diff --git a/kernel/src/debug.rs b/kernel/src/debug.rs
index 6c63b6ee2..4a27e97a0 100644
--- a/kernel/src/debug.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/debug.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ use core::fmt::{Error, Write};
 #[cfg(baremetal)]
 use utralib::generated::*;
 
+static mut INITIALIZED: bool = false;
+
 #[macro_use]
 #[cfg(all(
     not(test),
@@ -67,12 +69,17 @@ pub struct Uart {
 #[cfg(baremetal)]
 impl Uart {
     #[allow(dead_code)]
-    pub fn enable_rx(self) {
+    pub fn init(self) {
+        unsafe { INITIALIZED = true };
         let mut uart_csr = CSR::new(0xffcf_0000 as *mut u32);
         uart_csr.rmwf(utra::uart::EV_ENABLE_RX, 1);
     }
 
     pub fn putc(&self, c: u8) {
+        if unsafe { INITIALIZED != true } {
+            return;
+        }
+
         let mut uart_csr = CSR::new(0xffcf_0000 as *mut u32);
         // Wait until TXFULL is `0`
         while uart_csr.r(utra::uart::TXFULL) != 0 {
diff --git a/kernel/src/main.rs b/kernel/src/main.rs
index e97364cfc..2a9b61dd7 100644
--- a/kernel/src/main.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/main.rs
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ pub extern "C" fn init(arg_offset: *const u32, init_offset: *const u32, rpt_offs
                 )
                 .expect("unable to map serial port")
         });
+        debug::Uart{}.init();
         println!("KMAIN: Supervisor mode started...");
-        debug::Uart{}.enable_rx();
         println!("Claiming IRQ {} via syscall...", utra::uart::UART_IRQ);
         xous_kernel::claim_interrupt(utra::uart::UART_IRQ, debug::irq, 0 as *mut usize)
             .expect("Couldn't claim debug interrupt");