diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 99b3d183d33557a1bb5dc172c3f475efd2b52ede..9289d37b825a75df2c35ae4d3c45f88c6033e5c1 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -1045,13 +1045,29 @@ int target_alloc_working_area(struct target_s *target, uint32_t size, working_ar
 		{
 			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;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1080,8 +1096,6 @@ int target_alloc_working_area(struct target_s *target, uint32_t size, working_ar
 		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)
 		{
@@ -1098,6 +1112,8 @@ int target_alloc_working_area(struct target_s *target, uint32_t size, working_ar
 			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;
@@ -3763,6 +3779,7 @@ static int target_configure(Jim_GetOptInfo *goi, target_t *target)
 					return e;
 				}
 				target->working_area_virt = w;
+				target->working_area_virt_spec = true;
 			} else {
 				if (goi->argc != 0) {
 					goto no_params;
@@ -3780,6 +3797,7 @@ static int target_configure(Jim_GetOptInfo *goi, target_t *target)
 					return e;
 				}
 				target->working_area_phys = w;
+				target->working_area_phys_spec = true;
 			} else {
 				if (goi->argc != 0) {
 					goto no_params;
diff --git a/src/target/target.h b/src/target/target.h
index ef578378df7942e943a344cc22e5933ed7945fac..c971f18bd64f7a6cb744d88b679c54313de5e866 100644
--- a/src/target/target.h
+++ b/src/target/target.h
@@ -128,9 +128,11 @@ typedef struct target_s
 	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 */