diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/contra.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/contra.cpp
index 3af801f7f68..797c7ded4c1 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/contra.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/contra.cpp
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ void contra_state::contra_map(address_map &map)
 	map(0x2400, 0x27ff).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_fg_vram_w)).share("fg_vram");
 	map(0x2800, 0x2bff).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_text_cram_w)).share("tx_cram");
 	map(0x2c00, 0x2fff).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_text_vram_w)).share("tx_vram");
-	map(0x3000, 0x37ff).writeonly().share("spriteram");/* 2nd bank is at 0x5000 */
-	map(0x3800, 0x3fff).writeonly(); // second sprite buffer
+	map(0x3000, 0x3fff).ram().share("spriteram");
 	map(0x4000, 0x43ff).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_bg_cram_w)).share("bg_cram");
 	map(0x4400, 0x47ff).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_bg_vram_w)).share("bg_vram");
-	map(0x4800, 0x5fff).writeonly();
+	map(0x4800, 0x4fff).ram();
+	map(0x5000, 0x5fff).ram().share("spriteram_2");
 
 	map(0x6000, 0x7fff).bankr("bank1");
 	map(0x7000, 0x7000).w(FUNC(contra_state::contra_bankswitch_w));
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/contra.h b/src/mame/includes/contra.h
index 93585e3beda..80115d52038 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/contra.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/contra.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ public:
 		m_tx_cram(*this, "tx_cram"),
 		m_tx_vram(*this, "tx_vram"),
 		m_spriteram(*this, "spriteram"),
+		m_spriteram_2(*this, "spriteram_2"),
 		m_bg_cram(*this, "bg_cram"),
 		m_bg_vram(*this, "bg_vram"),
 		m_audiocpu(*this, "audiocpu"),
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ public:
 	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_tx_cram;
 	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_tx_vram;
 	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_spriteram;
+	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_spriteram_2;
 	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_bg_cram;
 	required_shared_ptr<uint8_t> m_bg_vram;
 
diff --git a/src/mame/video/contra.cpp b/src/mame/video/contra.cpp
index 45bab77d1f6..ef97ba765a7 100644
--- a/src/mame/video/contra.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/video/contra.cpp
@@ -239,9 +239,9 @@ WRITE8_MEMBER(contra_state::contra_K007121_ctrl_1_w)
 	if (offset == 3)
 	{
 		if ((data & 0x8) == 0)
-			memcpy(m_buffered_spriteram_2.get(), m_spriteram + 0x2800, 0x800);
+			memcpy(m_buffered_spriteram_2.get(), m_spriteram_2 + 0x800, 0x800);
 		else
-			memcpy(m_buffered_spriteram_2.get(), m_spriteram + 0x2000, 0x800);
+			memcpy(m_buffered_spriteram_2.get(), m_spriteram_2 + 0x000, 0x800);
 	}
 	if (offset == 6)
 	{