diff --git a/Kconfig b/Kconfig
index 286d1c7afcfaf07ef3e99534f480508c84bcf259..14740b49f1ddbd00530292b13f7d0ad027039949 100644
--- a/Kconfig
+++ b/Kconfig
@@ -96,7 +96,17 @@ config SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
 	  initial serial device and any others that are needed.
 
 config SPL_SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
-        hex "Size of malloc() pool in spl before relocation"
+        hex "Size of malloc() pool in SPL before relocation"
+        depends on SYS_MALLOC_F
+        default SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
+        help
+          Before relocation, memory is very limited on many platforms. Still,
+          we can provide a small malloc() pool if needed. Driver model in
+          particular needs this to operate, so that it can allocate the
+          initial serial device and any others that are needed.
+
+config TPL_SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
+        hex "Size of malloc() pool in TPL before relocation"
         depends on SYS_MALLOC_F
         default SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
         help
diff --git a/common/spl/spl.c b/common/spl/spl.c
index c56cc6f0ec330ba444c604f6e148be2f8922c955..bdb681f4f6d95d8818b962a9558c63632e368d7e 100644
--- a/common/spl/spl.c
+++ b/common/spl/spl.c
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ ulong spl_relocate_stack_gd(void)
 	gd_t *new_gd;
 	ulong ptr = CONFIG_SPL_STACK_R_ADDR;
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_SPL_SYS_MALLOC_SIMPLE) && CONFIG_SPL_SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN
+#if defined(CONFIG_SPL_SYS_MALLOC_SIMPLE) && CONFIG_VAL(SYS_MALLOC_F_LEN)
 	if (CONFIG_SPL_STACK_R_MALLOC_SIMPLE_LEN) {
 		ptr -= CONFIG_SPL_STACK_R_MALLOC_SIMPLE_LEN;
 		gd->malloc_base = ptr;