diff --git a/src/arch/aarch64/inc/hf/arch/mm.h b/src/arch/aarch64/inc/hf/arch/mm.h
index 35278ca..26b11a2 100644
--- a/src/arch/aarch64/inc/hf/arch/mm.h
+++ b/src/arch/aarch64/inc/hf/arch/mm.h
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
 
 #define PAGE_LEVEL_BITS 9
 
+/*
+ * This mask actually includes everything other than the address bits: not just
+ * the attributes but also some ignored bits, reserved bits, and the entry type
+ * bits which distinguish between absent, table, block or page entries.
+ */
 #define ARCH_AARCH64_MM_PTE_ATTR_MASK \
 	(((UINT64_C(1) << PAGE_BITS) - 1) | ~((UINT64_C(1) << 48) - 1))
 
@@ -57,7 +62,7 @@
  */
 static inline pte_t arch_mm_block_pte(int level, paddr_t pa, uint64_t attrs)
 {
-	pte_t pte = pa_addr(pa) | attrs;
+	pte_t pte = pa_addr(pa) | attrs | 0x1;
 	if (level == 0) {
 		/* A level 0 'block' is actually a page entry. */
 		pte |= 0x2;
diff --git a/src/arch/aarch64/mm.c b/src/arch/aarch64/mm.c
index 32ab115..2867fd9 100644
--- a/src/arch/aarch64/mm.c
+++ b/src/arch/aarch64/mm.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 
 uint64_t arch_mm_mode_to_attrs(int mode)
 {
-	uint64_t attrs = 1; /* Present bit. */
+	uint64_t attrs = 0;
 
 	if (mode & MM_MODE_STAGE1) {
 		attrs |= STAGE1_AF | STAGE1_SH(OUTER_SHAREABLE);