diff --git a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/Kconfig b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/Kconfig
index 56fdacaf3c..168b1c5325 100644
--- a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/Kconfig
+++ b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/Kconfig
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ config DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS
 	default y
 	depends on BOARD_EMULATION_QEMU_X86
 	depends on MAINBOARD_DO_NATIVE_VGA_INIT
+	select VGA
 	help
 	   VGA driver for qemu emulated vga cards supporting
 	   the bochs dispi interface.  This includes
@@ -13,9 +14,11 @@ config DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS
 config DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_XRES
 	int "bochs vga xres"
 	default 800
+	depends on FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE
 	depends on DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS
 
 config DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_YRES
 	int "bochs vga yres"
 	default 600
+	depends on FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE
 	depends on DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS
diff --git a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/bochs.c b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/bochs.c
index 1e7986cc62..715c94c6ec 100644
--- a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/bochs.c
+++ b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/bochs.c
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <device/pci.h>
 #include <device/pci_ids.h>
 #include <device/pci_ops.h>
+#include <pc80/vga.h>
+#include <pc80/vga_io.h>
 
 /* VGA init. We use the Bochs VESA VBE extensions  */
 #define VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_INDEX          0x01CE
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@
 #define VBE_DISPI_LFB_ENABLED           0x40
 #define VBE_DISPI_NOCLEARMEM            0x80
 
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE)
 static int width  = CONFIG_DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_XRES;
 static int height = CONFIG_DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_YRES;
 
@@ -53,9 +56,11 @@ static int bochs_read(int index)
 	outw(index, VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_INDEX);
 	return inw(VBE_DISPI_IOPORT_DATA);
 }
+#endif
 
 static void bochs_init(device_t dev)
 {
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE)
 	struct edid edid;
 	int id, mem, bar;
 	u32 addr;
@@ -111,6 +116,10 @@ static void bochs_init(device_t dev)
 	edid.bytes_per_line = width * 4;
 	edid.bpp = 32;
 	set_vbe_mode_info_valid(&edid, addr);
+#else
+	vga_misc_write(0x1);
+	vga_textmode_init();
+#endif
 }
 
 static struct device_operations qemu_graph_ops = {
diff --git a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/cirrus.c b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/cirrus.c
index b4928fef32..5f8a01ec3e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/cirrus.c
+++ b/src/drivers/emulation/qemu/cirrus.c
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@
 #include <pc80/vga.h>
 #include <pc80/vga_io.h>
 
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE)
 static int width  = CONFIG_DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_XRES;
 static int height = CONFIG_DRIVERS_EMULATION_QEMU_BOCHS_YRES;
 static u32 addr   = 0;
+#endif
 
 enum
   {
@@ -197,6 +199,7 @@ enum
 #define CIRRUS_SR_EXTENDED_MODE_32BPP      0x08
 #define CIRRUS_HIDDEN_DAC_888COLOR 0xc5
 
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE)
 static void
 write_hidden_dac (uint8_t data)
 {
@@ -207,9 +210,11 @@ write_hidden_dac (uint8_t data)
 	inb (0x3c6);
 	outb (data, 0x3c6);
 }
+#endif
 
 static void cirrus_init(device_t dev)
 {
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_KEEP_VESA_MODE)
 	uint8_t cr_ext, cr_overlay;
 	unsigned pitch = (width * 4) / VGA_CR_PITCH_DIVISOR;
 	uint8_t sr_ext = 0, hidden_dac = 0;
@@ -335,6 +340,11 @@ static void cirrus_init(device_t dev)
 	edid.bytes_per_line = width * 4;
 	edid.bpp = 32;
 	set_vbe_mode_info_valid(&edid, addr);
+#else
+	vga_misc_write(0x1);
+
+	vga_textmode_init();
+#endif
 }
 
 static struct device_operations qemu_cirrus_graph_ops = {
diff --git a/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-i440fx/Kconfig b/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-i440fx/Kconfig
index 0d4d07ad69..b9df41eba9 100644
--- a/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-i440fx/Kconfig
+++ b/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-i440fx/Kconfig
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ config BOARD_SPECIFIC_OPTIONS # dummy
 	select EARLY_CBMEM_INIT
 	select MAINBOARD_HAS_NATIVE_VGA_INIT
 	select MAINBOARD_DO_NATIVE_VGA_INIT
+	select MAINBOARD_HAS_NATIVE_VGA_INIT_TEXTMODECFG
 
 config MAINBOARD_DIR
 	string
diff --git a/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-q35/Kconfig b/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-q35/Kconfig
index cd7024b393..ad7576bfe5 100644
--- a/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-q35/Kconfig
+++ b/src/mainboard/emulation/qemu-q35/Kconfig
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ config BOARD_SPECIFIC_OPTIONS # dummy
 	select EARLY_CBMEM_INIT
 	select MAINBOARD_HAS_NATIVE_VGA_INIT
 	select MAINBOARD_DO_NATIVE_VGA_INIT
+	select MAINBOARD_HAS_NATIVE_VGA_INIT_TEXTMODECFG
 
 config MAINBOARD_DIR
 	string