diff --git a/ports/qemu/Makefile b/ports/qemu/Makefile
index 685bb3536c..84711cc45a 100644
--- a/ports/qemu/Makefile
+++ b/ports/qemu/Makefile
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ CFLAGS += $(SPECS_FRAGMENT)
 LDFLAGS += $(SPECS_FRAGMENT)
 endif
 
-RUN_TESTS_FULL_ARGS = -t execpty:"$(QEMU_SYSTEM) $(QEMU_ARGS) -serial pty -kernel ../ports/qemu/$<" $(RUN_TESTS_ARGS)
+RUN_TESTS_FULL_ARGS = -t execpty:"$(QEMU_SYSTEM) $(QEMU_ARGS) -serial pty -kernel ../ports/qemu/$<" --mpy-cross-flags='$(MPY_CROSS_FLAGS)' $(RUN_TESTS_ARGS)
 
 ################################################################################
 # Source files and libraries
diff --git a/ports/qemu/boards/VIRT_RV32/mpconfigboard.mk b/ports/qemu/boards/VIRT_RV32/mpconfigboard.mk
index ce12720928..6a3b94a98b 100644
--- a/ports/qemu/boards/VIRT_RV32/mpconfigboard.mk
+++ b/ports/qemu/boards/VIRT_RV32/mpconfigboard.mk
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ LDSCRIPT = mcu/rv32/virt.ld
 
 SRC_BOARD_O += shared/runtime/gchelper_native.o shared/runtime/gchelper_rv32i.o
 
-MPY_CROSS_FLAGS += -march=rv32imc
+MPY_CROSS_FLAGS += -march=rv32imc -march-flags=zba
diff --git a/ports/qemu/mpconfigport.h b/ports/qemu/mpconfigport.h
index 1649d8a01a..3d2466a919 100644
--- a/ports/qemu/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/qemu/mpconfigport.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #define MICROPY_MAKE_POINTER_CALLABLE(p) ((void *)((mp_uint_t)(p) | 1))
 #elif defined(__riscv) && (__riscv_xlen == 32)
 #define MICROPY_EMIT_RV32           (1)
+#define MICROPY_EMIT_RV32_ZBA       (1)
 #define MICROPY_EMIT_INLINE_RV32    (1)
 #endif