diff --git a/src/sim/mem_pool.cc b/src/sim/mem_pool.cc
index e489110c9b..bd56df8241 100644
--- a/src/sim/mem_pool.cc
+++ b/src/sim/mem_pool.cc
@@ -33,11 +33,8 @@
 
 #include "sim/mem_pool.hh"
 
-#include <cassert>
-
 #include "base/addr_range.hh"
 #include "base/logging.hh"
-#include "sim/system.hh"
 
 namespace gem5
 {
@@ -147,14 +144,8 @@ MemPool::unserialize(CheckpointIn &cp)
 }
 
 void
-MemPools::populate(const System &sys)
+MemPools::populate(const AddrRangeList &memories)
 {
-    AddrRangeList memories = sys.getPhysMem().getConfAddrRanges();
-    const auto &m5op_range = sys.m5opRange();
-
-    if (m5op_range.valid())
-        memories -= m5op_range;
-
     for (const auto &mem : memories)
         pools.emplace_back(pageShift, mem.start(), mem.end());
 }
diff --git a/src/sim/mem_pool.hh b/src/sim/mem_pool.hh
index 613d763923..a2a00d54bb 100644
--- a/src/sim/mem_pool.hh
+++ b/src/sim/mem_pool.hh
@@ -36,14 +36,13 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "base/addr_range.hh"
 #include "base/types.hh"
 #include "sim/serialize.hh"
 
 namespace gem5
 {
 
-class System;
-
 /** Class for handling allocation of physical pages in SE mode. */
 class MemPool : public Serializable
 {
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ class MemPools : public Serializable
   public:
     MemPools(Addr page_shift) : pageShift(page_shift) {}
 
-    void populate(const System &sys);
+    void populate(const AddrRangeList &memories);
 
     /// Allocate npages contiguous unused physical pages.
     /// @return Starting address of first page
diff --git a/src/sim/se_workload.cc b/src/sim/se_workload.cc
index 47bdb1cc09..d3c857048b 100644
--- a/src/sim/se_workload.cc
+++ b/src/sim/se_workload.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,14 @@ void
 SEWorkload::setSystem(System *sys)
 {
     Workload::setSystem(sys);
-    memPools.populate(*sys);
+
+    AddrRangeList memories = sys->getPhysMem().getConfAddrRanges();
+    const auto &m5op_range = sys->m5opRange();
+
+    if (m5op_range.valid())
+        memories -= m5op_range;
+
+    memPools.populate(memories);
 }
 
 void