diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f174358..5815ae9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -43,16 +43,6 @@ ifeq ($(OS), LINUX)
   LDFLAGS += -Wl,-export-dynamic
 endif
 
-# set executable stack as a linker option for X86 architecture, for dynamic recompiler
-ifeq ($(CPU), X86)
-  ifeq ($(OS), FREEBSD)
-    LDFLAGS += -z execstack
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(OS), LINUX)
-    LDFLAGS += -z execstack
-  endif
-endif
-
 # set options
 ifeq ($(DBG), 1)
   CFLAGS += -DDBG
diff --git a/r4300/recomp.c b/r4300/recomp.c
index 876fc55..aafe864 100644
--- a/r4300/recomp.c
+++ b/r4300/recomp.c
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "recomp.h"
 #include "recomph.h" //include for function prototypes
@@ -2168,7 +2173,7 @@ void init_block(int *source, precomp_block *block)
   if (!block->block)
   {
     long memsize = ((length+1)+(length>>2)) * sizeof(precomp_instr);
-    block->block = malloc(memsize);
+    block->block = malloc_exec(memsize);
     memset(block->block, 0, memsize);
     already_exist = 0;
   }
@@ -2178,12 +2183,12 @@ void init_block(int *source, precomp_block *block)
     if (!block->code)
     {
 #if defined(PROFILE_R4300)
-      block->code = malloc(524288); /* allocate so much code space that we'll never have to realloc(), because this may */
-      max_code_length = 524288;     /* cause instruction locations to move, and break our profiling data                */
+      max_code_length = 524288; /* allocate so much code space that we'll never have to realloc(), because this may */
+                                /* cause instruction locations to move, and break our profiling data                */
 #else
-      block->code = malloc(32768);
       max_code_length = 32768;
 #endif
+      block->code = malloc_exec(max_code_length);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -2574,3 +2579,48 @@ void prefetch_opcode(unsigned int op)
    recomp_ops[((src >> 26) & 0x3F)]();
 }
 
+/**********************************************************************
+ ************** allocate memory with executable bit set ***************
+ **********************************************************************/
+void *malloc_exec(size_t size)
+{
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+   int pagesize = sysconf(_SC_PAGE_SIZE);
+   if (pagesize == -1)
+       { printf("Memory error: couldn't determine system memory page size.\n"); return NULL; }
+
+   /* Allocate a buffer aligned on a page boundary;
+      initial protection is PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE */
+   void *block = NULL;
+   if (posix_memalign(&block, pagesize, size) != 0)
+       { printf("Memory error: couldn't allocate %i byte block of %i-byte aligned memory.\n", size, pagesize); return NULL; }
+
+   if (mprotect(block, size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE | PROT_EXEC) != 0)
+       { printf("Memory error: couldn't set RWX permissions on %i byte block of memory.\n", size); return NULL; }
+
+   return block;
+#else
+   return malloc(size);
+#endif
+}
+
+/**********************************************************************
+ ************* reallocate memory with executable bit set **************
+ **********************************************************************/
+void *realloc_exec(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t newsize)
+{
+   void* block = malloc_exec(newsize);
+   if (block != NULL)
+   {
+      size_t copysize;
+      if (size < newsize)
+         copysize = size;
+      else
+         copysize = newsize;
+      memcpy(block, ptr, copysize);
+   }
+   free(ptr);
+   return block;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/r4300/recomp.h b/r4300/recomp.h
index d286bef..1b2c859 100644
--- a/r4300/recomp.h
+++ b/r4300/recomp.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #ifndef RECOMP_H
 #define RECOMP_H
 
+#include <stddef.h>
 #if defined(__x86_64__)
   #include "x86_64/assemble.h"
 #else
@@ -92,6 +93,8 @@ void prefetch_opcode(unsigned int op);
 void dyna_jump();
 void dyna_start(void (*code)());
 void dyna_stop();
+void *malloc_exec(size_t size);
+void *realloc_exec(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t newsize);
 
 extern precomp_instr *dst; /* precomp_instr structure for instruction being recompiled */
 
diff --git a/r4300/x86/assemble.c b/r4300/x86/assemble.c
index dd99314..4f6203a 100644
--- a/r4300/x86/assemble.c
+++ b/r4300/x86/assemble.c
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ static void put8(unsigned char octet)
    code_length++;
    if (code_length == max_code_length)
      {
-    max_code_length += 1000;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
+    max_code_length += 8192;
      }
 }
 
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ static void put16(unsigned short word)
 {
    if ((code_length+2) >= max_code_length)
      {
-    max_code_length += 1000;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
+    max_code_length += 8192;
      }
    *((unsigned short *)(&(*inst_pointer)[code_length])) = word;
    code_length+=2;
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ static void put32(unsigned int dword)
 {
    if ((code_length+4) >= max_code_length)
      {
-    max_code_length += 1000;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
+    max_code_length += 8192;
      }
    *((unsigned int *)(&(*inst_pointer)[code_length])) = dword;
    code_length+=4;
diff --git a/r4300/x86_64/assemble.c b/r4300/x86_64/assemble.c
index 443f335..bb9fdf1 100644
--- a/r4300/x86_64/assemble.c
+++ b/r4300/x86_64/assemble.c
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ static void put8(unsigned char octet)
   code_length++;
   if (code_length == max_code_length)
   {
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
     max_code_length += 8192;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
   }
 }
 
@@ -204,8 +204,8 @@ static void put16(unsigned short word)
 {
   if ((code_length + 2) >= max_code_length)
   {
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
     max_code_length += 8192;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
   }
   *((unsigned short *) (*inst_pointer + code_length)) = word;
   code_length += 2;
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ static void put32(unsigned int dword)
 {
   if ((code_length + 4) >= max_code_length)
   {
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
     max_code_length += 8192;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
   }
   *((unsigned int *) (*inst_pointer + code_length)) = dword;
   code_length += 4;
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ static void put64(unsigned long long qword)
 {
   if ((code_length + 8) >= max_code_length)
   {
+    *inst_pointer = realloc_exec(*inst_pointer, max_code_length, max_code_length+8192);
     max_code_length += 8192;
-    *inst_pointer = realloc(*inst_pointer, max_code_length);
   }
   *((unsigned long long *) (*inst_pointer + code_length)) = qword;
   code_length += 8;