diff --git a/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap.go b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap.go
index e51fedc..4bdd5bd 100644
--- a/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap.go
+++ b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap.go
@@ -27,27 +27,6 @@ var (
 	prngSeed = 0xdeadc0de
 )
 
-//go:linkname algInit runtime.alginit
-func algInit()
-
-//go:linkname modulesInit runtime.modulesinit
-func modulesInit()
-
-//go:linkname typeLinksInit runtime.typelinksinit
-func typeLinksInit()
-
-//go:linkname itabsInit runtime.itabsinit
-func itabsInit()
-
-//go:linkname mallocInit runtime.mallocinit
-func mallocInit()
-
-//go:linkname mSysStatInc runtime.mSysStatInc
-func mSysStatInc(*uint64, uintptr)
-
-//go:linkname procResize runtime.procresize
-func procResize(int32) uintptr
-
 // initGoPackages is an alias to main.init which recursively calls the init()
 // methods in all imported packages. Unless this function is called, things like
 // package errors will not be properly initialized causing various problems when
@@ -184,7 +163,7 @@ func getRandomData(r []byte) {
 func Init() *kernel.Error {
 	mallocInitFn()
 	algInitFn()       // setup hash implementation for map keys
-	modulesInitFn()   // provides activeModules
+	modulesInitFn()   // provides activeModules (go 1.8+)
 	typeLinksInitFn() // uses maps, activeModules
 	itabsInitFn()     // uses activeModules
 
diff --git a/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go17.go b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go17.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6022c01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go17.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// +build go1.7,!go1.8
+
+package goruntime
+
+import (
+	_ "unsafe" // required for go:linkname
+)
+
+//go:linkname algInit runtime.alginit
+func algInit()
+
+//go:linkname typeLinksInit runtime.typelinksinit
+func typeLinksInit()
+
+//go:linkname itabsInit runtime.itabsinit
+func itabsInit()
+
+//go:linkname mallocInit runtime.mallocinit
+func mallocInit()
+
+//go:linkname mSysStatInc runtime.mSysStatInc
+func mSysStatInc(*uint64, uintptr)
+
+//go:linkname procResize runtime.procresize
+func procResize(int32) uintptr
+
+// modulesInit is defined on go1.8 so just declare an empty
+// stub for go 1.7 to keep the compiler happy.
+func modulesInit() {
+}
diff --git a/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go18+.go b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go18+.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90eaaf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gopheros/kernel/goruntime/bootstrap_go18+.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// +build go1.8
+
+package goruntime
+
+import (
+	_ "unsafe" // required for go:linkname
+)
+
+//go:linkname algInit runtime.alginit
+func algInit()
+
+//go:linkname modulesInit runtime.modulesinit
+func modulesInit()
+
+//go:linkname typeLinksInit runtime.typelinksinit
+func typeLinksInit()
+
+//go:linkname itabsInit runtime.itabsinit
+func itabsInit()
+
+//go:linkname mallocInit runtime.mallocinit
+func mallocInit()
+
+//go:linkname mSysStatInc runtime.mSysStatInc
+func mSysStatInc(*uint64, uintptr)
+
+//go:linkname procResize runtime.procresize
+func procResize(int32) uintptr