diff --git a/arch/alpha/kernel/setup.c b/arch/alpha/kernel/setup.c
index d352c2b05f1a..915f26345c45 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/kernel/setup.c
@@ -744,15 +744,6 @@ setup_arch(char **cmdline_p)
 	paging_init();
 }
 
-void __init
-disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	if (alpha_using_srm && srmcons_output) {
-		unregister_srm_console();
-		srmcons_output = 0;
-	}
-}
-
 static char sys_unknown[] = "Unknown";
 static char systype_names[][16] = {
 	"0",
diff --git a/arch/alpha/kernel/srmcons.c b/arch/alpha/kernel/srmcons.c
index 85a821aaceb4..930cedc8be24 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/kernel/srmcons.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/kernel/srmcons.c
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ static struct console srmcons = {
 	.write		= srm_console_write,
 	.device		= srm_console_device,
 	.setup		= srm_console_setup,
-	.flags		= CON_PRINTBUFFER,
+	.flags		= CON_PRINTBUFFER | CON_BOOT,
 	.index		= -1,
 };
 
diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/early_printk.c b/arch/mips/kernel/early_printk.c
index 304efdc5682f..4fa54b230c09 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/early_printk.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/early_printk.c
@@ -33,8 +33,3 @@ void __init setup_early_printk(void)
 {
 	register_console(&early_console);
 }
-
-void __init disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	unregister_console(&early_console);
-}
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/udbg.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/udbg.c
index 7e0971868fc2..147a2d83de10 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/udbg.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/udbg.c
@@ -142,29 +142,22 @@ static void udbg_console_write(struct console *con, const char *s,
 static struct console udbg_console = {
 	.name	= "udbg",
 	.write	= udbg_console_write,
-	.flags	= CON_PRINTBUFFER | CON_ENABLED,
+	.flags	= CON_PRINTBUFFER | CON_ENABLED | CON_BOOT,
 	.index	= -1,
 };
 
 static int early_console_initialized;
 
-void __init disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	if (!early_console_initialized)
-		return;
-	if (strstr(boot_command_line, "udbg-immortal")) {
-		printk(KERN_INFO "early console immortal !\n");
-		return;
-	}
-	unregister_console(&udbg_console);
-	early_console_initialized = 0;
-}
-
 /* called by setup_system */
 void register_early_udbg_console(void)
 {
 	if (early_console_initialized)
 		return;
+
+	if (strstr(boot_command_line, "udbg-immortal")) {
+		printk(KERN_INFO "early console immortal !\n");
+		udbg_console.flags &= ~CON_BOOT;
+	}
 	early_console_initialized = 1;
 	register_console(&udbg_console);
 }
diff --git a/arch/sh/kernel/early_printk.c b/arch/sh/kernel/early_printk.c
index 9048c0326d87..9833493d8867 100644
--- a/arch/sh/kernel/early_printk.c
+++ b/arch/sh/kernel/early_printk.c
@@ -192,20 +192,14 @@ int __init setup_early_printk(char *buf)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	if (likely(early_console))
+	if (likely(early_console)) {
+		if (keep_early)
+			early_console->flags &= ~CON_BOOT;
+		else
+			early_console->flags |= CON_BOOT;
 		register_console(early_console);
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
 early_param("earlyprintk", setup_early_printk);
-
-void __init disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	if (!early_console_initialized || !early_console)
-		return;
-	if (!keep_early) {
-		printk("disabling early console\n");
-		unregister_console(early_console);
-	} else
-		printk("keeping early console\n");
-}
diff --git a/arch/sh64/kernel/early_printk.c b/arch/sh64/kernel/early_printk.c
index 8c8a76e180aa..4f9131123672 100644
--- a/arch/sh64/kernel/early_printk.c
+++ b/arch/sh64/kernel/early_printk.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static struct console sh_console = {
 	.name		= "scifcon",
 	.write		= sh_console_write,
 	.setup		= sh_console_setup,
-	.flags		= CON_PRINTBUFFER,
+	.flags		= CON_PRINTBUFFER | CON_BOOT,
 	.index		= -1,
 };
 
@@ -97,9 +97,3 @@ void __init enable_early_printk(void)
 
 	register_console(&sh_console);
 }
-
-void disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	unregister_console(&sh_console);
-}
-
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/kernel/early_printk.c b/arch/x86_64/kernel/early_printk.c
index 92213d2b7c11..56eaa259782b 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/kernel/early_printk.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/kernel/early_printk.c
@@ -243,22 +243,12 @@ static int __init setup_early_printk(char *buf)
  		early_console = &simnow_console;
  		keep_early = 1;
 	}
+
+	if (keep_early)
+		early_console->flags &= ~CON_BOOT;
+	else
+		early_console->flags |= CON_BOOT;
 	register_console(early_console);
 	return 0;
 }
-
 early_param("earlyprintk", setup_early_printk);
-
-void __init disable_early_printk(void)
-{
-	if (!early_console_initialized || !early_console)
-		return;
-	if (!keep_early) {
-		printk("disabling early console\n");
-		unregister_console(early_console);
-		early_console_initialized = 0;
-	} else {
-		printk("keeping early console\n");
-	}
-}
-
diff --git a/drivers/char/tty_io.c b/drivers/char/tty_io.c
index 389da364e6b6..730cbd209a12 100644
--- a/drivers/char/tty_io.c
+++ b/drivers/char/tty_io.c
@@ -141,8 +141,6 @@ static DECLARE_MUTEX(allocated_ptys_lock);
 static int ptmx_open(struct inode *, struct file *);
 #endif
 
-extern void disable_early_printk(void);
-
 static void initialize_tty_struct(struct tty_struct *tty);
 
 static ssize_t tty_read(struct file *, char __user *, size_t, loff_t *);
@@ -3897,9 +3895,6 @@ void __init console_init(void)
 	 * set up the console device so that later boot sequences can 
 	 * inform about problems etc..
 	 */
-#ifdef CONFIG_EARLY_PRINTK
-	disable_early_printk();
-#endif
 	call = __con_initcall_start;
 	while (call < __con_initcall_end) {
 		(*call)();
diff --git a/kernel/printk.c b/kernel/printk.c
index 4b47e59248df..c4c5a29a7bed 100644
--- a/kernel/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk.c
@@ -931,8 +931,16 @@ void register_console(struct console *console)
 {
 	int i;
 	unsigned long flags;
+	struct console *bootconsole = NULL;
 
-	if (preferred_console < 0)
+	if (console_drivers) {
+		if (console->flags & CON_BOOT)
+			return;
+		if (console_drivers->flags & CON_BOOT)
+			bootconsole = console_drivers;
+	}
+
+	if (preferred_console < 0 || bootconsole || !console_drivers)
 		preferred_console = selected_console;
 
 	/*
@@ -978,8 +986,11 @@ void register_console(struct console *console)
 	if (!(console->flags & CON_ENABLED))
 		return;
 
-	if (console_drivers && (console_drivers->flags & CON_BOOT)) {
-		unregister_console(console_drivers);
+	if (bootconsole) {
+		printk(KERN_INFO "console handover: boot [%s%d] -> real [%s%d]\n",
+		       bootconsole->name, bootconsole->index,
+		       console->name, console->index);
+		unregister_console(bootconsole);
 		console->flags &= ~CON_PRINTBUFFER;
 	}
 
@@ -1030,16 +1041,11 @@ int unregister_console(struct console *console)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* If last console is removed, we re-enable picking the first
-	 * one that gets registered. Without that, pmac early boot console
-	 * would prevent fbcon from taking over.
-	 *
+	/*
 	 * If this isn't the last console and it has CON_CONSDEV set, we
 	 * need to set it on the next preferred console.
 	 */
-	if (console_drivers == NULL)
-		preferred_console = selected_console;
-	else if (console->flags & CON_CONSDEV)
+	if (console_drivers != NULL && console->flags & CON_CONSDEV)
 		console_drivers->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
 
 	release_console_sem();