When I use gcc -S in an x86-64 environment running in 64-bit mode on the following C function: int main( void ) { long sum = foo( 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ); } gcc-4.1 allocates 16 bytes on the stack for the local variable, sum (my comments added): main: .LFB3: pushq %rbp # save caller base pointer .LCFI2: movq %rsp, %rbp # establish our base pointer .LCFI3: subq $16, %rsp # space for local variable .LCFI4: movl $7, %r8d # pass 5th argument ......... The ABI specifies that the stack pointer will be "16-byte aligned at process entry." So even though sum only takes 8 bytes (longs in 64-bit mode are 8 bytes), I assume that the compiler allocates 16 bytes to maintain the 16-byte alignment. But with gcc-4.3 I get 24 bytes: main: .LFB3: pushq %rbp # save caller base pointer .LCFI2: movq %rsp, %rbp # establish our base pointer .LCFI3: subq $24, %rsp # space for local variable .LCFI4: movl $7, %r8d # pass 5th argument ......... Now the stack is no longer 16-byte aligned. Furthermore, this stack alignment could have been accomplished by allocating only the 8 bytes needed for the local variable, sum. What am I missing here? --Bob