diff --git a/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c b/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
index c814f6c796b6..b2283339405f 100644
--- a/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
@@ -1506,6 +1506,16 @@ native_parse_preload_data(u_int64_t modulep)
 	return (kmdp);
 }
 
+static void
+amd64_kdb_init(void)
+{
+	kdb_init();
+#ifdef KDB
+	if (boothowto & RB_KDB)
+		kdb_enter(KDB_WHY_BOOTFLAGS, "Boot flags requested debugger");
+#endif
+}
+
 u_int64_t
 hammer_time(u_int64_t modulep, u_int64_t physfree)
 {
@@ -1517,6 +1527,7 @@ hammer_time(u_int64_t modulep, u_int64_t physfree)
 	u_int64_t msr;
 	char *env;
 	size_t kstack0_sz;
+	int late_console;
 
 	/*
  	 * This may be done better later if it gets more high level
@@ -1561,6 +1572,7 @@ hammer_time(u_int64_t modulep, u_int64_t physfree)
 	physfree += DPCPU_SIZE;
 	PCPU_SET(prvspace, pc);
 	PCPU_SET(curthread, &thread0);
+	/* Non-late cninit() and printf() can be moved up to here. */
 	PCPU_SET(tssp, &common_tss[0]);
 	PCPU_SET(commontssp, &common_tss[0]);
 	PCPU_SET(tss, (struct system_segment_descriptor *)&gdt[GPROC0_SEL]);
@@ -1660,12 +1672,26 @@ hammer_time(u_int64_t modulep, u_int64_t physfree)
 	wrmsr(MSR_STAR, msr);
 	wrmsr(MSR_SF_MASK, PSL_NT|PSL_T|PSL_I|PSL_C|PSL_D);
 
+	/*
+	 * The console and kdb should be initialized even earlier than here,
+	 * but some console drivers don't work until after getmemsize().
+	 * Default to late console initialization to support these drivers.
+	 * This loses mainly printf()s in getmemsize() and early debugging.
+	 */
+	late_console = 1;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("debug.late_console", &late_console);
+	if (!late_console) {
+		cninit();
+		amd64_kdb_init();
+	}
+
 	getmemsize(kmdp, physfree);
 	init_param2(physmem);
 
 	/* now running on new page tables, configured,and u/iom is accessible */
 
-	cninit();
+	if (late_console)
+		cninit();
 
 #ifdef DEV_ISA
 #ifdef DEV_ATPIC
@@ -1686,13 +1712,8 @@ hammer_time(u_int64_t modulep, u_int64_t physfree)
 #error "have you forgotten the isa device?";
 #endif
 
-	kdb_init();
-
-#ifdef KDB
-	if (boothowto & RB_KDB)
-		kdb_enter(KDB_WHY_BOOTFLAGS,
-		    "Boot flags requested debugger");
-#endif
+	if (late_console)
+		amd64_kdb_init();
 
 	msgbufinit(msgbufp, msgbufsize);
 	fpuinit();
diff --git a/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c b/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
index c88c6140a41a..9200d00401f5 100644
--- a/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
@@ -2089,7 +2089,6 @@ getmemsize(int first)
 	 * use that and do not make any VM86 calls.
 	 */
 	physmap_idx = 0;
-	smapbase = NULL;
 	kmdp = preload_search_by_type("elf kernel");
 	if (kmdp == NULL)
 		kmdp = preload_search_by_type("elf32 kernel");
@@ -2223,6 +2222,9 @@ getmemsize(int first)
 	 * highest page of the physical address space.  It should be
 	 * called something like "Maxphyspage".  We may adjust this 
 	 * based on ``hw.physmem'' and the results of the memory test.
+	 *
+	 * This is especially confusing when it is much larger than the
+	 * memory size and is displayed as "realmem".
 	 */
 	Maxmem = atop(physmap[physmap_idx + 1]);
 
@@ -2428,6 +2430,19 @@ getmemsize(int first)
 }
 #endif /* PC98 */
 
+static void
+i386_kdb_init(void)
+{
+#ifdef DDB
+	db_fetch_ksymtab(bootinfo.bi_symtab, bootinfo.bi_esymtab);
+#endif
+	kdb_init();
+#ifdef KDB
+	if (boothowto & RB_KDB)
+		kdb_enter(KDB_WHY_BOOTFLAGS, "Boot flags requested debugger");
+#endif
+}
+
 register_t
 init386(first)
 	int first;
@@ -2438,6 +2453,7 @@ init386(first)
 #ifdef CPU_ENABLE_SSE
 	struct xstate_hdr *xhdr;
 #endif
+	int late_console;
 
 	thread0.td_kstack = proc0kstack;
 	thread0.td_kstack_pages = TD0_KSTACK_PAGES;
@@ -2502,6 +2518,7 @@ init386(first)
 	first += DPCPU_SIZE;
 	PCPU_SET(prvspace, pc);
 	PCPU_SET(curthread, &thread0);
+	/* Non-late cninit() and printf() can be moved up to here. */
 
 	/*
 	 * Initialize mutexes.
@@ -2668,30 +2685,33 @@ init386(first)
 #endif
 #endif
 
+	/*
+	 * The console and kdb should be initialized even earlier than here,
+	 * but some console drivers don't work until after getmemsize().
+	 * Default to late console initialization to support these drivers.
+	 * This loses mainly printf()s in getmemsize() and early debugging.
+	 */
+	late_console = 1;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("debug.late_console", &late_console);
+	if (!late_console) {
+		cninit();
+		i386_kdb_init();
+	}
+
 	vm86_initialize();
 	getmemsize(first);
 	init_param2(physmem);
 
 	/* now running on new page tables, configured,and u/iom is accessible */
 
-	/*
-	 * Initialize the console before we print anything out.
-	 */
-	cninit();
+	if (late_console)
+		cninit();
 
 	if (metadata_missing)
 		printf("WARNING: loader(8) metadata is missing!\n");
 
-#ifdef DDB
-	db_fetch_ksymtab(bootinfo.bi_symtab, bootinfo.bi_esymtab);
-#endif
-
-	kdb_init();
-
-#ifdef KDB
-	if (boothowto & RB_KDB)
-		kdb_enter(KDB_WHY_BOOTFLAGS, "Boot flags requested debugger");
-#endif
+	if (late_console)
+		i386_kdb_init();
 
 	msgbufinit(msgbufp, msgbufsize);
 #ifdef DEV_NPX