diff --git a/src/arch/x86_64/kernel/boot.s b/src/arch/x86_64/kernel/boot.s
index 29d53b010b..013526b958 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86_64/kernel/boot.s
+++ b/src/arch/x86_64/kernel/boot.s
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@
 _start:
     jmp _rmstart
 
-    # Fill padding with `nop` to generate exact same binary as NASM
-    .rept 5
-    nop
-    .endr
-
 # PARAMETERS
 .align 8
     entry_point:    .8byte 0xDEADC0DE
@@ -49,11 +44,6 @@ _rmstart:
     ljmpl $codesel, $_pmstart
     .intel_syntax noprefix
 
-    # Fill padding with `nop` to generate exact same binary as NASM
-    .rept 2
-    nop
-    .endr
-
 .code32
 .align 4
 _pmstart:
@@ -158,11 +148,6 @@ stublet:
     ljmpl $GDT64.Code, $start64
     .intel_syntax noprefix
 
-    # Fill padding with `nop` to generate exact same binary as NASM
-    .rept 1
-    nop
-    .endr
-
 .code64
 .align 8
 start64: