diff --git a/arch/x86/stage1.c b/arch/x86/stage1.c
index a15943e5cc..be33ee6589 100644
--- a/arch/x86/stage1.c
+++ b/arch/x86/stage1.c
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ void global_vars_init(struct global_vars *globvars)
 {
 	memset(globvars, 0, sizeof(struct global_vars));
 	*(struct global_vars **)(bottom_of_stack() - sizeof(struct global_vars *)) = globvars;
+#ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_BUFFER
+	/* Initialize the printk buffer. */
+	printk_buffer_init();
+#endif
+	console_loglevel_init();
+
 }
 
 void dump_mem_range(int msg_level, unsigned char *buf, int size)
@@ -163,11 +169,6 @@ void __attribute__((stdcall)) stage1_main(u32 bist)
 	 */
 	global_vars_init(&globvars);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_BUFFER
-	/* Initialize the printk buffer. NEVER run this on an AP! */
-	printk_buffer_init();
-#endif
-
 	hardware_stage1();
 
 	//
diff --git a/include/console.h b/include/console.h
index a5d87164f2..68d359fefc 100644
--- a/include/console.h
+++ b/include/console.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ void console_tx_byte(unsigned char byte, void *arg);
 void console_tx_flush(void);
 unsigned char console_rx_byte(void);
 int console_tst_byte(void);
+void console_loglevel_init(void);
 #ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_BUFFER
 void printk_buffer_init(void);
 void printk_buffer_move(void *newaddr, int newsize);
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ struct global_vars {
 #ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_BUFFER
 	struct printk_buffer *printk_buffer;
 #endif
+	unsigned int loglevel;
 };
 
 int printk(int msg_level, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)));
diff --git a/lib/console.c b/lib/console.c
index 6557638578..4a21a8efcf 100644
--- a/lib/console.c
+++ b/lib/console.c
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 int vtxprintf(void (*)(unsigned char, void *arg), 
 		void *arg, const char *, va_list);
 
-static unsigned int loglevel = CONFIG_DEFAULT_CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL;
-
 /**
  * set the console log level
  * There are no invalid settings, although there are ones that 
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ void set_loglevel(unsigned int level) {
 	if (level > BIOS_SPEW)
 		printk(BIOS_ALWAYS, "Warning: ridiculous log level setting: %d (max %d)\n", 
 			level, BIOS_SPEW);
-	loglevel = level;
+	global_vars()->loglevel = level;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -31,7 +29,12 @@ void set_loglevel(unsigned int level) {
  */
 static unsigned int console_loglevel(void)
 {
-	return loglevel;
+	return global_vars()->loglevel;
+}
+
+void console_loglevel_init(void)
+{
+	set_loglevel(CONFIG_DEFAULT_CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_BUFFER