diff --git a/board/atmel/at91sam9n12ek/at91sam9n12ek.c b/board/atmel/at91sam9n12ek/at91sam9n12ek.c
index 02b77906279275ac6b21d73ccd704db23130a998..11054289869570b633afb0bb2183140c2c84401f 100644
--- a/board/atmel/at91sam9n12ek/at91sam9n12ek.c
+++ b/board/atmel/at91sam9n12ek/at91sam9n12ek.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <asm/arch/at91_rstc.h>
 #include <asm/arch/at91_pio.h>
 #include <asm/arch/clk.h>
+#include <debug_uart.h>
 #include <lcd.h>
 #include <atmel_hlcdc.h>
 #include <netdev.h>
@@ -162,10 +163,22 @@ void at91sam9n12ek_usb_hw_init(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+#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/at91sam9n12ek_mmc_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_mmc_defconfig
index abb07260be8de63e56bea9bb16cc145c4bfc6005..e7e8a014c6e4aebd58030c2ef3776f05dd10d166 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9n12ek_mmc_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_mmc_defconfig
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_ATMEL=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/at91sam9n12ek_nandflash_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_nandflash_defconfig
index 1b420e62b8bc2606eb8ff77ccd05376630db9ef6..e6268055914ad4d15a80f7488ff214b4512c64e5 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9n12ek_nandflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_nandflash_defconfig
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_ATMEL=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/at91sam9n12ek_spiflash_defconfig b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_spiflash_defconfig
index 9048b14de4e04ccb6d0f7d48aa9d5d28085a0e4d..a5abcd1f3b3d4aebf12e08b41caffd52a7d398e5 100644
--- a/configs/at91sam9n12ek_spiflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/at91sam9n12ek_spiflash_defconfig
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_ATMEL=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