diff --git a/board/atmel/at91sam9x5ek/at91sam9x5ek.c b/board/atmel/at91sam9x5ek/at91sam9x5ek.c
index 235b33725dfe875c87b2d4957f27452618d27dcb..c661c77f83bde6cfc7b5ec97e262e837436ec5ea 100644
--- a/board/atmel/at91sam9x5ek/at91sam9x5ek.c
+++ b/board/atmel/at91sam9x5ek/at91sam9x5ek.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <asm/arch/at91_rstc.h>
 #include <asm/arch/clk.h>
 #include <asm/arch/gpio.h>
+#include <debug_uart.h>
 #include <lcd.h>
 #include <atmel_hlcdc.h>
 #ifdef CONFIG_LCD_INFO
@@ -182,11 +183,22 @@ void lcd_show_board_info(void)
 #endif /* CONFIG_LCD_INFO */
 #endif /* CONFIG_LCD */
 
-int board_early_init_f(void)
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT
+void board_debug_uart_init(void)
 {
 	at91_seriald_hw_init();
+}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_BOARD_EARLY_INIT_F
+int board_early_init_f(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_UART
+	debug_uart_init();
+#endif
 	return 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 int board_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_dataflash_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_dataflash_defconfig
index 7850b994d597b4f33ca08f7dddf5e9601500b624..64707dbdaad6d69a22f559e54ee642bbcce53425 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_dataflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_dataflash_defconfig
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ CONFIG_MACB=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xfffff200
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y
diff --git a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_mmc_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_mmc_defconfig
index 5990778ada9018d7aeb5a0f1fef9289b91f1bd25..ddeeeefa1ea56924eb10c1284f49a9511b6a487d 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_mmc_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_mmc_defconfig
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ CONFIG_MACB=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xfffff200
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y
diff --git a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_nandflash_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_nandflash_defconfig
index 816fe69834b56ba23b15b68fb5f61e88ee8fd006..a26b38f330caa65cebbdee640325afe1d82b56e5 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_nandflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_nandflash_defconfig
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ CONFIG_MACB=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xfffff200
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y
diff --git a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_spiflash_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_spiflash_defconfig
index 8574525bc2dcce90e3bc421c4e913fe35911cb0a..75d25d8e611b2a8612c7d3b164e6f0dc0613cab2 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9x5ek_spiflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9x5ek_spiflash_defconfig
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ CONFIG_MACB=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xfffff200
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y