diff --git a/include/linux/kern_levels.h b/include/linux/kern_levels.h
index 337e56f..8c719a9 100644
--- a/include/linux/kern_levels.h
+++ b/include/linux/kern_levels.h
@@ -1,22 +1,25 @@
 #ifndef __KERN_LEVELS_H__
 #define __KERN_LEVELS_H__
 
-#define KERN_EMERG	"<0>"	/* system is unusable			*/
-#define KERN_ALERT	"<1>"	/* action must be taken immediately	*/
-#define KERN_CRIT	"<2>"	/* critical conditions			*/
-#define KERN_ERR	"<3>"	/* error conditions			*/
-#define KERN_WARNING	"<4>"	/* warning conditions			*/
-#define KERN_NOTICE	"<5>"	/* normal but significant condition	*/
-#define KERN_INFO	"<6>"	/* informational			*/
-#define KERN_DEBUG	"<7>"	/* debug-level messages			*/
+#define KERN_SOH	"\001"		/* ASCII Start Of Header */
+#define KERN_SOH_ASCII	'\001'
 
-/* Use the default kernel loglevel */
-#define KERN_DEFAULT	"<d>"
+#define KERN_EMERG	KERN_SOH "0"	/* system is unusable */
+#define KERN_ALERT	KERN_SOH "1"	/* action must be taken immediately */
+#define KERN_CRIT	KERN_SOH "2"	/* critical conditions */
+#define KERN_ERR	KERN_SOH "3"	/* error conditions */
+#define KERN_WARNING	KERN_SOH "4"	/* warning conditions */
+#define KERN_NOTICE	KERN_SOH "5"	/* normal but significant condition */
+#define KERN_INFO	KERN_SOH "6"	/* informational */
+#define KERN_DEBUG	KERN_SOH "7"	/* debug-level messages */
+
+#define KERN_DEFAULT	KERN_SOH "d"	/* the default kernel loglevel */
+
 /*
  * Annotation for a "continued" line of log printout (only done after a
  * line that had no enclosing \n). Only to be used by core/arch code
  * during early bootup (a continued line is not SMP-safe otherwise).
  */
-#define KERN_CONT	"<c>"
+#define KERN_CONT	KERN_SOH "c"
 
 #endif