diff --git a/payloads/libpayload/drivers/serial.c b/payloads/libpayload/drivers/serial.c
index 0d26750941..4ae3e26dbe 100644
--- a/payloads/libpayload/drivers/serial.c
+++ b/payloads/libpayload/drivers/serial.c
@@ -97,11 +97,19 @@ void serial_init(void)
 	serial_is_mem_mapped =
 		(lib_sysinfo.serial->type == CB_SERIAL_TYPE_MEMORY_MAPPED);
 
-	if (!serial_is_mem_mapped && (inb(IOBASE + 0x05) == 0xFF) &&
-			(inb(IOBASE + 0x06) == 0xFF)) {
+	if (!serial_is_mem_mapped) {
+#ifdef CONFIG_IO_ADDRESS_SPACE
+		if ((inb(IOBASE + 0x05) == 0xFF) &&
+				(inb(IOBASE + 0x06) == 0xFF)) {
+			return;
+		}
+#else
+		printf("IO space mapped serial not supported.");
 		return;
+#endif
 	}
 
+
 	serial_hardware_is_present = 1;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_SET_SPEED