diff --git a/components/bootloader/src/main/bootloader_start.c b/components/bootloader/src/main/bootloader_start.c
index fd062a5f91..123f67d8f6 100644
--- a/components/bootloader/src/main/bootloader_start.c
+++ b/components/bootloader/src/main/bootloader_start.c
@@ -520,6 +520,13 @@ static void unpack_load_app(const esp_partition_pos_t* partition)
                bootloader RAM... */
 
             if (end_addr < 0x40000000) {
+                if (end_addr > 0x3FFE0000) {
+                    /* Temporary workaround for an ugly crash, until we allow >192KB of static DRAM */
+                    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "DRAM segment %d (start 0x%08x end 0x%08x) too large for IDF to boot",
+                             segment, start_addr, end_addr);
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 sp = (intptr_t)get_sp();
                 if (end_addr > sp) {
                     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Segment %d end address %08x overlaps bootloader stack %08x - can't load",
diff --git a/components/esp32/cpu_start.c b/components/esp32/cpu_start.c
index 858036c677..db32c4fdce 100644
--- a/components/esp32/cpu_start.c
+++ b/components/esp32/cpu_start.c
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@
 #define STRINGIFY(s) STRINGIFY2(s)
 #define STRINGIFY2(s) #s
 
-void start_cpu0(void) __attribute__((weak, alias("start_cpu0_default")));
-void start_cpu0_default(void) IRAM_ATTR;
+void start_cpu0(void) __attribute__((weak, alias("start_cpu0_default"))) __attribute__((noreturn));
+void start_cpu0_default(void) IRAM_ATTR __attribute__((noreturn));
 #if !CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE
-static void IRAM_ATTR call_start_cpu1();
-void start_cpu1(void) __attribute__((weak, alias("start_cpu1_default")));
-void start_cpu1_default(void) IRAM_ATTR;
+static void IRAM_ATTR call_start_cpu1() __attribute__((noreturn));
+void start_cpu1(void) __attribute__((weak, alias("start_cpu1_default"))) __attribute__((noreturn));
+void start_cpu1_default(void) IRAM_ATTR __attribute__((noreturn));
 static bool app_cpu_started = false;
 #endif //!CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE
 
@@ -126,6 +126,13 @@ void IRAM_ATTR call_start_cpu0()
         esp_panic_wdt_stop();
     }
 
+    // Temporary workaround for an ugly crash, until we allow > 192KB of static DRAM
+    if ((intptr_t)&_bss_end > 0x3FFE0000) {
+        // Can't use assert() or logging here because there's no .bss
+        ets_printf("ERROR: Static .bss section extends past 0x3FFE0000. IDF cannot boot.\n");
+        abort();
+    }
+
     //Clear BSS. Please do not attempt to do any complex stuff (like early logging) before this.
     memset(&_bss_start, 0, (&_bss_end - &_bss_start) * sizeof(_bss_start));
 
@@ -287,6 +294,7 @@ void start_cpu0_default(void)
             ESP_TASK_MAIN_PRIO, NULL, 0);
     ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Starting scheduler on PRO CPU.");
     vTaskStartScheduler();
+    abort(); /* Only get to here if not enough free heap to start scheduler */
 }
 
 #if !CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE
@@ -313,6 +321,7 @@ void start_cpu1_default(void)
 
     ESP_EARLY_LOGI(TAG, "Starting scheduler on APP CPU.");
     xPortStartScheduler();
+    abort(); /* Only get to here if FreeRTOS somehow very broken */
 }
 #endif //!CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE