diff --git a/alt.lds b/alt.lds
index 18b36ba..bce99eb 100644
--- a/alt.lds
+++ b/alt.lds
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 OUTPUT_FORMAT("elf32-shl", "elf32-shl", "elf32-shl")
 MEMORY
 {
-  p1ram : ORIGIN = 0xac020000, LENGTH = 16M
+  p1ram : ORIGIN = 0xac020000, LENGTH = 0xff0000
 }
 SECTIONS
 {
diff --git a/holly/background.cpp b/holly/background.cpp
index 8d9dc25..a4da067 100644
--- a/holly/background.cpp
+++ b/holly/background.cpp
@@ -37,15 +37,15 @@ void background_parameter(volatile uint32_t * buf)
   parameter->vertex[0].x = 0.f;
   parameter->vertex[0].y = 0.f;
   parameter->vertex[0].z = 1.f/100000;
-  parameter->vertex[0].base_color = 0x00000000;
+  parameter->vertex[0].base_color = 0xff0000ff;
 
   parameter->vertex[1].x = 639.f;
   parameter->vertex[1].y = 0.f;
   parameter->vertex[1].z = 1.f/100000;
-  parameter->vertex[1].base_color = 0x00000000;
+  parameter->vertex[1].base_color = 0xff0000ff;
 
   parameter->vertex[2].x = 639.f;
   parameter->vertex[2].y = 479.f;
   parameter->vertex[2].z = 1.f/100000;
-  parameter->vertex[2].base_color = 0x00000000;
+  parameter->vertex[2].base_color = 0xff0000ff;
 }
diff --git a/holly/texture_memory_alloc.h b/holly/texture_memory_alloc.h
index c831b9b..c6cc208 100644
--- a/holly/texture_memory_alloc.h
+++ b/holly/texture_memory_alloc.h
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ struct texture_memory_alloc {
   uint32_t        object_list[0x00100000 / 4]; // TA_OL_BASE (contains object pointer blocks)
   uint32_t              _res0[      0x20 / 4]; // (the TA may clobber 4 bytes starting at TA_OL_LIMIT)
   uint32_t       region_array[0x00002000 / 4]; // REGION_BASE
-  uint32_t         background[0x00000020 / 4]; // ISP_BACKGND_T
+  uint32_t         background[0x00000040 / 4]; // ISP_BACKGND_T
   uint32_t     framebuffer[2][0x00096000 / 4]; // FB_R_SOF1 / FB_W_SOF1
 };
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index e257e38..43cd040 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -51,8 +51,14 @@ void serial_string(const char * s)
 }
 
 /* must be aligned to 32-bytes for DMA transfer */
-// the aligned(32) attribute does not actually align to 32 bytes.
-volatile uint32_t __attribute__((aligned(32))) scene[(32 * 5) / 4];
+// the aligned(32) attribute does not actually align to 32 bytes; gcc is the best compiler.
+// `+ 32` to allow for repositioning _scene to an actual 32-byte alignment.
+uint32_t __attribute__((aligned(32))) _scene[((32 * 5) + 32) / 4];
+
+uint32_t * align_32byte(uint32_t * mem)
+{
+  return reinterpret_cast<uint32_t *>(((reinterpret_cast<uint32_t>(_scene) + 31) & ~31));
+}
 
 extern "C"
 void main()
@@ -95,8 +101,10 @@ void main()
   core_init_texture_memory();
 
   int frame = 0;
+
   // the address of `scene` must be a multiple of 32 bytes
   // this is mandatory for ch2-dma to the ta fifo polygon converter
+  uint32_t * scene = align_32byte(_scene);
   if ((reinterpret_cast<uint32_t>(scene) & 31) != 0) {
     serial_string("unaligned\n");
     while(1);
diff --git a/main.lds b/main.lds
index b64b5c5..c744c77 100644
--- a/main.lds
+++ b/main.lds
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 OUTPUT_FORMAT("elf32-shl", "elf32-shl", "elf32-shl")
 MEMORY
 {
-  p1ram : ORIGIN = 0x8c010000, LENGTH = 16M
-  p2ram : ORIGIN = 0xac010000, LENGTH = 16M
+  p1ram : ORIGIN = 0x8c010000, LENGTH = 0xff0000
+  p2ram : ORIGIN = 0xac010000, LENGTH = 0xff0000
 }
 SECTIONS
 {