diff --git a/source/common/common.h b/source/common/common.h
index 3661fd6..150fae7 100644
--- a/source/common/common.h
+++ b/source/common/common.h
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@
 //  -> codelzss.c for decompressing .code
 // meaning: careful when using this!
 #define TEMP_BUFFER         ((u8*)0x20800000)
-#define TEMP_BUFFER_SIZE    (0x1800000) // 24MB(!)
+#define TEMP_BUFFER_SIZE    (0x400000) // 4MB
+#define TEMP_BUFFER_EXTSIZE (0x1800000) // 24MB(!) (only used by codelzss.c right now)
 
 // buffer area defines (in use by image.c, for RAMdrive)
 #define RAMDRV_BUFFER       ((u8*)0x22800000) // top of STACK
diff --git a/source/game/firm.c b/source/game/firm.c
index da61447..8b18bc4 100644
--- a/source/game/firm.c
+++ b/source/game/firm.c
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@
 #define FIRM_VALID_ADDRESS_BOOT \
     FIRM_VALID_ADDRESS, \
     0x20000000, 0x27FFFA00
-
-u32 ValidateFirmHeader(FirmHeader* header, u32 data_size) {
+    
+u32 GetFirmSize(FirmHeader* header) {
     u8 magic[] = { FIRM_MAGIC };
     if (memcmp(header->magic, magic, sizeof(magic)) != 0)
-        return 1;
+        return 0;
     
     u32 firm_size = sizeof(FirmHeader);
     int section_arm11 = -1;
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ u32 ValidateFirmHeader(FirmHeader* header, u32 data_size) {
     for (u32 i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
         FirmSectionHeader* section = header->sections + i;
         if (!section->size) continue;
-        if (section->offset < firm_size) return 1;
-        if ((section->offset % 512) || (section->address % 16) || (section->size % 512)) return 1;
+        if (section->offset < firm_size) return 0;
+        if ((section->offset % 512) || (section->address % 16) || (section->size % 512)) return 0;
         if ((header->entry_arm11 >= section->address) &&
             (header->entry_arm11 < section->address + section->size))
             section_arm11 = i;
@@ -48,12 +48,16 @@ u32 ValidateFirmHeader(FirmHeader* header, u32 data_size) {
         firm_size = section->offset + section->size;
     }
     
-    if ((firm_size > FIRM_MAX_SIZE) || (data_size && (firm_size > data_size)))
-        return 1;
+    if (firm_size > FIRM_MAX_SIZE) return 0;
     if ((header->entry_arm11 && (section_arm11 < 0)) || (header->entry_arm9 && (section_arm9 < 0)))
-        return 1;
+        return 0;
     
-    return 0;
+    return firm_size;
+}
+
+u32 ValidateFirmHeader(FirmHeader* header, u32 data_size) {
+    u32 firm_size = GetFirmSize(header);
+    return (!firm_size || (data_size && (firm_size > data_size))) ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
 u32 ValidateFirmA9LHeader(FirmA9LHeader* header) {
diff --git a/source/game/firm.h b/source/game/firm.h
index 5ceb3e3..d11ddd0 100644
--- a/source/game/firm.h
+++ b/source/game/firm.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ typedef struct {
 u32 ValidateFirmHeader(FirmHeader* header, u32 data_size);
 u32 ValidateFirmA9LHeader(FirmA9LHeader* header);
 u32 ValidateFirm(void* firm, u32 firm_size, bool installable);
+u32 GetFirmSize(FirmHeader* header);
 
 FirmSectionHeader* FindFirmArm9Section(FirmHeader* firm);
 u32 GetArm9BinarySize(FirmA9LHeader* a9l);
diff --git a/source/godmode.c b/source/godmode.c
index 16b7dc9..96e6fa9 100644
--- a/source/godmode.c
+++ b/source/godmode.c
@@ -1641,13 +1641,14 @@ u32 GodMode(bool is_b9s) {
     bool bootloader = !is_b9s && IS_SIGHAX && (boot_origin & BOOT_NAND);
     bool bootmenu = bootloader && CheckButton(BOOTMENU_KEY);
     bool godmode9 = !bootloader;
-    FirmHeader* firm_in_mem = (FirmHeader*) DIR_BUFFER;
+    FirmHeader* firm_in_mem = (FirmHeader*) (void*) (TEMP_BUFFER + TEMP_BUFFER_SIZE); // should be safe here
     memcpy(firm_in_mem, "NOPE", 4); // to prevent bootloops
     if (bootloader) { // check for FIRM in FCRAM, but prevent bootloops
         for (u8* addr = (u8*) 0x20000200; addr < (u8*) 0x24000000; addr += 0x400000) {
             if (memcmp(addr - 0x200, "A9NC", 4) != 0) continue;
-            if (ValidateFirmHeader((FirmHeader*) (void*) addr, 0x100000) != 0) continue;
-            if (memcmp(firm_in_mem, "FIRM", 4) != 0) memmove(firm_in_mem, addr, 0x100000);
+            u32 firm_size = GetFirmSize((FirmHeader*) (void*) addr);
+            if (!firm_size || (firm_size > (0x400000 - 0x200))) continue;
+            if (memcmp(firm_in_mem, "FIRM", 4) != 0) memmove(firm_in_mem, addr, firm_size);
             if (memcmp(addr, "FIRM", 4) == 0) memcpy(addr, "NOPE", 4); // prevent bootloops
         }
     }
@@ -1735,7 +1736,7 @@ u32 GodMode(bool is_b9s) {
     }
     if (bootloader) {
         const char* bootfirm_paths[] = { BOOTFIRM_PATHS };
-        if (ValidateFirm(firm_in_mem, 0x100000, false) == 0) BootFirm(firm_in_mem, "0:/bootonce.firm");
+        if (ValidateFirm(firm_in_mem, FIRM_MAX_SIZE, false) == 0) BootFirm(firm_in_mem, "0:/bootonce.firm");
         for (u32 i = 0; i < sizeof(bootfirm_paths) / sizeof(char*); i++) {
             BootFirmHandler(bootfirm_paths[i], false, (BOOTFIRM_TEMPS >> i) & 0x1);
         }
diff --git a/source/utils/gameutil.c b/source/utils/gameutil.c
index a845a5d..eb0d811 100644
--- a/source/utils/gameutil.c
+++ b/source/utils/gameutil.c
@@ -1413,7 +1413,7 @@ u32 DumpCxiSrlFromTmdFile(const char* path) {
 
 u32 ExtractCodeFromCxiFile(const char* path, const char* path_out) {
     u8* code = (u8*) TEMP_BUFFER;
-    u32 code_max_size = TEMP_BUFFER_SIZE;
+    u32 code_max_size = TEMP_BUFFER_EXTSIZE; // uses the extended temp buffer size
     
     NcchHeader ncch;
     NcchExtHeader exthdr;