diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c
index 929ca472c524..30014e5867db 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c
@@ -964,10 +964,13 @@ static const char *fbcon_startup(void)
 	ops->cur_blink_jiffies = HZ / 5;
 	ops->info = info;
 	info->fbcon_par = ops;
-	if (initial_rotation != -1)
-		p->con_rotate = initial_rotation;
-	else
+
+	p->con_rotate = initial_rotation;
+	if (p->con_rotate == -1)
+		p->con_rotate = info->fbcon_rotate_hint;
+	if (p->con_rotate == -1)
 		p->con_rotate = fbcon_platform_get_rotate(info);
+
 	set_blitting_type(vc, info);
 
 	if (info->fix.type != FB_TYPE_TEXT) {
@@ -1104,10 +1107,13 @@ static void fbcon_init(struct vc_data *vc, int init)
 
 	ops = info->fbcon_par;
 	ops->cur_blink_jiffies = msecs_to_jiffies(vc->vc_cur_blink_ms);
-	if (initial_rotation != -1)
-		p->con_rotate = initial_rotation;
-	else
+
+	p->con_rotate = initial_rotation;
+	if (p->con_rotate == -1)
+		p->con_rotate = info->fbcon_rotate_hint;
+	if (p->con_rotate == -1)
 		p->con_rotate = fbcon_platform_get_rotate(info);
+
 	set_blitting_type(vc, info);
 
 	cols = vc->vc_cols;
diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbsysfs.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbsysfs.c
index 15755ce1d26c..e31a182b42bf 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbsysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbsysfs.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ struct fb_info *framebuffer_alloc(size_t size, struct device *dev)
 		info->par = p + fb_info_size;
 
 	info->device = dev;
+	info->fbcon_rotate_hint = -1;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_init(&info->bl_curve_mutex);
diff --git a/include/linux/fb.h b/include/linux/fb.h
index bc24e48e396d..d1e5bed39140 100644
--- a/include/linux/fb.h
+++ b/include/linux/fb.h
@@ -465,6 +465,11 @@ struct fb_info {
 	atomic_t count;
 	int node;
 	int flags;
+	/*
+	 * -1 by default, set to a FB_ROTATE_* value by the driver, if it knows
+	 * a lcd is not mounted upright and fbcon should rotate to compensate.
+	 */
+	int fbcon_rotate_hint;
 	struct mutex lock;		/* Lock for open/release/ioctl funcs */
 	struct mutex mm_lock;		/* Lock for fb_mmap and smem_* fields */
 	struct fb_var_screeninfo var;	/* Current var */