diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 11f1ccb8..75724423 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -218,11 +218,6 @@ AS_IF([test "x$with_heading" != "xno"], [
 		heading="$PACKAGE_NAME v$PACKAGE_VERSION"])])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(INIT_HEADING, "$heading", [Displayed by Finit at boot])
 
-AS_IF([test "x$with_console" != "xno"], [
-	AS_IF([test "x$console" = "xyes"], [
-		console=/dev/console])])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CONSOLE, "$console", [Default console to use])
-
 AS_IF([test "x$with_hostname" != "xno"], [
 	AS_IF([test "x$hostname" = "xyes"], [
 		hostname=noname])])
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 5ed26ab9..4d9c95dc 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -89,9 +89,6 @@ static void parse_arg(char *arg, int *dbg)
 
 	if (string_compare(arg, "splash"))
 		splash = 1;
-
-	if (string_match(arg, "console="))
-		add_console(arg);
 }
 
 void conf_parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 55e3ff26..1808ae6b 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -386,6 +386,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	conf_parse_cmdline(argc, argv);
 
+	/*
+	 * Figure out system console(s)
+	 */
+	console_init();
+
 	/*
 	 * Initalize event context.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/helpers.c b/src/helpers.c
index 92c27fb7..15a6c3a0 100644
--- a/src/helpers.c
+++ b/src/helpers.c
@@ -69,43 +69,84 @@ static const char *color[] = STATUS_CLASS;
 
 /*
  * System consoles, can be given multiple times on the kernel cmdline.
- * We support only three currently.
+ * We support only three currently.  If none are given on the cmdline
+ * we probe /sys/class/tty/console/active and use the first (default).
  */
 #define MAX_CONS 3
 
+static char *consoles[MAX_CONS];
 static int fds[MAX_CONS];
 static int num_cons = 0;
 
+/*
+ * System default console is always the first
+ */
+char *console(void)
+{
+	return consoles[0];
+}
 
-void add_console(char *str)
+static void add_console(char *cons)
 {
-	char *cons, *ptr;
 	char path[80];
+	char *ptr;
+	int i;
 
 	if (num_cons == NELEMS(fds)) {
 		_e("too many consoles, max %d supported", NELEMS(fds));
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cons = strchr(str, '=');
-	if (!cons)
-		return;
-	cons++;
-
 	/* drop any options */
 	ptr = strchr(cons, ',');
 	if (ptr)
 		*ptr = 0;
 
 	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/dev/%s", cons);
+
+	/* check for and skip duplicates */
+	for (i = 0; i < num_cons; i++) {
+		if (string_compare(path, consoles[i]))
+			return;
+	}
+
+	/* this requires we have /dev mounted && a device there */
 	fds[num_cons] = open(path, O_WRONLY);
 	if (fds[num_cons] < 0) {
 		_pe("Failed opening console %s", path);
 		return;
 	}
+	consoles[num_cons] = strdup(path);
 	num_cons++;
 }
 
+void console_init(void)
+{
+	char *cons, *ptr, *tok;
+	char buf[512];
+	FILE *fp;
+
+	fp = fopen("/sys/class/tty/console/active", "r");
+	if (!fp) {
+	fallback:
+		_d("Using fallback /dev/console");
+		add_console("/dev/console");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	ptr = fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), fp);
+	fclose(fp);
+	if (!ptr)
+		goto fallback;
+
+	cons = chomp(ptr);
+	_d("Using these system consoles: %s", cons);
+	while ((tok = strtok(cons, " \t"))) {
+		cons = NULL;
+		add_console(tok);
+	}
+}
+
 ssize_t cprintf(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	const size_t len = strlen(fmt) * 2;
diff --git a/src/helpers.h b/src/helpers.h
index 68d6112e..da406985 100644
--- a/src/helpers.h
+++ b/src/helpers.h
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ void          endfsent  (void);
 struct fstab *getfsent  (void);
 #endif	/* HAVE_GETFSENT */
 
-void    add_console     (char *str);
+char   *console         (void);
+void    console_init    (void);
 ssize_t cprintf         (const char *fmt, ...);
 
 char   *strip_line      (char *line);
diff --git a/src/service.c b/src/service.c
index 6eba7a45..d8379f8e 100644
--- a/src/service.c
+++ b/src/service.c
@@ -265,11 +265,11 @@ static int redirect(svc_t *svc)
 		if (svc->log.null)
 			return fredirect("/dev/null");
 		if (svc->log.console)
-			return fredirect(CONSOLE);
+			return fredirect(console());
 
 		return lredirect(svc);
 	} else if (log_is_debug())
-		return fredirect(CONSOLE);
+		return fredirect(console());
 #ifdef REDIRECT_OUTPUT
 	else
 		return fredirect("/dev/null");