{
                        return retval;
                }
+
                if (enabled)
                {
-                       target->working_area = target->working_area_virt;
-               }
-               else
+                       if (target->working_area_phys_spec)
+                       {
+                               LOG_DEBUG("MMU disabled, using physical address for working memory 0x%08x", (unsigned)target->working_area_phys);
+                               target->working_area = target->working_area_phys;
+                       } else
+                       {
+                               LOG_ERROR("No working memory available. Specify -work-area-phys to target.");
+                               return ERROR_TARGET_RESOURCE_NOT_AVAILABLE;
+                       }
+               } else
                {
-                       target->working_area = target->working_area_phys;
+                       if (target->working_area_virt_spec)
+                       {
+                               LOG_DEBUG("MMU enabled, using virtual address for working memory 0x%08x", (unsigned)target->working_area_virt);
+                               target->working_area = target->working_area_virt;
+                       } else
+                       {
+                               LOG_ERROR("No working memory available. Specify -work-area-virt to target.");
+                               return ERROR_TARGET_RESOURCE_NOT_AVAILABLE;
+                       }
                }
        }
 
                uint32_t first_free = target->working_area;
                uint32_t free_size = target->working_area_size;
 
-               LOG_DEBUG("allocating new working area");
-
                c = target->working_areas;
                while (c)
                {
                        return ERROR_TARGET_RESOURCE_NOT_AVAILABLE;
                }
 
+               LOG_DEBUG("allocated new working area at address 0x%08x", (unsigned)first_free);
+
                new_wa = malloc(sizeof(working_area_t));
                new_wa->next = NULL;
                new_wa->size = size;
                                        return e;
                                }
                                target->working_area_virt = w;
+                               target->working_area_virt_spec = true;
                        } else {
                                if (goi->argc != 0) {
                                        goto no_params;
                                        return e;
                                }
                                target->working_area_phys = w;
+                               target->working_area_phys_spec = true;
                        } else {
                                if (goi->argc != 0) {
                                        goto no_params;
 
        int reset_halt;                                         /* attempt resetting the CPU into the halted mode? */
        uint32_t working_area;                                  /* working area (initialized RAM). Evaluated
                                                                                 * upon first allocation from virtual/physical address. */
-       uint32_t working_area_virt;                             /* virtual address */
-       uint32_t working_area_phys;                             /* physical address */
-       uint32_t working_area_size;                             /* size in bytes */
+       bool working_area_virt_spec;            /* virtual address specified? */
+       uint32_t working_area_virt;                     /* virtual address */
+       bool working_area_phys_spec;            /* virtual address specified? */
+       uint32_t working_area_phys;                     /* physical address */
+       uint32_t working_area_size;                     /* size in bytes */
        uint32_t backup_working_area;                   /* whether the content of the working area has to be preserved */
        struct working_area_s *working_areas;/* list of allocated working areas */
        enum target_debug_reason debug_reason;/* reason why the target entered debug state */