diff --git a/src/boot/efi/boot.c b/src/boot/efi/boot.c
index 06331da2d4..107e2451fc 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/boot.c
+++ b/src/boot/efi/boot.c
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ typedef struct {
         CHAR16 *entry_oneshot;
         CHAR16 *options_edit;
         BOOLEAN no_editor;
+        UINTN console_mode;
+        enum console_mode_change_type console_mode_change;
 } Config;
 
 static VOID cursor_left(UINTN *cursor, UINTN *first) {
@@ -491,6 +493,7 @@ 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);
@@ -499,7 +502,18 @@ 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)) {
@@ -1008,6 +1022,26 @@ static VOID config_defaults_load_from_file(Config *config, CHAR8 *content) {
                                 continue;
                         config->no_editor = !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..241167b9f8 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/console.c
+++ b/src/boot/efi/console.c
@@ -134,3 +134,48 @@ 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 EFI_STATUS mode_auto(UINTN *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