diff --git a/src/arch/arm/linux/linux.hh b/src/arch/arm/linux/linux.hh
index 5fd6cdc0c0..ad773cd3b5 100644
--- a/src/arch/arm/linux/linux.hh
+++ b/src/arch/arm/linux/linux.hh
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #define __ARCH_ARM_LINUX_LINUX_HH__
 
 #include "arch/arm/utility.hh"
+#include "base/compiler.hh"
 #include "kern/linux/linux.hh"
 
 class ArmLinux : public Linux
@@ -219,9 +220,9 @@ class ArmLinux32 : public ArmLinux
         uint32_t  st_gid;
         uint64_t  st_rdev;
         uint8_t   __pad3[4];
-        int64_t   __attribute__ ((aligned (8))) st_size;
+        M5_ALIGNED(8) int64_t st_size;
         uint32_t  st_blksize;
-        uint64_t  __attribute__ ((aligned (8))) st_blocks;
+        M5_ALIGNED(8) uint64_t st_blocks;
         uint32_t  st_atimeX;
         uint32_t  st_atime_nsec;
         uint32_t  st_mtimeX;
diff --git a/src/arch/mips/linux/aligned.hh b/src/arch/mips/linux/aligned.hh
index db4896afa9..84157a2d80 100644
--- a/src/arch/mips/linux/aligned.hh
+++ b/src/arch/mips/linux/aligned.hh
@@ -30,18 +30,8 @@
 #define __ARCH_MIPS_LINUX_ALIGNED_HH__
 
 
-/* GCC 3.3.X has a bug in which attributes+typedefs don't work. 3.2.X is fine
- * as in 3.4.X, but the bug is marked will not fix in 3.3.X so here is
- * the work around.
- */
-#if (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__  != 3) || __GNUC__ > 3
-typedef uint64_t uint64_ta __attribute__ ((aligned (8))) ;
-typedef int64_t int64_ta __attribute__ ((aligned (8))) ;
-typedef Addr Addr_a __attribute__ ((aligned (8))) ;
-#else
-#define uint64_ta uint64_t __attribute__ ((aligned (8)))
-#define int64_ta int64_t __attribute__ ((aligned (8)))
-#define Addr_a Addr __attribute__ ((aligned (8)))
-#endif /* __GNUC__ __GNUC_MINOR__ */
+typedef M5_ALIGNED(8) uint64_t uint64_ta;
+typedef M5_ALIGNED(8) int64_t int64_ta;
+typedef M5_ALIGNED(8) Addr Addr_a;
 
 #endif /* __ARCH_MIPS_LINUX_ALIGNED_HH__ */
diff --git a/src/base/compiler.hh b/src/base/compiler.hh
index 4565143b11..643352cd05 100644
--- a/src/base/compiler.hh
+++ b/src/base/compiler.hh
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@
 #  define M5_LOCAL [[gnu::visibility("hidden")]]
 #  define M5_WEAK [[gnu::weak]]
 
+// Force an alignment for a variable.
+#  define M5_ALIGNED(alignment) [[gnu::aligned(alignment)]]
+
 // Marker for what should be an unreachable point in the code.
 #  define M5_UNREACHABLE __builtin_unreachable()
 
diff --git a/src/base/statistics.hh b/src/base/statistics.hh
index c66454053c..2c1b1a1218 100644
--- a/src/base/statistics.hh
+++ b/src/base/statistics.hh
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ class ScalarBase : public DataWrap<Derived, ScalarInfoProxy>
 
   protected:
     /** The storage of this stat. */
-    char storage[sizeof(Storage)] __attribute__ ((aligned (8)));
+    M5_ALIGNED(8) char storage[sizeof(Storage)];
 
   protected:
     /**
@@ -1878,7 +1878,7 @@ class DistBase : public DataWrap<Derived, DistInfoProxy>
 
   protected:
     /** The storage for this stat. */
-    char storage[sizeof(Storage)] __attribute__ ((aligned (8)));
+    M5_ALIGNED(8) char storage[sizeof(Storage)];
 
   protected:
     /**