diff --git a/include/vmem/vmem_file.h b/include/vmem/vmem_file.h
index d15f95e8b..f3bfb7cfb 100644
--- a/include/vmem/vmem_file.h
+++ b/include/vmem/vmem_file.h
@@ -32,9 +32,16 @@ typedef struct {
 	FILE * stream;
 } vmem_file_driver_t;
 
+typedef struct {
+	const char * filename;
+	FILE * stream;
+} vmem_file_vaddr_driver_t;
+
 void vmem_file_init(const vmem_t * vmem);
 void vmem_file_read(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, void * dataout, uint32_t len);
 void vmem_file_write(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, const void * datain, uint32_t len);
+void vmem_file_vaddr_read(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, void * dataout, uint32_t len);
+void vmem_file_vaddr_write(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, const void * datain, uint32_t len);
 
 #define VMEM_DEFINE_FILE(name_in, strname, filename_in, size_in) \
 	uint8_t vmem_##name_in##_buf[size_in] = {}; \
@@ -57,20 +64,18 @@ void vmem_file_write(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, const void * datain, ui
 	};
 
 #define VMEM_DEFINE_FILE_VADDR(name_in, strname, filename_in, size_in, fixed_vaddr) \
-	uint8_t vmem_##name_in##_buf[size_in] = {}; \
-	static vmem_file_driver_t vmem_##name_in##_driver = { \
-		.physaddr = vmem_##name_in##_buf, \
+	static vmem_file_vaddr_driver_t vmem_##name_in##_driver = { \
 		.filename = filename_in, \
 	}; \
 	__attribute__((section("vmem"))) \
- 	__attribute__((aligned(8))) \
+ 	__attribute__((aligned(__alignof__(vmem_t)))) \
  	__attribute__((used)) \
 	const vmem_t vmem_##name_in = { \
 		.type = VMEM_TYPE_FILE, \
 		.name = strname, \
 		.size = size_in, \
-		.read = vmem_file_read, \
-		.write = vmem_file_write, \
+		.read = vmem_file_vaddr_read, \
+		.write = vmem_file_vaddr_write, \
 		.driver = &vmem_##name_in##_driver, \
 		.vaddr = (uint64_t)fixed_vaddr, \
 		.ack_with_pull = 1, \
diff --git a/src/vmem/vmem_file.c b/src/vmem/vmem_file.c
index 88821470c..58c7acee8 100644
--- a/src/vmem/vmem_file.c
+++ b/src/vmem/vmem_file.c
@@ -44,7 +44,45 @@ void vmem_file_write(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, const void * datain, ui
 		/* Flush back to file */
 		int res = fseek(driver->stream, addr, SEEK_SET);
 		(void)res;
-		int written = fwrite((char *) driver->physaddr + addr, len, 1, driver->stream);
+		int written = fwrite((void*)((intptr_t)driver->physaddr + addr), len, 1, driver->stream);
+		fflush(driver->stream);
+		(void) written;
+	}
+}
+
+static void vmem_file_vaddr_init(const vmem_t * vmem) {
+	vmem_file_driver_t *driver = (vmem_file_driver_t *) vmem->driver;
+	if(driver->stream == NULL) {
+		/* Open file for reading/writing, creating it if it doesn't exist */
+		int fd = open(driver->filename, O_RDWR|O_CREAT, S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR);
+		if (fd != -1) {
+			driver->stream = fdopen(fd, "r+");
+		}
+		if(!driver->stream) {
+			printf("\nWARNING: vmem[%s]: permission/path issues for associated filename: \"%s\"\n", vmem->name, driver->filename);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+void vmem_file_vaddr_read(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, void * dataout, uint32_t len) {
+	vmem_file_driver_t *driver = (vmem_file_driver_t *) vmem->driver;
+	vmem_file_vaddr_init(vmem);
+	if(driver->stream ) {
+	    int res = fseek(driver->stream, addr, SEEK_SET);
+		(void)res;
+	    res = fread(dataout, len, 1, driver->stream);
+		(void)res;
+	}
+}
+
+void vmem_file_vaddr_write(const vmem_t * vmem, uint64_t addr, const void * datain, uint32_t len) {
+	vmem_file_driver_t *driver = (vmem_file_driver_t *) vmem->driver;
+	vmem_file_vaddr_init(vmem);
+	if(driver->stream ) {
+		/* Flush back to file */
+		int res = fseek(driver->stream, addr, SEEK_SET);
+		(void)res;
+		int written = fwrite(datain, len, 1, driver->stream);
 		fflush(driver->stream);
 		(void) written;
 	}