diff --git a/arch/powerpc/boot/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/boot/Makefile
index 751a6e6..df6e621 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/boot/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/boot/Makefile
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 		fixed-head.S ep88xc.c ep405.c cuboot-c2k.c \
 		cuboot-katmai.c cuboot-rainier.c redboot-8xx.c ep8248e.c \
 		cuboot-warp.c cuboot-85xx-cpm2.c cuboot-yosemite.c simpleboot.c \
-		virtex405-head.S redboot-83xx.c cuboot-sam440ep.c
+		virtex405-head.S virtex.c redboot-83xx.c cuboot-sam440ep.c
 src-boot := $(src-wlib) $(src-plat) empty.c
 
 src-boot := $(addprefix $(obj)/, $(src-boot))
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/boot/simpleboot.c b/arch/powerpc/boot/simpleboot.c
index 86cd285..c58a0da 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/boot/simpleboot.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/boot/simpleboot.c
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 
 BSS_STACK(4*1024);
 
+extern int platform_specific_init(void) __attribute__((weak));
+
 void platform_init(unsigned long r3, unsigned long r4, unsigned long r5,
 		   unsigned long r6, unsigned long r7)
 {
@@ -80,5 +82,9 @@
 
 	/* prepare the device tree and find the console */
 	fdt_init(_dtb_start);
+
+	if (platform_specific_init)
+		platform_specific_init();
+
 	serial_console_init();
 }
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/boot/virtex.c b/arch/powerpc/boot/virtex.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f622805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/powerpc/boot/virtex.c
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+/*
+ * The platform specific code for virtex devices since a boot loader is not
+ * always used.
+ *
+ * (C) Copyright 2008 Xilinx, Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation.
+ */
+
+#include "ops.h"
+#include "io.h"
+#include "stdio.h"
+
+#define UART_DLL		0	/* Out: Divisor Latch Low */
+#define UART_DLM		1	/* Out: Divisor Latch High */
+#define UART_FCR		2	/* Out: FIFO Control Register */
+#define UART_FCR_CLEAR_RCVR 	0x02 	/* Clear the RCVR FIFO */
+#define UART_FCR_CLEAR_XMIT	0x04 	/* Clear the XMIT FIFO */
+#define UART_LCR		3	/* Out: Line Control Register */
+#define UART_MCR		4	/* Out: Modem Control Register */
+#define UART_MCR_RTS		0x02 	/* RTS complement */
+#define UART_MCR_DTR		0x01 	/* DTR complement */
+#define UART_LCR_DLAB		0x80 	/* Divisor latch access bit */
+#define UART_LCR_WLEN8		0x03 	/* Wordlength: 8 bits */
+
+static int virtex_ns16550_console_init(void *devp)
+{
+	unsigned char *reg_base;
+	u32 reg_shift, reg_offset, clk, spd;
+	u16 divisor;
+	int n;
+
+	if (dt_get_virtual_reg(devp, (void **)&reg_base, 1) < 1)
+		return -1;
+
+	n = getprop(devp, "reg-offset", &reg_offset, sizeof(reg_offset));
+	if (n == sizeof(reg_offset))
+		reg_base += reg_offset;
+
+	n = getprop(devp, "reg-shift", &reg_shift, sizeof(reg_shift));
+	if (n != sizeof(reg_shift))
+		reg_shift = 0;
+
+	n = getprop(devp, "current-speed", (void *)&spd, sizeof(spd));
+	if (n != sizeof(spd))
+		spd = 9600;
+
+	/* should there be a default clock rate?*/
+	n = getprop(devp, "clock-frequency", (void *)&clk, sizeof(clk));
+	if (n != sizeof(clk))
+		return -1;
+
+	divisor = clk / (16 * spd);
+
+	/* Access baud rate */
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_LCR << reg_shift), UART_LCR_DLAB);
+
+	/* Baud rate based on input clock */
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_DLL << reg_shift), divisor & 0xFF);
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_DLM << reg_shift), divisor >> 8);
+
+	/* 8 data, 1 stop, no parity */
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_LCR << reg_shift), UART_LCR_WLEN8);
+
+	/* RTS/DTR */
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_MCR << reg_shift), UART_MCR_RTS | UART_MCR_DTR);
+
+	/* Clear transmitter and receiver */
+	out_8(reg_base + (UART_FCR << reg_shift),
+				UART_FCR_CLEAR_XMIT | UART_FCR_CLEAR_RCVR);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* For virtex, the kernel may be loaded without using a bootloader and if so
+   some UARTs need more setup than is provided in the normal console init
+*/
+int platform_specific_init(void)
+{
+	void *devp;
+	char devtype[MAX_PROP_LEN];
+	char path[MAX_PATH_LEN];
+
+	devp = finddevice("/chosen");
+	if (devp == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (getprop(devp, "linux,stdout-path", path, MAX_PATH_LEN) > 0) {
+		devp = finddevice(path);
+		if (devp == NULL)
+			return -1;
+
+		if ((getprop(devp, "device_type", devtype, sizeof(devtype)) > 0)
+				&& !strcmp(devtype, "serial")
+				&& (dt_is_compatible(devp, "ns16550")))
+				virtex_ns16550_console_init(devp);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/boot/wrapper b/arch/powerpc/boot/wrapper
index df2358e..592a6ea 100755
--- a/arch/powerpc/boot/wrapper
+++ b/arch/powerpc/boot/wrapper
@@ -207,7 +207,11 @@
     binary=y
     ;;
 simpleboot-virtex405-*)
-    platformo="$object/virtex405-head.o $object/simpleboot.o"
+    platformo="$object/virtex405-head.o $object/simpleboot.o $object/virtex.o"
+    binary=y
+    ;;
+simpleboot-virtex440-*)
+    platformo="$object/simpleboot.o $object/virtex.o"
     binary=y
     ;;
 asp834x-redboot)