diff --git a/src/boot/bootctl.c b/src/boot/bootctl.c
index ce77020aac..af5cd86e73 100644
--- a/src/boot/bootctl.c
+++ b/src/boot/bootctl.c
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ static int install_loader_config(const char *esp_path) {
         }
 
         fprintf(f, "#timeout 3\n");
+        fprintf(f, "#console-mode keep\n");
         fprintf(f, "default %s-*\n", sd_id128_to_string(machine_id, machine_string));
 
         r = fflush_sync_and_check(f);
diff --git a/src/boot/efi/boot.c b/src/boot/efi/boot.c
index 68b3e79155..2e613f58e8 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/boot.c
+++ b/src/boot/efi/boot.c
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ typedef struct {
         BOOLEAN editor;
         BOOLEAN auto_entries;
         BOOLEAN auto_firmware;
+        UINTN console_mode;
+        enum console_mode_change_type console_mode_change;
 } Config;
 
 static VOID cursor_left(UINTN *cursor, UINTN *first) {
@@ -497,6 +499,7 @@ static BOOLEAN menu_run(Config *config, ConfigEntry **chosen_entry, CHAR16 *load
         BOOLEAN exit = FALSE;
         BOOLEAN run = TRUE;
         BOOLEAN wait = FALSE;
+        BOOLEAN cleared_screen = FALSE;
 
         graphics_mode(FALSE);
         uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConIn->Reset, 2, ST->ConIn, FALSE);
@@ -505,7 +508,18 @@ static BOOLEAN menu_run(Config *config, ConfigEntry **chosen_entry, CHAR16 *load
 
         /* draw a single character to make ClearScreen work on some firmware */
         uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->OutputString, 2, ST->ConOut, L" ");
-        uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->ClearScreen, 1, ST->ConOut);
+
+        if (config->console_mode_change != CONSOLE_MODE_KEEP) {
+                err = console_set_mode(&config->console_mode, config->console_mode_change);
+                if (!EFI_ERROR(err))
+                        cleared_screen = TRUE;
+        }
+
+        if (!cleared_screen)
+                uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->ClearScreen, 1, ST->ConOut);
+
+        if (config->console_mode_change != CONSOLE_MODE_KEEP && EFI_ERROR(err))
+                Print(L"Error switching console mode to %ld: %r.\r", (UINT64)config->console_mode, err);
 
         err = uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->QueryMode, 4, ST->ConOut, ST->ConOut->Mode->Mode, &x_max, &y_max);
         if (EFI_ERROR(err)) {
@@ -1030,6 +1044,26 @@ static VOID config_defaults_load_from_file(Config *config, CHAR8 *content) {
                                 continue;
                         config->auto_firmware = on;
                 }
+
+                if (strcmpa((CHAR8 *)"console-mode", key) == 0) {
+                        CHAR16 *s;
+
+                        if (strcmpa((CHAR8 *)"auto", value) == 0)
+                                config->console_mode_change = CONSOLE_MODE_AUTO;
+                        else if (strcmpa((CHAR8 *)"max", value) == 0)
+                                config->console_mode_change = CONSOLE_MODE_MAX;
+                        else if (strcmpa((CHAR8 *)"keep", value)  == 0)
+                                config->console_mode_change = CONSOLE_MODE_KEEP;
+                        else {
+                                s = stra_to_str(value);
+                                config->console_mode = Atoi(s);
+                                config->console_mode_change = CONSOLE_MODE_SET;
+                                FreePool(s);
+                        }
+
+                        continue;
+                }
+
         }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/boot/efi/console.c b/src/boot/efi/console.c
index 4487ed099f..94551a89e1 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/console.c
+++ b/src/boot/efi/console.c
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 #include "console.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
+#define SYSTEM_FONT_WIDTH 8
+#define SYSTEM_FONT_HEIGHT 19
+
 #define EFI_SIMPLE_TEXT_INPUT_EX_PROTOCOL_GUID \
         { 0xdd9e7534, 0x7762, 0x4698, { 0x8c, 0x14, 0xf5, 0x85, 0x17, 0xa6, 0x25, 0xaa } }
 
@@ -134,3 +137,105 @@ EFI_STATUS console_key_read(UINT64 *key, BOOLEAN wait) {
         *key = KEYPRESS(0, k.ScanCode, k.UnicodeChar);
         return 0;
 }
+
+static EFI_STATUS change_mode(UINTN mode) {
+        EFI_STATUS err;
+
+        err = uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->SetMode, 2, ST->ConOut, mode);
+
+        /* Special case mode 1: when using OVMF and qemu, setting it returns error
+         * and breaks console output. */
+        if (EFI_ERROR(err) && mode == 1)
+                uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->SetMode, 2, ST->ConOut, (UINTN)0);
+
+        return err;
+}
+
+static UINT64 text_area_from_font_size(void) {
+        EFI_STATUS err;
+        UINT64 text_area;
+        UINTN rows, columns;
+
+        err = uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->QueryMode, 4, ST->ConOut, ST->ConOut->Mode->Mode, &columns, &rows);
+        if (EFI_ERROR(err)) {
+                columns = 80;
+                rows = 25;
+        }
+
+        text_area = SYSTEM_FONT_WIDTH * SYSTEM_FONT_HEIGHT * (UINT64)rows * (UINT64)columns;
+
+        return text_area;
+}
+
+static EFI_STATUS mode_auto(UINTN *mode) {
+        const UINT32 HORIZONTAL_MAX_OK = 1920;
+        const UINT32 VERTICAL_MAX_OK = 1080;
+        const UINT64 VIEWPORT_RATIO = 10;
+        UINT64 screen_area, text_area;
+        EFI_GUID GraphicsOutputProtocolGuid = EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_PROTOCOL_GUID;
+        EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_PROTOCOL *GraphicsOutput;
+        EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_MODE_INFORMATION *Info;
+        EFI_STATUS err;
+        BOOLEAN keep = FALSE;
+
+        err = LibLocateProtocol(&GraphicsOutputProtocolGuid, (VOID **)&GraphicsOutput);
+        if (!EFI_ERROR(err) && GraphicsOutput->Mode && GraphicsOutput->Mode->Info) {
+                Info = GraphicsOutput->Mode->Info;
+
+                /* Start verifying if we are in a resolution larger than Full HD
+                 * (1920x1080). If we're not, assume we're in a good mode and do not
+                 * try to change it. */
+                if (Info->HorizontalResolution <= HORIZONTAL_MAX_OK && Info->VerticalResolution <= VERTICAL_MAX_OK)
+                        keep = TRUE;
+                /* For larger resolutions, calculate the ratio of the total screen
+                 * area to the text viewport area. If it's less than 10 times bigger,
+                 * then assume the text is readable and keep the text mode. */
+                else {
+                        screen_area = (UINT64)Info->HorizontalResolution * (UINT64)Info->VerticalResolution;
+                        text_area = text_area_from_font_size();
+
+                        if (text_area != 0 && screen_area/text_area < VIEWPORT_RATIO)
+                                keep = TRUE;
+                }
+        }
+
+        if (keep) {
+                /* Just clear the screen instead of changing the mode and return. */
+                *mode = ST->ConOut->Mode->Mode;
+                uefi_call_wrapper(ST->ConOut->ClearScreen, 1, ST->ConOut);
+                return EFI_SUCCESS;
+        }
+
+        /* If we reached here, then we have a high resolution screen and the text
+         * viewport is less than 10% the screen area, so the firmware developer
+         * screwed up. Try to switch to a better mode. Mode number 2 is first non
+         * standard mode, which is provided by the device manufacturer, so it should
+         * be a good mode.
+         * Note: MaxMode is the number of modes, not the last mode. */
+        if (ST->ConOut->Mode->MaxMode > 2)
+                *mode = 2;
+        /* Try again with mode different than zero (assume user requests
+         * auto mode due to some problem with mode zero). */
+        else if (ST->ConOut->Mode->MaxMode == 2)
+                *mode = 1;
+        /* Else force mode change to zero. */
+        else
+                *mode = 0;
+
+        return change_mode(*mode);
+}
+
+EFI_STATUS console_set_mode(UINTN *mode, enum console_mode_change_type how) {
+        if (how == CONSOLE_MODE_AUTO)
+                return mode_auto(mode);
+
+        if (how == CONSOLE_MODE_MAX) {
+                /* Note: MaxMode is the number of modes, not the last mode. */
+                if (ST->ConOut->Mode->MaxMode > 0)
+                        *mode = ST->ConOut->Mode->MaxMode-1;
+                else
+                        *mode = 0;
+        }
+
+        return change_mode(*mode);
+}
diff --git a/src/boot/efi/console.h b/src/boot/efi/console.h
index 5664a4e62f..6296d467c4 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/console.h
+++ b/src/boot/efi/console.h
@@ -29,5 +29,13 @@
 #define KEYCHAR(k) ((k) & 0xffff)
 #define CHAR_CTRL(c) ((c) - 'a' + 1)
 
+enum console_mode_change_type {
+        CONSOLE_MODE_KEEP = 0,
+        CONSOLE_MODE_SET,
+        CONSOLE_MODE_AUTO,
+        CONSOLE_MODE_MAX,
+};
+
 EFI_STATUS console_key_read(UINT64 *key, BOOLEAN wait);
+EFI_STATUS console_set_mode(UINTN *mode, enum console_mode_change_type how);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/shared/bootspec.c b/src/shared/bootspec.c
index 1c9ef40019..7bb66f3d87 100644
--- a/src/shared/bootspec.c
+++ b/src/shared/bootspec.c
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ int boot_loader_read_conf(const char *path, BootConfig *config) {
                         r = free_and_strdup(&config->auto_entries, p);
                 else if (streq(buf, "auto-firmware"))
                         r = free_and_strdup(&config->auto_firmware, p);
+                else if (streq(buf, "console-mode"))
+                        r = free_and_strdup(&config->console_mode, p);
                 else {
                         log_notice("%s:%u: Unknown line \"%s\"", path, line, field);
                         continue;
diff --git a/src/shared/bootspec.h b/src/shared/bootspec.h
index fe875454b1..12accc6c44 100644
--- a/src/shared/bootspec.h
+++ b/src/shared/bootspec.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ typedef struct BootConfig {
         char *editor;
         char *auto_entries;
         char *auto_firmware;
+        char *console_mode;
 
         char *entry_oneshot;
         char *entry_default;