diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-imx/spl.c b/arch/arm/mach-imx/spl.c
index 258578ac25b4fd6efee695c703f4d81bdb9bbff4..82ea6b85d6468c8cc1d82dd3b4bfc3f066227f2d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-imx/spl.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-imx/spl.c
@@ -31,6 +31,18 @@ u32 spl_boot_device(void)
 	if (((bmode >> 24) & 0x03) == 0x01) /* Serial Downloader */
 		return BOOT_DEVICE_BOARD;
 
+	/*
+	 * The above method does not detect that the boot ROM used
+	 * serial downloader in case the boot ROM decided to use the
+	 * serial downloader as a fall back (primary boot source failed).
+	 *
+	 * Infer that the boot ROM used the USB serial downloader by
+	 * checking whether the USB PHY is currently active... This
+	 * assumes that SPL did not (yet) initialize the USB PHY...
+	 */
+	if (is_usbotg_phy_active())
+		return BOOT_DEVICE_BOARD;
+
 	/* BOOT_CFG1[7:4] - see IMX6DQRM Table 8-8 */
 	switch ((reg & IMX6_BMODE_MASK) >> IMX6_BMODE_SHIFT) {
 	 /* EIM: See 8.5.1, Table 8-9 */