diff --git a/hw/arm/collie.c b/hw/arm/collie.c
index 970a4405cc..4992084a3f 100644
--- a/hw/arm/collie.c
+++ b/hw/arm/collie.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
  */
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qemu/units.h"
+#include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"
 #include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "strongarm.h"
@@ -27,13 +28,18 @@ static void collie_init(MachineState *machine)
 {
     StrongARMState *s;
     DriveInfo *dinfo;
-    MemoryRegion *sdram = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(machine);
+
+    if (machine->ram_size != mc->default_ram_size) {
+        char *sz = size_to_str(mc->default_ram_size);
+        error_report("Invalid RAM size, should be %s", sz);
+        g_free(sz);
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
 
     s = sa1110_init(machine->cpu_type);
 
-    memory_region_allocate_system_memory(sdram, NULL, "strongarm.sdram",
-                                         collie_binfo.ram_size);
-    memory_region_add_subregion(get_system_memory(), SA_SDCS0, sdram);
+    memory_region_add_subregion(get_system_memory(), SA_SDCS0, machine->ram);
 
     dinfo = drive_get(IF_PFLASH, 0, 0);
     pflash_cfi01_register(SA_CS0, "collie.fl1", 0x02000000,
@@ -57,6 +63,8 @@ static void collie_machine_init(MachineClass *mc)
     mc->init = collie_init;
     mc->ignore_memory_transaction_failures = true;
     mc->default_cpu_type = ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("sa1110");
+    mc->default_ram_size = 0x20000000;
+    mc->default_ram_id = "strongarm.sdram";
 }
 
 DEFINE_MACHINE("collie", collie_machine_init)