64_t mb1_info_final_loc = 0x10000;
 
-    elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+    if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
             ranges, &ranges_count,
-            mb1_info_raw, &mb1_info_final_loc, mb1_info_size);
+            mb1_info_raw, &mb1_info_final_loc, mb1_info_size)) {
+        panic(true, "multiboot1: Cannot allocate mb1 info");
+    }
 
     size_t mb1_info_slide = (size_t)mb1_info_raw - mb1_info_final_loc;
 
@@ -224,9 +226,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot1_load(char *config, char *cmdline) {
 
             uint64_t section = (uint64_t)-1; /* no target preference, use top */
 
-            elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+            if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
                     ranges, &ranges_count,
-                    kernel + shdr->sh_offset, &section, shdr->sh_size);
+                    kernel + shdr->sh_offset, &section, shdr->sh_size)) {
+                panic(true, "multiboot1: Cannot allocate elf sections");
+            }
 
             shdr->sh_addr = section;
         }
@@ -265,9 +269,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot1_load(char *config, char *cmdline) {
             void *module_addr = freadall(f, MEMMAP_BOOTLOADER_RECLAIMABLE);
             uint64_t module_target = (uint64_t)-1; /* no target preference, use top */
 
-            elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+            if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
                     ranges, &ranges_count,
-                    module_addr, &module_target, f->size);
+                    module_addr, &module_target, f->size)) {
+                panic(true, "multiboot1: Cannot allocate module");
+            }
 
             m->begin   = module_target;
             m->end     = m->begin + f->size;
diff --git a/common/protos/multiboot2.c b/common/protos/multiboot2.c
index 5ee28c3b..d12707f0 100644
--- a/common/protos/multiboot2.c
+++ b/common/protos/multiboot2.c
@@ -327,9 +327,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot2_load(char *config, char* cmdline) {
     uint8_t *mb2_info = ext_mem_alloc(mb2_info_size);
     uint64_t mb2_info_final_loc = 0x10000;
 
-    elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+    if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
             ranges, &ranges_count,
-            mb2_info, &mb2_info_final_loc, mb2_info_size);
+            mb2_info, &mb2_info_final_loc, mb2_info_size)) {
+        panic(true, "multiboot2: Cannot allocate mb2 info");
+    }
 
     struct multiboot2_start_tag *mbi_start = (struct multiboot2_start_tag *)mb2_info;
     info_idx += sizeof(struct multiboot2_start_tag);
@@ -363,9 +365,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot2_load(char *config, char* cmdline) {
 
             uint64_t section = (uint64_t)-1; /* no target preference, use top */
 
-            elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+            if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
                     ranges, &ranges_count,
-                    kernel + shdr->sh_offset, &section, shdr->sh_size);
+                    kernel + shdr->sh_offset, &section, shdr->sh_size)) {
+                panic(true, "multiboot2: Cannot allocate elf sections");
+            }
 
             shdr->sh_addr = section;
         }
@@ -402,7 +406,6 @@ noreturn void multiboot2_load(char *config, char* cmdline) {
         if ((f = uri_open(module_path)) == NULL)
             panic(true, "multiboot2: Failed to open module with path `%s`. Is the path correct?", module_path);
 
-
         // Module commandline can be null, so we guard against that and make the
         // string "".
         char *module_cmdline = conf_tuple.value2;
@@ -411,9 +414,11 @@ noreturn void multiboot2_load(char *config, char* cmdline) {
         void *module_addr = freadall(f, MEMMAP_BOOTLOADER_RECLAIMABLE);
         uint64_t module_target = (uint64_t)-1;
 
-        elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
+        if (!elsewhere_append(true /* flexible target */,
                 ranges, &ranges_count,
-                module_addr, &module_target, f->size);
+                module_addr, &module_target, f->size)) {
+            panic(true, "multiboot2: Cannot allocate module");
+        }
 
         struct multiboot_tag_module *module_tag = (struct multiboot_tag_module *)(mb2_info + info_idx);