diff --git a/board/atmel/sama5d3xek/sama5d3xek.c b/board/atmel/sama5d3xek/sama5d3xek.c
index 2a18d877a2b0d6425b22b5fb72e319996dcecbed..cae6e245ddbc90e28b76f7f179f4f8f12817a844 100644
--- a/board/atmel/sama5d3xek/sama5d3xek.c
+++ b/board/atmel/sama5d3xek/sama5d3xek.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <asm/arch/at91_rstc.h>
 #include <asm/arch/gpio.h>
 #include <asm/arch/clk.h>
+#include <debug_uart.h>
 #include <lcd.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
 #include <atmel_hlcdc.h>
@@ -205,12 +206,22 @@ void lcd_show_board_info(void)
 #endif /* CONFIG_LCD_INFO */
 #endif /* CONFIG_LCD */
 
-int board_early_init_f(void)
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT
+void board_debug_uart_init(void)
 {
 	at91_seriald_hw_init();
+}
+#endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_BOARD_EARLY_INIT_F
+int board_early_init_f(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_UART
+	debug_uart_init();
+#endif
 	return 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 int board_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/configs/sama5d3xek_mmc_defconfig b/configs/sama5d3xek_mmc_defconfig
index e71f87101d54c8d04c86c26c28e835063b355ba7..994bc048bab08bcc03f449e5172c4dff01c88598 100644
--- a/configs/sama5d3xek_mmc_defconfig
+++ b/configs/sama5d3xek_mmc_defconfig
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_SPL_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xffffee00
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y
diff --git a/configs/sama5d3xek_nandflash_defconfig b/configs/sama5d3xek_nandflash_defconfig
index 2cd6691f4c1549598b152f6d187af91aa5473aa2..dd0263cea2d6a1eb8a93736092cc224647b9f058 100644
--- a/configs/sama5d3xek_nandflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/sama5d3xek_nandflash_defconfig
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_SPL_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xffffee00
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y
diff --git a/configs/sama5d3xek_spiflash_defconfig b/configs/sama5d3xek_spiflash_defconfig
index 748f4da77c4a1e658c0779fe2ccec606543bc552..069fbcc0a35250524ed27cba716bdce16ddcac12 100644
--- a/configs/sama5d3xek_spiflash_defconfig
+++ b/configs/sama5d3xek_spiflash_defconfig
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ CONFIG_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_SPL_PINCTRL=y
 CONFIG_PINCTRL_AT91=y
 CONFIG_DM_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ATMEL=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BASE=0xffffee00
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_CLOCK=132000000
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_BOARD_INIT=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_UART_ANNOUNCE=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_USART=y
 CONFIG_DM_SPI=y
 CONFIG_ATMEL_SPI=y