diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
index 57b132b658e1..1acbe39dd47c 100644
--- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
@@ -2861,7 +2861,8 @@ early_param("keep_bootcon", keep_bootcon_setup);
  * Care need to be taken with consoles that are statically
  * enabled such as netconsole
  */
-static int try_enable_new_console(struct console *newcon, bool user_specified)
+static int try_enable_preferred_console(struct console *newcon,
+					bool user_specified)
 {
 	struct console_cmdline *c;
 	int i, err;
@@ -2909,6 +2910,23 @@ static int try_enable_new_console(struct console *newcon, bool user_specified)
 	return -ENOENT;
 }
 
+/* Try to enable the console unconditionally */
+static void try_enable_default_console(struct console *newcon)
+{
+	if (newcon->index < 0)
+		newcon->index = 0;
+
+	if (newcon->setup && newcon->setup(newcon, NULL) != 0)
+		return;
+
+	newcon->flags |= CON_ENABLED;
+
+	if (newcon->device) {
+		newcon->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
+		has_preferred_console = true;
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * The console driver calls this routine during kernel initialization
  * to register the console printing procedure with printk() and to
@@ -2964,25 +2982,15 @@ void register_console(struct console *newcon)
 	 *	didn't select a console we take the first one
 	 *	that registers here.
 	 */
-	if (!has_preferred_console) {
-		if (newcon->index < 0)
-			newcon->index = 0;
-		if (newcon->setup == NULL ||
-		    newcon->setup(newcon, NULL) == 0) {
-			newcon->flags |= CON_ENABLED;
-			if (newcon->device) {
-				newcon->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
-				has_preferred_console = true;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	if (!has_preferred_console)
+		try_enable_default_console(newcon);
 
 	/* See if this console matches one we selected on the command line */
-	err = try_enable_new_console(newcon, true);
+	err = try_enable_preferred_console(newcon, true);
 
 	/* If not, try to match against the platform default(s) */
 	if (err == -ENOENT)
-		err = try_enable_new_console(newcon, false);
+		err = try_enable_preferred_console(newcon, false);
 
 	/* printk() messages are not printed to the Braille console. */
 	if (err || newcon->flags & CON_BRL)