Index: sys/kern/kern_cons.c
===================================================================
--- sys/kern/kern_cons.c	(revision 290726)
+++ sys/kern/kern_cons.c	(working copy)
@@ -105,11 +105,15 @@
 DATA_SET(cons_set, cons_consdev);
 SET_DECLARE(cons_set, struct consdev);
 
+static char preferred_console[16];
+
 void
 cninit(void)
 {
-	struct consdev *best_cn, *cn, **list;
+	struct consdev *best_cn, *prefered_cn, *cn, **list;
 
+	TUNABLE_STR_FETCH("console.prefer", preferred_console, sizeof(preferred_console));
+
 	/*
 	 * Check if we should mute the console (for security reasons perhaps)
 	 * It can be changes dynamically using sysctl kern.consmute
@@ -125,6 +129,7 @@
 	 * Find the first console with the highest priority.
 	 */
 	best_cn = NULL;
+	prefered_cn = NULL;
 	SET_FOREACH(list, cons_set) {
 		cn = *list;
 		cnremove(cn);
@@ -134,6 +139,8 @@
 		cn->cn_ops->cn_probe(cn);
 		if (cn->cn_pri == CN_DEAD)
 			continue;
+		if (strcmp(preferred_console, cn->cn_name) == 0)
+			prefered_cn = cn;
 		if (best_cn == NULL || cn->cn_pri > best_cn->cn_pri)
 			best_cn = cn;
 		if (boothowto & RB_MULTIPLE) {
@@ -144,6 +151,9 @@
 			cnadd(cn);
 		}
 	}
+	if (prefered_cn)
+		best_cn = prefered_cn;
+
 	if (best_cn == NULL)
 		return;
 	if ((boothowto & RB_MULTIPLE) == 0) {
@@ -157,6 +167,8 @@
 	 */
 	cnselect(best_cn);
 
+	printf("PREFER %s\n", preferred_console);
+
 #ifdef EARLY_PRINTF
 	/*
 	 * Release early console.
@@ -178,6 +190,7 @@
 	struct cn_device *cnd;
 	int i;
 
+
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(cnd, &cn_devlist, cnd_next)
 		if (cnd->cnd_cn == cn)
 			return (0);
@@ -194,7 +207,8 @@
 		printf("WARNING: console at %p has no name\n", cn);
 	}
 	STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&cn_devlist, cnd, cnd_next);
-	if (STAILQ_FIRST(&cn_devlist) == cnd)
+	if ((STAILQ_FIRST(&cn_devlist) == cnd) ||
+	    (strcmp(preferred_console, cn->cn_name) == 0))
 		ttyconsdev_select(cnd->cnd_cn->cn_name);
 
 	/* Add device to the active mask. */