diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 44b958f6..ff3eb02a 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ fallback:
 /*
  * finit.debug = [on,off]
  * finit.show_status = [on,off]
+ * finit.status_style = [old,classic,modern]
  */
 static void parse_finit_opts(char *opt)
 {
@@ -170,6 +171,29 @@ static void parse_kernel_cmdline(void)
 #define parse_kernel_cmdline()
 #endif
 
+static void parse_kernel_loglevel(void)
+{
+	char line[LINE_SIZE], *ptr;
+	FILE *fp;
+	int val;
+
+	fp = fopen("/proc/sys/kernel/printk", "r");
+	if (!fp)
+		return;
+
+	if (!fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp)) {
+		fclose(fp);
+		return;
+	}
+	fclose(fp);
+
+	ptr = chomp(line);
+	_d("%s", ptr);
+	val = atoi(ptr);
+	if (val >= 7)
+		kerndebug = 1;
+}
+
 /*
  * Kernel gives us all non-kernel options on our cmdline
  */
@@ -179,6 +203,7 @@ void conf_parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[])
 		parse_arg(argv[i]);
 
 	parse_kernel_cmdline();
+	parse_kernel_loglevel();
 
 	log_init();
 }
diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 59f0accf..5c2ea956 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int   debug     = 0;		/* debug mode from kernel cmdline */
 int   rescue    = 0;		/* rescue mode from kernel cmdline */
 int   single    = 0;		/* single user mode from kernel cmdline */
 int   bootstrap = 1;		/* set while bootrapping (for TTYs) */
+int   kerndebug = 0;		/* set if /proc/sys/kernel/printk > 7 */
 char *sdown     = NULL;
 char *network   = NULL;
 char *hostname  = NULL;
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ static void banner(void)
 	 * similar enabled to start emptying /dev/kmsg, but for
 	 * our progress we want to own the console.
 	 */
-	if (!debug)
+	if (!debug && !kerndebug)
 		klogctl(6, NULL, 0);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/finit.h b/src/finit.h
index e2a4d625..a0dc559b 100644
--- a/src/finit.h
+++ b/src/finit.h
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ extern int    debug;
 extern int    rescue;
 extern int    single;
 extern int    bootstrap;
+extern int    kerndebug;
 extern char  *rcsd;
 extern char  *sdown;
 extern char  *network;