must be defined, to setup the maximum idle timeout for
                the SMC.
 
+- Pre-Console Buffer:
+                Prior to the console being initialised (i.e. serial UART
+                initialised etc) all console output is silently discarded.
+                Defining CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER will cause U-Boot to
+                buffer any console messages prior to the console being
+                initialised to a buffer of size CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ
+                bytes located at CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_ADDR. The buffer is
+                a circular buffer, so if more than CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ
+                bytes are output before the console is  initialised, the
+                earlier bytes are discarded.
+
+                'Sane' compilers will generate smaller code if
+                CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ is a power of 2
+
 - Boot Delay:  CONFIG_BOOTDELAY - in seconds
                Delay before automatically booting the default image;
                set to -1 to disable autoboot.
 
        unsigned long   flags;
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid? */
        unsigned long   fb_base;        /* base address of frame buffer */
 
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   stack_end;      /* highest stack address */
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        unsigned long   reloc_off;      /* Relocation Offset */
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address of env struct */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of env valid? */
 
        unsigned long board_type;
        unsigned long baudrate;
        unsigned long have_console;     /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        phys_size_t ram_size;           /* RAM size */
        unsigned long env_addr; /* Address  of Environment struct */
        unsigned long env_valid;        /* Checksum of Environment valid? */
 
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct       */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid?       */
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called             */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_LCD) || defined(CONFIG_VIDEO)
        unsigned long   fb_base;        /* Base addr of framebuffer memory */
 #endif
 
        unsigned long   flags;
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid? */
        unsigned long   fb_base;        /* base address of frame buffer */
 
        unsigned long   flags;
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        phys_size_t     ram_size;       /* RAM size */
        unsigned long   reloc_off;      /* Relocation Offset */
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
 
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   cpu_clk;        /* CPU clock in Hz!             */
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        phys_size_t     ram_size;       /* RAM size */
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid */
 
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct       */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid?       */
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called             */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_SYS_ALLOC_DPRAM) || defined(CONFIG_CPM2)
        unsigned int    dp_alloc_base;
        unsigned int    dp_alloc_top;
 
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   cpu_clk;        /* CPU clock in Hz! */
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        phys_size_t     ram_size;       /* RAM size */
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
        unsigned long   env_valid;      /* Checksum of Environment valid */
 
        unsigned long env_valid;        /* Checksum of Environment valid?       */
        unsigned long have_console;     /* serial_init() was called */
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_LCD) || defined(CONFIG_VIDEO)
        unsigned long fb_base;  /* Base address of framebuffer memory   */
 #endif
 
        unsigned long   flags;
        unsigned long   baudrate;
        unsigned long   have_console;   /* serial_init() was called */
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+       unsigned long   precon_buf_idx; /* Pre-Console buffer index */
+#endif
        unsigned long   reloc_off;      /* Relocation Offset */
        unsigned long   load_off;       /* Load Offset */
        unsigned long   env_addr;       /* Address  of Environment struct */
 
        return serial_tstc();
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+#define CIRC_BUF_IDX(idx) ((idx) % (unsigned long)CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ)
+
+static void pre_console_putc(const char c)
+{
+       char *buffer = (char *)CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_ADDR;
+
+       buffer[CIRC_BUF_IDX(gd->precon_buf_idx++)] = c;
+}
+
+static void pre_console_puts(const char *s)
+{
+       while (*s)
+               pre_console_putc(*s++);
+}
+
+static void print_pre_console_buffer(void)
+{
+       unsigned long i = 0;
+       char *buffer = (char *)CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_ADDR;
+
+       if (gd->precon_buf_idx > CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ)
+               i = gd->precon_buf_idx - CONFIG_PRE_CON_BUF_SZ;
+
+       while (i < gd->precon_buf_idx)
+               putc(buffer[CIRC_BUF_IDX(i++)]);
+}
+#else
+static inline void pre_console_putc(const char c) {}
+static inline void pre_console_puts(const char *s) {}
+static inline void print_pre_console_buffer(void) {}
+#endif
+
 void putc(const char c)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SILENT_CONSOLE
 #endif
 
        if (!gd->have_console)
-               return;
+               return pre_console_putc(c);
 
        if (gd->flags & GD_FLG_DEVINIT) {
                /* Send to the standard output */
 #endif
 
        if (!gd->have_console)
-               return;
+               return pre_console_puts(s);
 
        if (gd->flags & GD_FLG_DEVINIT) {
                /* Send to the standard output */
        uint i;
        char printbuffer[CONFIG_SYS_PBSIZE];
 
+#ifndef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
        if (!gd->have_console)
                return 0;
+#endif
 
        va_start(args, fmt);
 
        uint i;
        char printbuffer[CONFIG_SYS_PBSIZE];
 
+#ifndef CONFIG_PRE_CONSOLE_BUFFER
        if (!gd->have_console)
                return 0;
+#endif
 
        /* For this to work, printbuffer must be larger than
         * anything we ever want to print.
                gd->flags |= GD_FLG_SILENT;
 #endif
 
+       print_pre_console_buffer();
+
        return 0;
 }