diff --git a/bang/src/bang_compiler.c b/bang/src/bang_compiler.c
index 67a0898..fdb017d 100644
--- a/bang/src/bang_compiler.c
+++ b/bang/src/bang_compiler.c
@@ -683,6 +683,7 @@ void bang_prepare_var_stack(Bang *bang, Basm *basm, size_t stack_size)
     assert(sizeof(stack_start_addr) == ptr_def.size);
 
     bang->stack_frame_var_addr = basm_push_buffer_to_memory(basm, (uint8_t*) &stack_start_addr, ptr_def.size).as_u64;
+    basm->memory_base = stack_size;
 }
 
 void compile_var_def_into_basm(Bang *bang, Basm *basm, Bang_Var_Def var_def, Bang_Var_Storage storage)
diff --git a/basm/src/compiler.c b/basm/src/compiler.c
index 89f7c86..c9103f3 100644
--- a/basm/src/compiler.c
+++ b/basm/src/compiler.c
@@ -308,7 +308,8 @@ void basm_save_to_file_as_bm(Basm *basm, const char *file_path)
         .version = BM_FILE_VERSION,
         .entry = basm->entry,
         .program_size = basm->program_size,
-        .memory_size = basm->memory_size,
+        .memory_base = basm->memory_base,
+        .memory_size = basm->memory_size - basm->memory_base,
         .memory_capacity = basm->memory_capacity,
         .externals_size = basm->external_natives_size,
     };
@@ -327,7 +328,7 @@ void basm_save_to_file_as_bm(Basm *basm, const char *file_path)
         exit(1);
     }
 
-    fwrite(basm->memory, sizeof(basm->memory[0]), basm->memory_size, f);
+    fwrite(basm->memory + basm->memory_base, sizeof(basm->memory[0]), basm->memory_size - basm->memory_base, f);
     if (ferror(f)) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Could not write to file `%s`: %s\n",
                 file_path, strerror(errno));
@@ -403,6 +404,10 @@ void basm_translate_block_statement(Basm *basm, Block_Statement *block)
                 basm_translate_macrodef_statement(basm, statement.value.as_macrodef, statement.location);
                 break;
 
+            case STATEMENT_KIND_BASE:
+                basm_translate_base_statement(basm, statement.value.as_base, statement.location);
+                break;
+
             case STATEMENT_KIND_MACROCALL:
             case STATEMENT_KIND_FUNCDEF:
             case STATEMENT_KIND_FOR:
@@ -470,6 +475,7 @@ void basm_translate_block_statement(Basm *basm, Block_Statement *block)
             case STATEMENT_KIND_ASSERT:
             case STATEMENT_KIND_INCLUDE:
             case STATEMENT_KIND_CONST:
+            case STATEMENT_KIND_BASE:
                 // NOTE: ignored at the second pass
                 break;
 
@@ -1288,6 +1294,19 @@ Macrodef *basm_resolve_macrodef(Basm *basm, String_View name)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+
+void basm_translate_base_statement(Basm *basm, Base_Statement base_statement, File_Location location)
+{
+    if (basm->memory_size != 0 || basm->memory_base != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, FL_Fmt": ERROR: %%base should precede every memory related statements\n",
+                FL_Arg(location));
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
+    basm_push_byte_array_to_memory(basm, base_statement.size, 0);
+    basm->memory_base = basm->memory_size;
+}
+
 Native_ID basm_push_external_native(Basm *basm, String_View native_name)
 {
     assert(basm->external_natives_size < BM_EXTERNAL_NATIVES_CAPACITY);
diff --git a/basm/src/compiler.h b/basm/src/compiler.h
index a9c0bb4..d3cdba0 100644
--- a/basm/src/compiler.h
+++ b/basm/src/compiler.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ typedef struct {
     size_t string_lengths_size;
 
     uint8_t memory[BM_MEMORY_CAPACITY];
+    size_t memory_base;
     size_t memory_size;
     size_t memory_capacity;
 
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@ bool basm_resolve_include_file_path(Basm *basm,
 Macrodef *basm_resolve_macrodef(Basm *basm, String_View name);
 void basm_translate_macrocall_statement(Basm *basm, Macrocall_Statement macrocall, File_Location location);
 void basm_translate_macrodef_statement(Basm *basm, Macrodef_Statement macrodef, File_Location location);
+void basm_translate_base_statement(Basm *basm, Base_Statement base_statement, File_Location location);
 void basm_translate_block_statement(Basm *basm, Block_Statement *block);
 void basm_translate_const_statement(Basm *basm, Const_Statement konst, File_Location location);
 void basm_translate_native_statement(Basm *basm, Native_Statement native, File_Location location);
diff --git a/basm/src/statement.c b/basm/src/statement.c
index 55aa951..4355581 100644
--- a/basm/src/statement.c
+++ b/basm/src/statement.c
@@ -125,6 +125,14 @@ void dump_statement(FILE *stream, Statement statement, int level)
         exit(1);
     }
     break;
+
+    case STATEMENT_KIND_BASE: {
+        uint64_t size = statement.value.as_base.size;
+
+        fprintf(stream, "%*sBase:\n", level * 2, "");
+        fprintf(stream, "%*s%"PRIu64"\n", (level + 1) * 2, "", size);
+    }
+    break;
     }
 }
 
@@ -426,6 +434,20 @@ int dump_statement_as_dot_edges(FILE *stream, Statement statement, int *counter)
     }
     break;
 
+    case STATEMENT_KIND_BASE: {
+        int id = (*counter)++;
+        int child_id = (*counter)++;
+
+        uint64_t size = statement.value.as_base.size;
+
+        fprintf(stream, "Expr_%d [shape=diamond label=\"%%base\"]\n", id);
+        fprintf(stream, "Expr_%d [shape=circle label=\"%"PRIu64"\"]\n",
+                child_id, size);
+        fprintf(stream, "Expr_%d -> Expr_%d [style=dotted]\n", id, child_id);
+        return id;
+    }
+    break;
+
     default: {
         assert(false && "dump_statement_as_dot_edges: unreachable");
         exit(1);
@@ -732,6 +754,23 @@ void parse_directive_from_line(Arena *arena, Linizer *linizer, Block_List *outpu
             exit(1);
         }
 
+        block_list_push(arena, output, statement);
+    } else if (sv_eq(name, sv_from_cstr("base"))) {
+        Statement statement = {0};
+        statement.location = location;
+        statement.kind = STATEMENT_KIND_BASE;
+
+        Tokenizer tokenizer = tokenizer_from_sv(body);
+        Expr base_size = parse_expr_from_tokens(arena, &tokenizer, location);
+        if (base_size.kind != EXPR_KIND_LIT_INT) {
+            fprintf(stderr, FL_Fmt": ERROR: expected memory base for %%base\n",
+                    FL_Arg(location));
+            exit(1);
+        }
+
+        statement.value.as_base.size = base_size.value.as_lit_int;
+        expect_no_tokens(&tokenizer, location);
+
         block_list_push(arena, output, statement);
     } else {
         Tokenizer tokenizer = tokenizer_from_sv(body);
diff --git a/basm/src/statement.h b/basm/src/statement.h
index 3b30da1..d667ae4 100644
--- a/basm/src/statement.h
+++ b/basm/src/statement.h
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ typedef enum {
     STATEMENT_KIND_FOR,
     STATEMENT_KIND_FUNCDEF,
     STATEMENT_KIND_MACROCALL,
-    STATEMENT_KIND_MACRODEF
+    STATEMENT_KIND_MACRODEF,
+    STATEMENT_KIND_BASE
 } Statement_Kind;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -92,6 +93,10 @@ typedef struct {
     Block_Statement *body;
 } Macrodef_Statement;
 
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t size;
+} Base_Statement;
+
 typedef union {
     Emit_Inst_Statement as_emit_inst;
     Label_Statement as_label;
@@ -108,6 +113,7 @@ typedef union {
     Fundef_Statement as_fundef;
     Macrocall_Statement as_macrocall;
     Macrodef_Statement as_macrodef;
+    Base_Statement as_base;
 } Statement_Value;
 
 struct Statement {
diff --git a/bm/src/bm.c b/bm/src/bm.c
index 505f4ea..89ef7bb 100644
--- a/bm/src/bm.c
+++ b/bm/src/bm.c
@@ -891,11 +891,11 @@ void bm_load_program_from_file(Bm *bm, const char *file_path)
         exit(1);
     }
 
-    if (meta.memory_size > meta.memory_capacity) {
+    if (meta.memory_base + meta.memory_size > meta.memory_capacity) {
         fprintf(stderr,
                 "ERROR: %s: memory size %"PRIu64" is greater than declared memory capacity %"PRIu64"\n",
                 file_path,
-                meta.memory_size,
+                meta.memory_base + meta.memory_size,
                 meta.memory_capacity);
         exit(1);
     }
@@ -919,8 +919,9 @@ void bm_load_program_from_file(Bm *bm, const char *file_path)
         exit(1);
     }
 
-    n = fread(bm->memory, sizeof(bm->memory[0]), meta.memory_size, f);
+    n = fread(bm->memory + meta.memory_base, sizeof(bm->memory[0]), meta.memory_size, f);
     bm->expected_memory_size = meta.memory_size;
+    bm->memory_base = meta.memory_base;
 
     if (n != meta.memory_size) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s: read %zd bytes of memory section, but expected %"PRIu64" bytes.\n",
diff --git a/bm/src/bm.h b/bm/src/bm.h
index af15b5b..4e00587 100644
--- a/bm/src/bm.h
+++ b/bm/src/bm.h
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ struct Bm {
     // The program is allowed to access memory beyond the `expected_memory_size`.
     // This variable is needed for debasm to reliably recover the source code.
     size_t expected_memory_size;
+    size_t memory_base;
 
     bool halt;
 };
@@ -199,13 +200,14 @@ void bm_dump_stack(FILE *stream, const Bm *bm);
 void bm_load_program_from_file(Bm *bm, const char *file_path);
 
 #define BM_FILE_MAGIC 0xa4016d62
-#define BM_FILE_VERSION 7
+#define BM_FILE_VERSION 8
 
 PACK(struct Bm_File_Meta {
     uint32_t magic;
     uint16_t version;
     uint64_t program_size;
     uint64_t entry;
+    uint64_t memory_base;
     uint64_t memory_size;
     uint64_t memory_capacity;
     uint64_t externals_size;
diff --git a/debasm/src/debasm.c b/debasm/src/debasm.c
index 3b97895..ae53b9a 100644
--- a/debasm/src/debasm.c
+++ b/debasm/src/debasm.c
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         printf("%%native %s\n", bm.externals[i].name);
     }
 
+    printf("%%base %zu\n", bm.memory_base);
     printf("%%const MEMORY = \"");
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < bm.expected_memory_size; ++i) {
+    for (size_t i = bm.memory_base; i < bm.expected_memory_size + bm.memory_base; ++i) {
         if (32 <= bm.memory[i] && bm.memory[i] < 127) {
             printf("%c", bm.memory[i]);
         } else {
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
     }
     printf("\"\n");
-    printf("%%assert MEMORY == 0\n");
+    printf("%%assert MEMORY == %zu\n", bm.memory_base);
 
     for (Inst_Addr i = 0; i < bm.program_size; ++i) {
         if (i == bm.ip) {