diff --git a/cpu/esp32/ld/esp32.common.ld b/cpu/esp32/ld/esp32.common.ld
index 1514f23b4687..a895ccc6de0c 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/ld/esp32.common.ld
+++ b/cpu/esp32/ld/esp32.common.ld
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ SECTIONS
     /* part of RIOT ports that should run in IRAM */
     *cpu.a:*(.literal .text .literal.* .text.*)
     *periph.a:*(.literal .text .literal.* .text.*)
+    *mtd.a:**(.literal .text .literal.* .text.*)
 
     INCLUDE esp32.spiram.rom-functions-iram.ld
     _iram_text_end = ABSOLUTE(.);
diff --git a/cpu/esp32/startup.c b/cpu/esp32/startup.c
index 5f1b5f962169..fd5cd318aea7 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/startup.c
+++ b/cpu/esp32/startup.c
@@ -311,12 +311,6 @@ static NORETURN void IRAM system_init (void)
                _sys_time.tm_year + 1900, _sys_time.tm_mon + 1, _sys_time.tm_mday,
                _sys_time.tm_hour, _sys_time.tm_min, _sys_time.tm_sec);
 
-    #if MODULE_MTD
-    /* init flash drive */
-    extern void spi_flash_drive_init (void);
-    spi_flash_drive_init();
-    #endif
-
     /* initialize the board */
     board_init();
 
@@ -329,6 +323,12 @@ static NORETURN void IRAM system_init (void)
     /* print the board config */
     print_board_config();
 
+    #if MODULE_MTD
+    /* init flash drive */
+    extern void spi_flash_drive_init (void);
+    spi_flash_drive_init();
+    #endif
+
     /* route a software interrupt source to CPU as trigger for thread yields */
     intr_matrix_set(PRO_CPU_NUM, ETS_FROM_CPU_INTR0_SOURCE, CPU_INUM_SOFTWARE);
     /* set thread yield handler and enable the software interrupt */