diff --git a/repos/base/include/pd_session/connection.h b/repos/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
index bcd7eeb254..db1e05a115 100644
--- a/repos/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
+++ b/repos/base/include/pd_session/connection.h
@@ -23,17 +23,18 @@ namespace Genode { struct Pd_connection; }
 struct Genode::Pd_connection : Connection<Pd_session>, Pd_session_client
 {
 	enum { RAM_QUOTA = 24*1024*sizeof(long)};
+	enum Virt_space { UNCONSTRAIN = 0, CONSTRAIN = 1 };
 
 	/**
 	 * Constructor
 	 *
 	 * \param label  session label
 	 */
-	Pd_connection(Env &env, char const *label = "")
+	Pd_connection(Env &env, char const *label = "", Virt_space space = CONSTRAIN)
 	:
 		Connection<Pd_session>(env, session(env.parent(),
-		                                    "ram_quota=%u, cap_quota=%u, label=\"%s\"",
-		                                    RAM_QUOTA, CAP_QUOTA, label)),
+		                                    "ram_quota=%u, cap_quota=%u, label=\"%s\", virt_space=%u",
+		                                    RAM_QUOTA, CAP_QUOTA, label, space)),
 		Pd_session_client(cap())
 	{ }
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/core_env.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/core_env.h
index fe12f049c7..ca98f1986e 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/core_env.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/core_env.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class Genode::Core_env : public Env_deprecated
 			            Session::Diag{false},
 			            *platform()->ram_alloc(),
 			            Ram_dataspace_factory::any_phys_range(),
+			            Ram_dataspace_factory::Virt_range { platform()->vm_start(), platform()->vm_size() },
 			            _region_map,
 			            *((Pager_entrypoint *)nullptr),
 			            "" /* args to native PD */)
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_root.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_root.h
index 0e09da01a6..5fcd1e5e42 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_root.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_root.h
@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ class Genode::Pd_root : public Genode::Root_component<Genode::Pd_session_compone
 			                      : Ram_dataspace_factory::any_phys_range();
 		}
 
+		static Ram_dataspace_factory::Virt_range _virt_range_from_args(char const *args)
+		{
+			addr_t const constrained = Arg_string::find_arg(args, "virt_space").ulong_value(Genode::Pd_connection::Virt_space::CONSTRAIN);
+
+			if (!constrained)
+				return Ram_dataspace_factory::Virt_range { 0x1000, 0UL - 0x2000 };
+
+			return Ram_dataspace_factory::Virt_range { platform()->vm_start(),
+			                                           platform()->vm_size() };
+		}
+
 	protected:
 
 		Pd_session_component *_create_session(const char *args)
@@ -55,6 +66,7 @@ class Genode::Pd_root : public Genode::Root_component<Genode::Pd_session_compone
 				                     session_diag_from_args(args),
 				                     _phys_alloc,
 				                     _phys_range_from_args(args),
+				                     _virt_range_from_args(args),
 				                     _local_rm, _pager_ep, args);
 		}
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
index d1cb03c817..48dea8c504 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/pd_session_component.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ class Genode::Pd_session_component : public Session_object<Pd_session>
 	public:
 
 		typedef Ram_dataspace_factory::Phys_range Phys_range;
+		typedef Ram_dataspace_factory::Virt_range Virt_range;
 
 		/**
 		 * Constructor
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ class Genode::Pd_session_component : public Session_object<Pd_session>
 		                     Diag              diag,
 		                     Range_allocator  &phys_alloc,
 		                     Phys_range        phys_range,
+		                     Virt_range        virt_range,
 		                     Region_map       &local_rm,
 		                     Pager_entrypoint &pager_ep,
 		                     char const       *args)
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ class Genode::Pd_session_component : public Session_object<Pd_session>
 			_rpc_cap_factory(_sliced_heap),
 			_native_pd(*this, args),
 			_address_space(ep, _sliced_heap, pager_ep,
-			               platform()->vm_start(), platform()->vm_size()),
+			               virt_range.start, virt_range.size),
 			_stack_area (ep, _sliced_heap, pager_ep, 0, stack_area_virtual_size()),
 			_linker_area(ep, _sliced_heap, pager_ep, 0, LINKER_AREA_SIZE)
 		{
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/ram_dataspace_factory.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/ram_dataspace_factory.h
index 3ba6c62370..b706e55919 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/ram_dataspace_factory.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/ram_dataspace_factory.h
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ class Genode::Ram_dataspace_factory : public Ram_allocator,
 	public:
 
 		struct Phys_range { addr_t start, end; };
-
 		static Phys_range any_phys_range() { return { 0UL, ~0UL }; }
 
+		struct Virt_range { addr_t start, size; };
+
 		/*
 		 * Dimension '_ds_slab' such that slab blocks (including the
 		 * meta-data overhead of the sliced-heap blocks) are page sized.
diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.cc b/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.cc
index f82240935c..a1a97091f6 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.cc
@@ -64,9 +64,8 @@ void Platform::Device_pd::assign_pci(Genode::Io_mem_dataspace_capability io_mem_
 	using namespace Genode;
 
 	Dataspace_client ds_client(io_mem_cap);
-	addr_t const phys = ds_client.phys_addr();
 
-	addr_t page = _address_space.attach_at(io_mem_cap, phys);
+	addr_t page = _address_space.attach(io_mem_cap);
 
 	/* sanity check */
 	if (!page)
diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.h b/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.h
index 6c1575b9f5..42524c1cba 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/platform/spec/x86/device_pd.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Platform::Device_pd
 		Device_pd(Genode::Env &env,
 		          Genode::Session_label const &label)
 		:
-			_pd(env, label.string()),
+			_pd(env, label.string(), Genode::Pd_connection::Virt_space::UNCONSTRAIN),
 			_label(label),
 			_address_space(env, _pd.address_space())
 		{ }