diff --git a/src/console/init.c b/src/console/init.c
index 8f71b09881..89f908f0c6 100644
--- a/src/console/init.c
+++ b/src/console/init.c
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ static int console_loglevel = CONFIG_DEFAULT_CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL;
 
 static inline int get_log_level(void)
 {
-	if (car_get_var(console_inited) == 0)
+	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_LATE_CBMEM_INIT) &&
+		car_get_var(console_inited) == 0)
 		return -1;
 	if (CONSOLE_LEVEL_CONST)
 		return get_console_loglevel();
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ asmlinkage void console_init(void)
 
 	console_hw_init();
 
-	car_set_var(console_inited, 1);
+	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_LATE_CBMEM_INIT))
+		car_set_var(console_inited, 1);
 
 	printk(BIOS_NOTICE, "\n\ncoreboot-%s%s %s " ENV_STRING " starting...\n",
 	       coreboot_version, coreboot_extra_version, coreboot_build);