diff --git a/repos/os/include/sandbox/utils.h b/repos/os/include/sandbox/utils.h
index cba9ca5d2c..cf39778efb 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/sandbox/utils.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/sandbox/utils.h
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ namespace Sandbox {
 		return priority;
 	}
 
+	inline bool is_brick_from_xml(Xml_node start_node)
+	{
+		return start_node.attribute_value("brick", false);
+	}
 
 	inline Affinity::Location
 	affinity_location_from_xml(Affinity::Space const &space, Xml_node start_node)
diff --git a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/config.xsd b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/config.xsd
index 727b5b91e6..6c5a664a89 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/config.xsd
+++ b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/config.xsd
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@
       <xs:attribute name="caps"            type="xs:int" />
       <xs:attribute name="priority"        type="xs:int" />
       <xs:attribute name="managing_system" type="Boolean" />
+      <xs:attribute name="brick"            type="Boolean"/>
      </xs:complexType>
     </xs:element> <!-- "start" -->
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/core_allocator.h b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/core_allocator.h
index 5d87cfbd29..ce0d2ea3f9 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/core_allocator.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/core_allocator.h
@@ -41,20 +41,32 @@ class Hoitaja::Core_allocator
 
         double _resource_coeff; // Coefficient used for calculating resource shares
 
+        unsigned int _cores_for_cells; // Number of cores available to cells. This is the total number of cores in the habitat minus the cores occupied by bricks.
+
     public:
         inline unsigned int _calculate_resource_share(long priority) {
-            double ref_share = static_cast<double>(_affinity_space.total()) / _resource_coeff;
+            double ref_share = static_cast<double>(_cores_for_cells) / _resource_coeff;
             return static_cast<unsigned int>((1.0 / static_cast<double>(priority)) * ref_share);
         }
 
-        Core_allocator(Genode::Affinity::Space &affinity_space, ::Sandbox::Prio_levels prio_levels) : _affinity_space(affinity_space), _prio_levels(prio_levels), _resource_coeff(0.0)
+        Core_allocator(Genode::Affinity::Space &affinity_space, ::Sandbox::Prio_levels prio_levels) : _affinity_space(affinity_space), _prio_levels(prio_levels), _resource_coeff(0.0), _cores_for_cells(_affinity_space.total())
         {
             Genode::log("Created core allocator for ", affinity_space.total(), " cores and ", prio_levels.value, " priorities.");
             Nova::create_habitat(0, affinity_space.total());
         }
 
+        unsigned int cores_available() {
+            return _cores_for_cells;
+        }
+
         Genode::Affinity::Location allocate_cores_for_cell(Genode::Xml_node const &start_node)
         {
+            if (::Sandbox::is_brick_from_xml(start_node)) {
+                Genode::Affinity::Location brick = ::Sandbox::affinity_location_from_xml(_affinity_space, start_node);
+                _cores_for_cells -= brick.width();
+                return brick;
+            }
+
             // Calculate affinity from global affinity space and priority
             long priority = ::Sandbox::priority_from_xml(start_node, _prio_levels);
             priority = (priority == 0) ? 1 : priority;
@@ -63,7 +75,7 @@ class Hoitaja::Core_allocator
             unsigned int cores_share = _calculate_resource_share(priority);
             
          
-            return Genode::Affinity::Location( _affinity_space.total()-cores_share, 0, cores_share, 1 ); /* always use the core_share last cores, for now */
+            return Genode::Affinity::Location( _cores_for_cells-cores_share, 0, cores_share, 1 ); /* always use the core_share last cores, for now */
         }
 
         void free_cores_from_cell(Cell &cell)
@@ -77,7 +89,7 @@ class Hoitaja::Core_allocator
          * @brief Update core allocations for cells reported by Cell controller
          * 
          */
-        void update(Hoitaja::Cell &cell, int *xpos) {
+        void update(Hoitaja::Cell &cell, int *xpos, int *lower_limit) {
             if (cell.abandoned())
                 return;
             Cell::Resources resources = cell.resources();
@@ -88,8 +100,8 @@ class Hoitaja::Core_allocator
 
             cores_to_reclaim = (static_cast<int>(cores_to_reclaim) < 0) ? 0 : cores_to_reclaim;
 
-            if (*xpos - cores_share == 0) {
-                cores_share--; // Save one core for Hoitaja
+            if (*xpos - static_cast<int>(cores_share) <= *lower_limit) {
+                cores_share-= *lower_limit; // Save one core for Hoitaja
             }
 
             Genode::Affinity::Location location(*xpos - cores_share, resources.affinity.location().ypos(), cores_share, resources.affinity.location().height());
diff --git a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/habitat.cc b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/habitat.cc
index ba84770962..43084d7d40 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/hoitaja/habitat.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/hoitaja/habitat.cc
@@ -98,11 +98,14 @@ void Hoitaja::Habitat::_destroy_abandoned_children()
 void Hoitaja::Habitat::maintain_cells()
 {
 	int xpos = _affinity_space->total();
+	int lower_limit = _affinity_space->total() - _core_allocator->cores_available();
 	_children.for_each_child([&](Child &child)
 							 {
                                 //log(child.name(), " ram: ", child.ram_quota());
                                 Cell &cell = static_cast<Cell&>(child);
-                                _core_allocator->update(cell, &xpos); });
+								if (!(cell.is_brick()))
+                                	_core_allocator->update(cell, &xpos, &lower_limit); 
+							});
 	/*suoritin.for_each([&](Tukija::Suoritin::Session_component &client)
 					  { Genode::log("Cell ", client.label(), "\n------------");
 		for (unsigned long channel_id = 0; channel_id < client.channels(); channel_id++)