diff --git a/mld/link.c b/mld/link.c
index c56102a..dd3fcc6 100644
--- a/mld/link.c
+++ b/mld/link.c
@@ -565,20 +565,6 @@ static void update_offsets(struct linker *linker)
 	// sections
 	for (uint32_t i = 0; i < linker->segments.len; i++) {
 		struct segment_table_entry *ent = &linker->segments.entries[i];
-
-		// section padding
-		{
-			uint32_t m = ptr % SEC_ALIGN;
-			if (m) {
-				uint32_t add = SEC_ALIGN - m;
-				ptr += add;
-				ent->off = ptr;
-				ent->padding = add;
-			} else {
-				ent->padding = 0;
-			}
-		}
-
 		uint32_t idx = i + 1;
 		uint32_t size = segtab_ent_size(ent);
 		linker->phdr[i].p_offset = B32(ptr);
@@ -634,13 +620,6 @@ static int write_file(struct linker *linker)
 	// sections
 	for (uint32_t i = 0; i < linker->segments.len; i++) {
 		struct segment_table_entry *ent = &linker->segments.entries[i];
-		// section padding
-		{
-			for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ent->padding; i++) {
-				uint8_t zero = 0;
-				res |= fwrite(&zero, 1, 1, out);
-			}
-		}
 		for (uint32_t j = 0; j < ent->len; j++) {
 			struct segment *seg = ent->parts[j];
 			res |= fwrite(seg->bytes, 1, seg->size, out);
diff --git a/mld/link.h b/mld/link.h
index c0b99ce..3c9ca42 100644
--- a/mld/link.h
+++ b/mld/link.h
@@ -173,8 +173,6 @@ struct segment_table_entry {
 	uint32_t vaddr;
 	// weak segment pointers. we do not own these!!!
 	struct segment **parts;
-	// section padding
-	uint32_t padding;
 };
 
 int segtab_ent_init(struct segment_table_entry *ent);
diff --git a/mld/obj.c b/mld/obj.c
index a37527a..d6861d3 100644
--- a/mld/obj.c
+++ b/mld/obj.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ static int load_ehdr(struct object *object)
  */
 static int load_shdr(struct object *object)
 {
-	size_t shdr_len = B16(object->ehdr->e_shentsize) *
+	size_t shdr_len = sizeof(Elf32_Shdr) *
 		B16(object->ehdr->e_shnum);
 	size_t shdr_off = B32(object->ehdr->e_shoff);
 	object->shdr = (Elf32_Shdr *) (object->mapped + shdr_off);
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ int object_load(struct object *object, char *path, uint32_t index)
 	object->mapped = NULL;
 	object->name = path;
 	object->index = index;
+	object->phdr = NULL;
 	object->phdr_to_shdr_mapping = NULL;
 
 	/** load the file */