diff --git a/hermit/libkern/stdio.c b/hermit/libkern/stdio.c
index c09b3f74f..89119f8db 100644
--- a/hermit/libkern/stdio.c
+++ b/hermit/libkern/stdio.c
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ static uint32_t early_print = NO_EARLY_PRINT;
 #endif
 static spinlock_irqsave_t olock = SPINLOCK_IRQSAVE_INIT;
 static atomic_int32_t kmsg_counter = ATOMIC_INIT(-1);
+
+/* Workaround for a compiler bug. gcc 5.1 seems to ignore this array, if we
+   defined it as as static array. At least it is as static array not part of
+   the binary. => no valid kernel messages */
 /* static */ unsigned char kmessages[KMSG_SIZE] __attribute__ ((section(".kmsg"))) = {[0 ... KMSG_SIZE-1] = 0x00};
 
 int koutput_init(void)