diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/mdesc.c b/arch/sparc/kernel/mdesc.c
index 8e645ddac58e..30f171b7b00c 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/mdesc.c
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/mdesc.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct mdesc_hdr {
 	u32	node_sz; /* node block size */
 	u32	name_sz; /* name block size */
 	u32	data_sz; /* data block size */
+	char	data[];
 } __attribute__((aligned(16)));
 
 struct mdesc_elem {
@@ -612,7 +613,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(mdesc_get_node_info);
 
 static struct mdesc_elem *node_block(struct mdesc_hdr *mdesc)
 {
-	return (struct mdesc_elem *) (mdesc + 1);
+	return (struct mdesc_elem *) mdesc->data;
 }
 
 static void *name_block(struct mdesc_hdr *mdesc)