diff --git a/cMIPS/include/handlers.s b/cMIPS/include/handlers.s
index 4954400dcb8f733560805c03649d8b5477af3ac8..05e674a9a44779581372cafea3724adc770c6d63 100644
--- a/cMIPS/include/handlers.s
+++ b/cMIPS/include/handlers.s
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@
 	#================================================================
 	# interrupt handler for external counter attached to IP5=HW3
 	# for extCounter address see vhdl/packageMemory.vhd
-
+	#
 	.bss
 	.align  2
-	.global _counter_val             # accumulate number of interrupts
-	.comm   _counter_val 4
-	.comm   _counter_saves 8*4       # area to save up to 8 registers
-	# _counter_saves[0]=$a0, [1]=$a1, [2]=$a2, ...
+	.global _counter_val	# accumulate number of interrupts
+_counter_val:	.space 4
+_counter_saves:	.space 8*4	# area to save up to 8 registers
+	# _counter_saves[0]=$a0, [1]=$a1, [2]=$a2, [3]=$a3, ...
 	
 	.set HW_counter_value,0xc00000c8 # Count 200 clock pulses & interr
 
@@ -69,19 +69,22 @@ extCounter:
 	
 	#================================================================
 	# interrupt handler for UART attached to IP6=HW4
-
+	# for UART's address see vhdl/packageMemory.vhd
+	#
 	.bss 
         .align  2
-	.global Ud
-Ud:	.comm   rx_queue 16       # reception queue and pointers
-	.comm   rx_hd 4
-	.comm   rx_tl 4
-	.comm   tx_queue 16       # transmission queue and pointers
-	.comm   tx_hd 4
-	.comm   tx_tl 4
-	.comm   nrx 4             # characters in RX_queue
-	.comm   ntx 4             # spaces left in TX_queue
-        .comm   _uart_buff 16*4   # up to 16 registers to be saved here
+	.global Ud, _uart_buff
+Ud:
+rx_hd:	.space 4
+rx_tl:	.space 4
+rx_q:   .space 16       # reception queue and pointers
+tx_hd:	.space 4
+tx_tl:	.space 4
+tx_q:	.space 16	# transmission queue and pointers
+nrx:	.space 4	# characters in RX_queue
+ntx:	.space 4	# spaces left in TX_queue
+
+_uart_buff: .space 16*4 # up to 16 registers to be saved here
 
 	.set UART_rx_irq,0x08
 	.set UART_tx_irq,0x10
@@ -451,11 +454,11 @@ cmips_delay:
 	#   void cmips_kmsg( $k1 )
 	# this function preserves registers other than k0,k1
 	#
-	.data 
+	.bss
         .align  2
-	.comm   _kmsg_saves 4*4		# area to save 4 registers
-	# _kmsg_saves[0]=$a0, [1]=$a1, [2]=$a2, [3]=$a3
-	#
+_kmsg_saves:	.space 4*4		# area to save 4 registers
+		# _kmsg_saves[0]=$a0, [1]=$a1, [2]=$a2, [3]=$a3
+
 	.text
 	.align  2
 	.set    noreorder