Disclosed is a system and method for maintaining software instructions stored in a wireless communications device memory. The software is organized using code sections, where each code section is in a contiguous portion of memory and relocatable independently of other code sections. Maintenance includes the ability to run a unique software component called a compactor while the normal system is not in executable form. The compactor expands, compresses, and relocates code sections to allow downloaded code to be incorporated into the system code base.