diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index 2ee97f57..640029a3 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #include <metalsvm/tasks.h>
 #include <metalsvm/errno.h>
 #include <metalsvm/init.h>
+#ifdef CONFIG_VGA
+#include <asm/vga.h>
+#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_LWIP
 #include <lwip/init.h>
 #include <lwip/sys.h>
@@ -44,6 +47,9 @@ static volatile int done = 0;
 
 int lowlevel_init(void)
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_VGA
+	vga_init();
+#endif
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index 5f8a01b4..a67e2bde 100644
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ static void list_root(void) {
 
 int main(void)
 {
+	lowlevel_init();
+
 	kprintf("This is MetalSVM %s Build %u, %u\n", METALSVM_VERSION, &__BUILD_DATE, &__BUILD_TIME);
 
-	lowlevel_init();
 	system_init();
 	irq_init();
 	timer_init();
diff --git a/libkern/stdio.c b/libkern/stdio.c
index db4eb40a..451e85f6 100644
--- a/libkern/stdio.c
+++ b/libkern/stdio.c
@@ -28,35 +28,19 @@
 #include <asm/vga.h>
 #endif
 
+#define NO_EARLY_PRINT		0
+#define VGA_EARLY_PRINT		1
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_VGA
+static uint32_t early_print = VGA_EARLY_PRINT;
+#else
+static uint32_t early_print = NO_EARLY_PRINT;
+#endif
 static atomic_int32_t kmsg_counter = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
 static unsigned char kmessages[KMSG_SIZE] = {[0 ... KMSG_SIZE-1] = 0x00};
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_VGA
-static sem_t sem_output = SEM_INIT(0); 
-
-static int STDCALL output_task(void* arg)
-{
-	uint32_t rpos = 0;
-
-	do {
-		sem_wait(&sem_output);
-		vga_putchar((int) kmessages[rpos]);
-		rpos = (rpos + 1) % KMSG_SIZE;
-	} while(1);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
-
 int koutput_init(void)
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_VGA
-	tid_t id;
-
-	vga_init();
-	create_kernel_task(&id, output_task, NULL);
-#endif
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +51,8 @@ int kputchar(int c)
 	pos = atomic_int32_inc(&kmsg_counter);
 	kmessages[pos % KMSG_SIZE] = (unsigned char) c;
 #ifdef CONFIG_VGA
-	sem_post(&sem_output);
+	if (early_print == VGA_EARLY_PRINT)
+		vga_putchar(c);		
 #endif 
 
 	return 1;
@@ -82,7 +67,8 @@ int kputs(const char *str)
 		pos = atomic_int32_inc(&kmsg_counter);
 		kmessages[pos % KMSG_SIZE] = str[i];
 #ifdef CONFIG_VGA
-		sem_post(&sem_output);
+		if (early_print == VGA_EARLY_PRINT)
+			vga_putchar(str[i]);
 #endif
 	}