diff --git a/src/base/loader/elf_object.cc b/src/base/loader/elf_object.cc
index 7339507f6..89a5d4512 100644
--- a/src/base/loader/elf_object.cc
+++ b/src/base/loader/elf_object.cc
@@ -340,3 +340,41 @@ ElfObject::loadLocalSymbols(SymbolTable *symtab, Addr addrMask)
 {
     return loadSomeSymbols(symtab, STB_LOCAL);
 }
+
+bool
+ElfObject::isDynamic()
+{
+    Elf *elf;
+    int sec_idx = 1; // there is a 0 but it is nothing, go figure
+    Elf_Scn *section;
+    GElf_Shdr shdr;
+
+    GElf_Ehdr ehdr;
+
+    // check that header matches library version
+    if (elf_version(EV_CURRENT) == EV_NONE)
+        panic("wrong elf version number!");
+
+    // get a pointer to elf structure
+    elf = elf_memory((char*)fileData,len);
+    assert(elf != NULL);
+
+    // Check that we actually have a elf file
+    if (gelf_getehdr(elf, &ehdr) ==0) {
+        panic("Not ELF, shouldn't be here");
+    }
+
+    // Get the first section
+    section = elf_getscn(elf, sec_idx);
+
+    // While there are no more sections
+    while (section != NULL) {
+        gelf_getshdr(section, &shdr);
+        if (!strcmp(".dynamic", elf_strptr(elf, ehdr.e_shstrndx, shdr.sh_name)))
+            return true;
+        section = elf_getscn(elf, ++sec_idx);
+    } // while sections
+    return false;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/base/loader/elf_object.hh b/src/base/loader/elf_object.hh
index fb728b3c5..d909140f3 100644
--- a/src/base/loader/elf_object.hh
+++ b/src/base/loader/elf_object.hh
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ class ElfObject : public ObjectFile
     virtual bool loadLocalSymbols(SymbolTable *symtab, Addr addrMask =
             std::numeric_limits<Addr>::max());
 
+    virtual bool isDynamic();
+
     static ObjectFile *tryFile(const std::string &fname, int fd,
                                size_t len, uint8_t *data);
     Addr programHeaderTable() {return _programHeaderTable;}
diff --git a/src/base/loader/object_file.cc b/src/base/loader/object_file.cc
index ad2cd34ba..da5aa9552 100644
--- a/src/base/loader/object_file.cc
+++ b/src/base/loader/object_file.cc
@@ -150,3 +150,9 @@ createObjectFile(const string &fname, bool raw)
     munmap(fileData, len);
     return NULL;
 }
+
+bool
+ObjectFile::isDynamic()
+{
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/base/loader/object_file.hh b/src/base/loader/object_file.hh
index 6e98332c5..18e6482be 100644
--- a/src/base/loader/object_file.hh
+++ b/src/base/loader/object_file.hh
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ class ObjectFile
     virtual bool loadLocalSymbols(SymbolTable *symtab, Addr addrMask =
             std::numeric_limits<Addr>::max()) = 0;
 
+    virtual bool  isDynamic();
+
     Arch  getArch()  const { return arch; }
     OpSys getOpSys() const { return opSys; }
 
diff --git a/src/sim/process.cc b/src/sim/process.cc
index b43fa7d00..63ff33969 100644
--- a/src/sim/process.cc
+++ b/src/sim/process.cc
@@ -440,6 +440,11 @@ LiveProcess::create(const std::string &nm, System *system, int stdin_fd,
         fatal("Can't load object file %s", executable);
     }
 
+    if (objFile->isDynamic())
+       fatal("Object file is a dynamic executable however only static "
+             "executables are supported!\n        Please recompile your "
+             "executable as a static binary and try again.\n");
+
 #if THE_ISA == ALPHA_ISA
     if (objFile->getArch() != ObjectFile::Alpha)
         fatal("Object file architecture does not match compiled ISA (Alpha).");