diff --git a/configs/example/sst/arm_fs.py b/configs/example/sst/arm_fs.py
index 14dd7c4743..b8fcb68e37 100644
--- a/configs/example/sst/arm_fs.py
+++ b/configs/example/sst/arm_fs.py
@@ -185,3 +185,4 @@ for cpu in system.cpu:
     cpu.createInterruptController()
 
 root = Root(full_system=True, system=system)
+m5.instantiate()
diff --git a/configs/example/sst/riscv_fs.py b/configs/example/sst/riscv_fs.py
index 46754debf5..c82ad9a6b9 100644
--- a/configs/example/sst/riscv_fs.py
+++ b/configs/example/sst/riscv_fs.py
@@ -175,3 +175,4 @@ for cpu in system.cpu:
     cpu.createInterruptController()
 
 root = Root(full_system=True, system=system)
+m5.instantiate()
diff --git a/ext/sst/gem5.cc b/ext/sst/gem5.cc
index 8c845f329e..3ea6127ecd 100644
--- a/ext/sst/gem5.cc
+++ b/ext/sst/gem5.cc
@@ -204,13 +204,7 @@ gem5Component::init(unsigned phase)
 
     if (phase == 0) {
         initPython(args.size(), &args[0]);
-
-        const std::vector<std::string> m5_instantiate_commands = {
-            "import m5",
-            "m5.instantiate()"
-        };
-        execPythonCommands(m5_instantiate_commands);
-
+        // m5.instantiate() was moved to the gem5 script.
         // calling SimObject.startup()
         const std::vector<std::string> simobject_setup_commands = {
             "import atexit",