diff --git a/basic/src/bin/valida.rs b/basic/src/bin/valida.rs
index c59b45e..817521e 100644
--- a/basic/src/bin/valida.rs
+++ b/basic/src/bin/valida.rs
@@ -75,13 +75,18 @@ impl Context {
             last_fp_size_: 0,
         };
 
-        let Program { code, data } = load_executable_file(
+        let Program {
+            code,
+            data,
+            initial_program_counter,
+        } = load_executable_file(
             fs::read(&args.program)
                 .expect(format!("Failed to read executable file: {}", &args.program).as_str()),
         );
 
         context.machine_.program_mut().set_program_rom(&code);
         context.machine_.static_data_mut().load(data);
+        context.machine_.cpu_mut().pc = initial_program_counter;
         context.machine_.cpu_mut().fp = args.stack_height;
         context.machine_.cpu_mut().save_register_state();
 
@@ -322,12 +327,17 @@ fn main() {
     }
 
     let mut machine = BasicMachine::<BabyBear>::default();
-    let Program { code, data } = load_executable_file(
+    let Program {
+        code,
+        data,
+        initial_program_counter,
+    } = load_executable_file(
         fs::read(&args.program)
             .expect(format!("Failed to read executable file: {}", &args.program).as_str()),
     );
     machine.program_mut().set_program_rom(&code);
     machine.cpu_mut().fp = args.stack_height;
+    machine.cpu_mut().pc = initial_program_counter;
     machine.cpu_mut().save_register_state();
     machine.static_data_mut().load(data);
 
diff --git a/basic/src/lib.rs b/basic/src/lib.rs
index 67fe80f..d1df172 100644
--- a/basic/src/lib.rs
+++ b/basic/src/lib.rs
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ impl<F: PrimeField32 + TwoAdicField> Machine<F> for BasicMachine<F> {
             <WriteInstruction as Instruction<Self, F>>::OPCODE => {
                 WriteInstruction::execute_with_advice::<Adv>(self, ops, advice)
             }
-            _ => panic!("Unrecognized opcode: {}", opcode),
+            _ => panic!("Unrecognized opcode: {}, pc = {}", opcode, pc),
         };
         self.read_word(pc as usize);
 
diff --git a/elf/src/lib.rs b/elf/src/lib.rs
index 3cd5b4b..352ca54 100644
--- a/elf/src/lib.rs
+++ b/elf/src/lib.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ use elf::abi;
 use elf::endian::AnyEndian;
 use elf::section::SectionHeader;
 use elf::ElfBytes;
-use valida_machine::{ProgramROM, Word};
+use valida_machine::{ProgramROM, Word, INSTRUCTION_ELEMENTS};
 
 pub struct Program {
     pub code: ProgramROM<i32>,
     pub data: BTreeMap<u32, Word<u8>>,
+    pub initial_program_counter: u32,
 }
 
 pub fn load_executable_file(file: Vec<u8>) -> Program {
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ pub fn load_executable_file(file: Vec<u8>) -> Program {
         Program {
             code: ProgramROM::from_machine_code(file.as_slice()),
             data: BTreeMap::new(),
+            initial_program_counter: 0,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -35,29 +37,34 @@ pub fn load_elf_object_file(file: Vec<u8>) -> Program {
     for section_header in file.section_headers().unwrap().iter() {
         let is_data: bool = section_header.sh_type == abi::SHT_PROGBITS
             && section_header.sh_flags == (abi::SHF_ALLOC | abi::SHF_WRITE).into();
+        let is_rodata: bool = section_header.sh_type == abi::SHT_PROGBITS
+            && (section_header.sh_flags == abi::SHF_ALLOC.into()
+                || section_header.sh_flags == 0x32); // TODO: what is 0x32?
         let is_bss: bool = section_header.sh_type == abi::SHT_NOBITS
             && section_header.sh_flags == (abi::SHF_ALLOC | abi::SHF_WRITE).into();
         let is_text: bool = section_header.sh_type == abi::SHT_PROGBITS
             && section_header.sh_flags == (abi::SHF_ALLOC | abi::SHF_EXECINSTR).into();
-        let is_useful: bool = is_data || is_bss || is_text;
-        if is_useful {
-            if is_data || is_text {
-                let section_data = file.section_data(&section_header).unwrap();
-                match section_data {
-                    (section_data, None) => {
-                        if is_data {
-                            data_sections.push((section_header, section_data));
-                        } else if is_text {
-                            text_sections.push((section_header, section_data));
-                        }
+        if is_data || is_rodata || is_text {
+            let section_data = file.section_data(&section_header).unwrap();
+            match section_data {
+                (section_data, None) => {
+                    if is_data || is_rodata {
+                        data_sections.push((section_header, section_data));
+                    } else if is_text {
+                        text_sections.push((section_header, section_data));
                     }
-                    _ => panic!("unsupported: compressed ELF section data"),
                 }
-            } else if is_bss {
-                bss_sections.push(section_header);
+                _ => panic!("unsupported: compressed ELF section data"),
             }
+        } else if is_bss {
+            bss_sections.push(section_header);
         }
     }
+    let initial_program_counter = text_sections
+        .iter()
+        .map(|(section_header, _)| section_header.sh_addr / ((INSTRUCTION_ELEMENTS * 4) as u64))
+        .reduce(|a, b| a.min(b))
+        .unwrap();
     let code_size = text_sections
         .iter()
         .map(|(section_header, _)| section_header.sh_addr + section_header.sh_size)
@@ -70,7 +77,11 @@ pub fn load_elf_object_file(file: Vec<u8>) -> Program {
     }
     let mut data: BTreeMap<u32, Word<u8>> = BTreeMap::new();
     for (section_header, section_data) in data_sections {
-        for i in 0..(section_header.sh_size / 4) as usize {
+        let mut section_data = Vec::from(section_data);
+        while section_data.len() % 4 != 0 {
+            section_data.push(0);
+        }
+        for i in 0..(section_data.len() / 4) as usize {
             data.insert(
                 <u64 as TryInto<u32>>::try_into(section_header.sh_addr).unwrap()
                     + <usize as TryInto<u32>>::try_into(i * 4).unwrap(),
@@ -85,6 +96,7 @@ pub fn load_elf_object_file(file: Vec<u8>) -> Program {
     }
     Program {
         code: ProgramROM::from_machine_code(code.as_slice()),
-        data: data,
+        data,
+        initial_program_counter: <u64 as TryInto<u32>>::try_into(initial_program_counter).unwrap(),
     }
 }