diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/sage2.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/sage2.cpp
index 1246d559bf6..645f624f9e3 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/sage2.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/sage2.cpp
@@ -28,45 +28,6 @@
 #include "bus/rs232/rs232.h"
 #include "softlist.h"
 
-//**************************************************************************
-//  MEMORY MANAGEMENT UNIT
-//**************************************************************************
-
-//-------------------------------------------------
-//  read -
-//-------------------------------------------------
-
-READ8_MEMBER( sage2_state::read )
-{
-	uint8_t data = 0xff;
-
-	if (m_reset || (offset >= 0xfe0000 && offset < 0xff4000))
-	{
-		data = m_rom[offset & 0x1fff];
-	}
-	else if (offset < 0x080000)
-	{
-		data = m_ram->pointer()[offset];
-	}
-
-	return data;
-}
-
-
-//-------------------------------------------------
-//  write -
-//-------------------------------------------------
-
-WRITE8_MEMBER( sage2_state::write )
-{
-	if (offset < 0x080000)
-	{
-		m_ram->pointer()[offset] = data;
-	}
-}
-
-
-
 //**************************************************************************
 //  ADDRESS MAPS
 //**************************************************************************
@@ -77,7 +38,6 @@ WRITE8_MEMBER( sage2_state::write )
 
 static ADDRESS_MAP_START( sage2_mem, AS_PROGRAM, 16, sage2_state )
 	ADDRESS_MAP_UNMAP_HIGH
-	AM_RANGE(0x000000, 0xfeffff) AM_READWRITE8(read, write, 0xffff)
 	AM_RANGE(0xffc000, 0xffc007) AM_DEVREADWRITE8(I8253_1_TAG, pit8253_device, read, write, 0x00ff)
 	AM_RANGE(0xffc010, 0xffc01f) AM_NOP //AM_DEVREADWRITE8(TMS9914_TAG, tms9914_device, read, write, 0x00ff)
 	AM_RANGE(0xffc020, 0xffc027) AM_DEVREADWRITE8(I8255A_0_TAG, i8255_device, read, write, 0x00ff) // i8255, DIPs + Floppy ctrl port
@@ -417,17 +377,27 @@ DEVICE_INPUT_DEFAULTS_END
 
 void sage2_state::machine_start()
 {
-	// find memory regions
-	m_rom = memregion(M68000_TAG)->base();
+	address_space &program = m_maincpu->space(AS_PROGRAM);
+	program.install_rom(0x000000, 0x001fff, 0x07e000, m_rom->base()); // Avoid the 68000 reading from lalaland in its reset handler
 }
 
-
 void sage2_state::machine_reset()
 {
-	m_reset = 1;
+	address_space &program = m_maincpu->space(AS_PROGRAM);
+	program.unmap_readwrite(0x000000, 0x07ffff);
+	program.install_rom(0x000000, 0x001fff, 0x07e000, m_rom->base());
+	program.install_read_handler(0xfe0000, 0xfe3fff, read16_delegate(FUNC(sage2_state::rom_r), this));
+	m_maincpu->reset();
 }
 
-
+READ16_MEMBER(sage2_state::rom_r)
+{
+	address_space &program = m_maincpu->space(AS_PROGRAM);
+	program.unmap_readwrite(0x000000, 0x07ffff);
+	program.install_ram(0, m_ram->size()-1, m_ram->pointer());
+	program.install_rom(0xfe0000, 0xfe1fff, 0x002000, m_rom->base());
+	return program.read_word(0xfe0000 | (offset*2));
+}
 
 //**************************************************************************
 //  MACHINE DRIVERS
@@ -530,9 +500,9 @@ MACHINE_CONFIG_END
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
 ROM_START( sage2 )
-	ROM_REGION( 0x2000, M68000_TAG, 0 )
-	ROM_LOAD16_BYTE( "sage2.u18", 0x0000, 0x1000, CRC(ca9b312d) SHA1(99436a6d166aa5280c3b2d28355c4d20528fe48c) )
-	ROM_LOAD16_BYTE( "sage2.u17", 0x0001, 0x1000, CRC(27e25045) SHA1(041cd9d4617473d089f31f18cbb375046c3b61bb) )
+	ROM_REGION16_BE( 0x2000, M68000_TAG, 0 )
+	ROM_LOAD16_BYTE( "sage2.u18", 0x0001, 0x1000, CRC(ca9b312d) SHA1(99436a6d166aa5280c3b2d28355c4d20528fe48c) )
+	ROM_LOAD16_BYTE( "sage2.u17", 0x0000, 0x1000, CRC(27e25045) SHA1(041cd9d4617473d089f31f18cbb375046c3b61bb) )
 ROM_END
 
 
@@ -545,20 +515,8 @@ ROM_END
 //  DRIVER_INIT( sage2 )
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-DIRECT_UPDATE_MEMBER(sage2_state::sage2_direct_update_handler)
-{
-	if (m_reset && address >= 0xfe0000)
-	{
-		m_reset = 0;
-	}
-
-	return address;
-}
-
 DRIVER_INIT_MEMBER(sage2_state,sage2)
 {
-	address_space &program = machine().device<cpu_device>(M68000_TAG)->space(AS_PROGRAM);
-	program.set_direct_update_handler(direct_update_delegate(&sage2_state::sage2_direct_update_handler, this));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/sage2.h b/src/mame/includes/sage2.h
index ee375c24748..cede7207e9d 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/sage2.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/sage2.h
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ public:
 			m_usart1(*this, I8251_1_TAG),
 			m_fdc(*this, UPD765_TAG),
 			m_ram(*this, RAM_TAG),
+			m_rom(*this, M68000_TAG),
 			m_floppy0(*this, UPD765_TAG ":0"),
 			m_floppy1(*this, UPD765_TAG ":1"),
 			m_floppy(nullptr),
 			m_centronics(*this, CENTRONICS_TAG),
 			m_ieee488(*this, IEEE488_TAG),
-			m_reset(1),
 			m_fdc_int(0),
 			m_fdie(0)
 	{ }
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public:
 	required_device<i8251_device> m_usart1;
 	required_device<upd765a_device> m_fdc;
 	required_device<ram_device> m_ram;
+	required_memory_region m_rom;
 	required_device<floppy_connector> m_floppy0;
 	required_device<floppy_connector> m_floppy1;
 	floppy_image_device *m_floppy;
@@ -63,8 +64,7 @@ public:
 
 	void update_fdc_int();
 
-	DECLARE_READ8_MEMBER( read );
-	DECLARE_WRITE8_MEMBER( write );
+	DECLARE_READ16_MEMBER(rom_r);
 	DECLARE_WRITE_LINE_MEMBER( br1_w );
 	DECLARE_WRITE_LINE_MEMBER( br2_w );
 	DECLARE_WRITE8_MEMBER( ppi0_pc_w );
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ public:
 
 	DECLARE_WRITE_LINE_MEMBER( fdc_irq );
 
-	const uint8_t *m_rom;
-	int m_reset;
-
 	// floppy state
 	int m_fdc_int;
 	int m_fdie;