diff --git a/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py b/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
index 897e9e3cd5..4c21d529ce 100644
--- a/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
+++ b/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
@@ -64,3 +64,8 @@ class AbstractMemory(ClockedObject):
     # configuration information about the physical memory layout to
     # the kernel, e.g. using ATAG or ACPI
     conf_table_reported = Param.Bool(True, "Report to configuration table")
+
+    # Image file to load into this memory as its initial contents. This is
+    # particularly useful for ROMs.
+    image_file = Param.String('',
+            "Image to load into memory as its initial contents")
diff --git a/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc b/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
index b5412badf4..aa800113be 100644
--- a/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
+++ b/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "arch/locked_mem.hh"
+#include "base/loader/memory_image.hh"
+#include "base/loader/object_file.hh"
 #include "cpu/base.hh"
 #include "cpu/thread_context.hh"
 #include "debug/LLSC.hh"
@@ -66,6 +68,38 @@ AbstractMemory::AbstractMemory(const Params *p) :
              range.to_string());
 }
 
+void
+AbstractMemory::initState()
+{
+    ClockedObject::initState();
+
+    const auto &file = params()->image_file;
+    if (file == "")
+        return;
+
+    auto *object = createObjectFile(file, true);
+    fatal_if(!object, "%s: Could not load %s.", name(), file);
+
+    panic_if(!object->loadGlobalSymbols(debugSymbolTable),
+             "%s: Could not load symbols from %s.", name(), file);
+
+    MemoryImage image = object->buildImage();
+
+    AddrRange image_range(image.minAddr(), image.maxAddr());
+    if (!range.contains(image_range.start())) {
+        warn("%s: Moving image from %s to memory address range %s.",
+                name(), image_range.to_string(), range.to_string());
+        image = image.offset(range.start());
+        image_range = AddrRange(image.minAddr(), image.maxAddr());
+    }
+    panic_if(!image_range.isSubset(range), "%s: memory image %s doesn't fit.",
+             name(), file);
+
+    PortProxy proxy([this](PacketPtr pkt) { functionalAccess(pkt); }, size());
+
+    panic_if(!image.write(proxy), "%s: Unable to write image.");
+}
+
 void
 AbstractMemory::setBackingStore(uint8_t* pmem_addr)
 {
diff --git a/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh b/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
index b1d54fdebe..616fd0e265 100644
--- a/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
+++ b/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ class AbstractMemory : public ClockedObject
     AbstractMemory(const Params* p);
     virtual ~AbstractMemory() {}
 
+    void initState() override;
+
     /**
      * See if this is a null memory that should never store data and
      * always return zero.