diff --git a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/config.h b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/config.h
index cf8c9d66f9ad..9cad5d5c72f9 100644
--- a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/config.h
+++ b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/config.h
@@ -52,5 +52,6 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 /* Locking resynchronize hack */
 #define LOCKING_RESYNC_ENABLE
 
-/* reduce VIA layer count because of EEPROM size */
-#define DYNAMIC_KEYMAP_LAYER_COUNT 2
+/* reduce EEPROM usage */
+#define DYNAMIC_KEYMAP_LAYER_COUNT 3
+#define LAYER_STATE_8BIT
diff --git a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/keymap.c b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/keymap.c
index c5ff48e23ed6..86b69ceebdba 100644
--- a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/keymap.c
+++ b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/keymap.c
@@ -32,5 +32,13 @@ const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
         KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,          KC_TRNS,                                  KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
         KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_VOLD, KC_VOLU, KC_MUTE, KC_MPRV, KC_MNXT, KC_MPLY,                   KC_TRNS,             KC_TRNS,             KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
         KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,                            KC_TRNS,                                     KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS,          KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS
+    ),
+    [2] = LAYOUT(
+        KC_TRNS,          KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,                               KC_TRNS,
+        KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
+        KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
+        KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,          KC_TRNS,                                  KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
+        KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,                   KC_TRNS,             KC_TRNS,             KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,
+        KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,                            KC_TRNS,                                     KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS,    KC_TRNS,          KC_TRNS, KC_TRNS
     )
 };
diff --git a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/rules.mk b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/rules.mk
index 1e5b99807cb7..36b7ba9cbc98 100644
--- a/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/rules.mk
+++ b/keyboards/kb_elmo/aek2_usb/keymaps/via/rules.mk
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 VIA_ENABLE = yes
+LTO_ENABLE = yes