diff --git a/apps/plugin.c b/apps/plugin.c
index 57bc09530a..b023a6553f 100644
--- a/apps/plugin.c
+++ b/apps/plugin.c
@@ -490,8 +490,6 @@ int plugin_load(const char* plugin, void* parameter)
         gui_syncsplash(HZ*2, true, str(LANG_PLUGIN_CANT_OPEN), plugin);
         return fd;
     }
-    /* zero out plugin buffer to ensure a properly zeroed bss area */
-    memset(pluginbuf, 0, PLUGIN_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
     readsize = read(fd, pluginbuf, PLUGIN_BUFFER_SIZE);
     close(fd);
@@ -516,6 +514,9 @@ int plugin_load(const char* plugin, void* parameter)
         return -1;
     }
     plugin_size = hdr->end_addr - pluginbuf;
+
+    /* zero out bss area only, above guards end of pluginbuf */
+    memset(pluginbuf + readsize, 0, plugin_size - readsize);
 #endif
 
     plugin_loaded = true;
diff --git a/apps/plugins/lib/overlay.c b/apps/plugins/lib/overlay.c
index 31c2b00f91..91f08e23f0 100755
--- a/apps/plugins/lib/overlay.c
+++ b/apps/plugins/lib/overlay.c
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ enum plugin_status run_overlay(struct plugin_api* rb, void* parameter,
         rb->splash(2*HZ, true, "%s overlay doesn't fit into memory.", name);
         return PLUGIN_ERROR;
     }
-    rb->memset(header.load_addr, 0, header.end_addr - header.load_addr);
 
     fd = rb->open(filename, O_RDONLY);
     if (fd < 0)
@@ -101,6 +100,10 @@ enum plugin_status run_overlay(struct plugin_api* rb, void* parameter,
         rb->splash(2*HZ, true, "Reading %s overlay failed.", name);
         return PLUGIN_ERROR;
     }
+    /* Zero out bss area */
+    rb->memset(header.load_addr + readsize, 0,
+               header.end_addr - (header.load_addr + readsize));
+
     return header.entry_point(rb, parameter);
 }
 #endif