diff --git a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/include/globals.h b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/include/globals.h
index 49052b81559..5ed65ba6709 100644
--- a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/include/globals.h
+++ b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/include/globals.h
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 #define HEAP_SIZE		0x40000
 #define MEMORY_ALIGNMENT	32
 
+#define CP0_COUNT		$9
+#define CP0_COMPARE		$11
+#define CP0_STATUS		$12
+#define CP0_CAUSE		$13
+#define CP0_WATCHLO		$18
+#define CP0_WATCHHI		$19
+
 #define printf(fmt, ...)	npf_pprintf(board_putchar, NULL, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define snprintf		npf_snprintf
 
diff --git a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/board.c b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/board.c
index d6d5865673d..c90b86d2542 100644
--- a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/board.c
+++ b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/board.c
@@ -21,10 +21,8 @@
 #define RTL93XX_CHIP_INFO_EN		0xa0000
 
 /*
- * board_putchar() is the central function to write to serial console of the device. Some printf
- * libraries (e.g. https://github.com/mpaland/printf) need a fixed function name like _putchar.
- * To keep the original library as is, link the two functions with gcc compiler option
- * -D_putchar=board_putchar
+ * board_putchar() is the central function to write to serial console of the device. This is
+ * linked to printf() and the provider library via globals.h.
  */
 
 void board_putchar(int ch, void *ctx)
diff --git a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/main.c b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/main.c
index 747881ea067..0a53fcef7dd 100644
--- a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/main.c
+++ b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/main.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void welcome(void)
 
 	board_get_system(system, sizeof(system));
 
-	printf("rt-loader\n");
+	printf("\nrt-loader\n");
 	printf("Running on %s with %dMB\n", system, board_get_memory() >> 20);
 }
 
diff --git a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/startup.S b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/startup.S
index 898f7e1a163..60eb1e480ee 100644
--- a/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/startup.S
+++ b/target/linux/realtek/image/rt-loader/src/startup.S
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 	add \reg, $t9
 .endm
 
+.macro  _EHB
+	sll     $zero, 3
+.endm
+
 	.section .text
 	.globl _start
 	.ent _start
@@ -28,6 +32,21 @@ _where_am_i:
 	move	$t9, $ra
 	subu	$t9, $t9, 0x8
 
+# This loader might be run in environments that are not properly initialized - e.g. ZyXEL
+# devices with BootBase loader. Be careful and setup the coprocessor registers.
+
+	mtc0	$zero, CP0_WATCHLO
+	mtc0	$zero, CP0_WATCHHI
+	mtc0	$zero, CP0_CAUSE
+	mfc0	$t0, CP0_STATUS
+	li	$t1, 0x1000001f
+	or	$t0, $t1
+	xori	$t0, 0x1f
+	mtc0	$t0, CP0_STATUS
+	_EHB
+	mtc0	$zero, CP0_COUNT
+	mtc0	$zero, CP0_COMPARE
+	_EHB
 
 # Check if this our first run (_kernel_load_addr = 0?)