diff --git a/kernel/main.asm b/kernel/main.asm
index 863249b..ac5931a 100644
--- a/kernel/main.asm
+++ b/kernel/main.asm
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const FOX32OS_VERSION_PATCH: 0
 const BACKGROUND_COLOR: 0xFF674764
 const TEXT_COLOR:       0xFFFFFFFF
 
+const STARTUP_TASK_LOAD_ADDRESS: 0x03000000
+
     jmp entry
 
 jump_table:
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ draw_startup_text:
     mov r2, startup_file_struct
     call ryfs_open
     cmp r0, 0
-    ifz jmp startup_error
+    ifz jmp boot_disk_1
 
     ; load the first 11 bytes of startup.cfg, overwriting the "startup cfg" string
     mov r0, 11
@@ -67,15 +69,16 @@ draw_startup_text:
     mov r2, startup_file_struct
     call ryfs_open
     cmp r0, 0
-    ifz jmp startup_error
+    ifz jmp boot_disk_1
 
-    ; read the startup file into memory starting at 0x03000000
+    ; read the startup file into memory starting at STARTUP_TASK_LOAD_ADDRESS
     mov r0, startup_file_struct
-    mov r1, 0x03000000
+    mov r1, STARTUP_TASK_LOAD_ADDRESS
     call ryfs_read_whole_file
 
     ; relocate and execute it as a new task
-    mov r0, 0x03000000
+run_startup_task:
+    mov r0, STARTUP_TASK_LOAD_ADDRESS
     call parse_fxf_binary
     mov r1, r0
     mov r0, 0
@@ -88,6 +91,31 @@ draw_startup_text:
     ; this does not return
     call end_current_task_no_mark
 
+; if startup.cfg is invalid, try loading the raw contents of disk 1 as an FXF binary
+; if disk 1 is not inserted, then fail
+boot_disk_1:
+    ; check if a disk is inserted as disk 1
+    in r31, 0x80001001
+    cmp r31, 0
+    ifz jmp startup_error
+
+    ; a disk is inserted, load it!!
+    div r31, 512
+    inc r31
+
+    mov r0, 0          ; sector counter
+    mov r2, STARTUP_TASK_LOAD_ADDRESS ; destination pointer
+    mov r3, 0x80003001 ; command to read a sector from disk 01 into memory
+    mov r4, 0x80002000 ; command to set the location of the buffer
+boot_disk_1_loop:
+    out r4, r2         ; set the memory buffer location
+    out r3, r0         ; read the current sector into memory
+    inc r0             ; increment sector counter
+    add r2, 512        ; increment the destination pointer
+    loop boot_disk_1_loop
+
+    jmp run_startup_task
+
 startup_error:
     mov r0, BACKGROUND_COLOR
     call fill_background