diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 100de92eab59fc7e6a96e96005ac2fca9f67be0d..5882c30771ab980c702c6185eff745e0c42d2529 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -915,18 +915,8 @@ MKIMAGEFLAGS_u-boot.pbl = -n $(srctree)/$(CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PBL_RCW:"%"=%) \
 u-boot.img u-boot.kwb u-boot.pbl: u-boot.bin FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,mkimage)
 
-# If the kwboot xmodem protocol is used, to boot U-Boot on the MVEBU
-# SoC's, the SPL U-Boot returns to the BootROM after it completes
-# the SDRAM setup. The BootROM expects no U-Boot header in the main
-# U-Boot image. So we need to combine SPL and u-boot.bin instead of
-# u-boot.img in this case.
-ifdef CONFIG_MVEBU_BOOTROM_UARTBOOT
-u-boot-spl.kwb: u-boot-dtb.bin spl/u-boot-spl.bin FORCE
-	$(call if_changed,mkimage)
-else
 u-boot-spl.kwb: u-boot-dtb.img spl/u-boot-spl.bin FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,mkimage)
-endif
 
 MKIMAGEFLAGS_u-boot-dtb.img = $(MKIMAGEFLAGS_u-boot.img)
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/Kconfig b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/Kconfig
index d96b2ae540af591adf199715e2f108ef354316ca..a15c4b7669b262cb75a2cb53ec6f645450c6267b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/Kconfig
@@ -48,14 +48,4 @@ config SYS_VENDOR
 config SYS_SOC
 	default "mvebu"
 
-config MVEBU_BOOTROM_UARTBOOT
-	bool "Use kwboot to boot via BootROM xmodem protocol"
-	help
-	  This option provides support for booting via the Marvell
-	  xmodem protocol, used by the kwboot tool.
-
-	  Please don't forget to configure the boot device in
-	  the board specific kwbimage.cfg file this way:
-	      BOOT_FROM uart
-
 endif
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/include/mach/soc.h b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/include/mach/soc.h
index e27a36db1c688915df3434b0c2e10c983c68c452..c696fc6cec6817a666fb59bcc93ec67015960fd0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/include/mach/soc.h
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/include/mach/soc.h
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@
 #define MVCPU_WIN_ENABLE	CPU_WIN_ENABLE
 #define MVCPU_WIN_DISABLE	CPU_WIN_DISABLE
 
+/* BootROM error register (also includes some status infos) */
+#define CONFIG_BOOTROM_ERR_REG	(MVEBU_REGISTER(0x182d0))
+#define BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_OFFS	28
+#define BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_MASK	(0xf << BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_OFFS)
+#define BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_UART	0x6
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_ARMADA_38X)
 /* SAR values for Armada 38x */
 #define CONFIG_SAR_REG		(MVEBU_REGISTER(0x18600))
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@
 #define SAR_BOOT_DEVICE_MASK	(0x1f << SAR_BOOT_DEVICE_OFFS)
 
 #define BOOT_DEV_SEL_OFFS	4
-#define BOOT_DEV_SEL_MASK	(0x1f << BOOT_DEV_SEL_OFFS)
+#define BOOT_DEV_SEL_MASK	(0x3f << BOOT_DEV_SEL_OFFS)
 
 #define BOOT_FROM_UART		0x28
 #define BOOT_FROM_SPI		0x32
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/lowlevel_spl.S b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/lowlevel_spl.S
index 2e2181ecea5ebc2ad656772ff6056b9f43b42a6b..49e0b906d583f52ad89fe48b98bd639ec1480241 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/lowlevel_spl.S
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/lowlevel_spl.S
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include <config.h>
 #include <linux/linkage.h>
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MVEBU_BOOTROM_UARTBOOT
 ENTRY(save_boot_params)
 	stmfd	sp!, {r0 - r12, lr}	/* @ save registers on stack */
 	ldr	r12, =CONFIG_SPL_BOOTROM_SAVE
@@ -19,11 +18,6 @@ ENTRY(return_to_bootrom)
 	mov	r0, #0x0		/* @ return value: 0x0 NO_ERR */
 	ldmfd	sp!, {r0 - r12, pc}	/* @ restore regs and return */
 ENDPROC(return_to_bootrom)
-#else
-ENTRY(save_boot_params)
-	b	save_boot_params_ret
-ENDPROC(save_boot_params)
-#endif
 
 /*
  * cache_inv - invalidate Cache line
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/spl.c b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/spl.c
index 778996eff54b78e3f2d85325a7a91246b46e0649..0879873b9725828c2fd5e4b20437de0f2d102b8a 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/spl.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-mvebu/spl.c
@@ -20,8 +20,23 @@ static u32 get_boot_device(void)
 	u32 val;
 	u32 boot_device;
 
+	/*
+	 * First check, if UART boot-mode is active. This can only
+	 * be done, via the bootrom error register. Here the
+	 * MSB marks if the UART mode is active.
+	 */
+	val = readl(CONFIG_BOOTROM_ERR_REG);
+	boot_device = (val & BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_MASK) >> BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_OFFS;
+	debug("BOOTROM_REG=0x%08x boot_device=0x%x\n", val, boot_device);
+	if (boot_device == BOOTROM_ERR_MODE_UART)
+		return BOOT_DEVICE_UART;
+
+	/*
+	 * Now check the SAR register for the strapped boot-device
+	 */
 	val = readl(CONFIG_SAR_REG);	/* SAR - Sample At Reset */
 	boot_device = (val & BOOT_DEV_SEL_MASK) >> BOOT_DEV_SEL_OFFS;
+	debug("SAR_REG=0x%08x boot_device=0x%x\n", val, boot_device);
 	switch (boot_device) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SPL_MMC_SUPPORT
 	case BOOT_FROM_MMC:
@@ -90,7 +105,6 @@ void board_init_f(ulong dummy)
 	/* Setup DDR */
 	ddr3_init();
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MVEBU_BOOTROM_UARTBOOT
 	/*
 	 * Return to the BootROM to continue the Marvell xmodem
 	 * UART boot protocol. As initiated by the kwboot tool.
@@ -102,6 +116,6 @@ void board_init_f(ulong dummy)
 	 * need to return to the BootROM to enable this xmodem
 	 * UART download.
 	 */
-	return_to_bootrom();
-#endif
+	if (get_boot_device() == BOOT_DEVICE_UART)
+		return_to_bootrom();
 }
diff --git a/tools/kwboot.c b/tools/kwboot.c
index c5f4492b5f7ab3d4a3b1a609740316cebcb7dae5..905ade3b01236d11e4727e32a354c9d866ca618a 100644
--- a/tools/kwboot.c
+++ b/tools/kwboot.c
@@ -9,10 +9,14 @@
  *   2008. Chapter 24.2 "BootROM Firmware".
  */
 
+#include "kwbimage.h"
+#include "mkimage.h"
+
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <image.h>
 #include <libgen.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -22,8 +26,6 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
-#include "kwbimage.h"
-
 #ifdef __GNUC__
 #define PACKED __attribute((packed))
 #else
@@ -652,6 +654,14 @@ kwboot_img_patch_hdr(void *img, size_t size)
 
 	hdr->blockid = IBR_HDR_UART_ID;
 
+	/*
+	 * Subtract mkimage header size from destination address
+	 * as this header is not expected by the Marvell BootROM.
+	 * This way, the execution address is identical to the
+	 * one the image is compiled for (TEXT_BASE).
+	 */
+	hdr->destaddr = hdr->destaddr - sizeof(struct image_header);
+
 	if (image_ver == 0) {
 		struct main_hdr_v0 *hdr_v0 = img;