diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/line.c b/arch/um/drivers/line.c
index b0022cf4efb..3eea99e98a1 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/line.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/line.c
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ void close_lines(struct line *lines, int nlines)
 		close_chan(&lines[i].chan_list, 0);
 }
 
-static int setup_one_line(struct line *lines, int n, char *init, int init_prio,
+static int setup_one_line(struct line *lines, int n, char *init,
 			  char **error_out)
 {
 	struct line *line = &lines[n];
@@ -502,14 +502,11 @@ static int setup_one_line(struct line *lines, int n, char *init, int init_prio,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (line->init_pri <= init_prio) {
-		line->init_pri = init_prio;
-		if (!strcmp(init, "none"))
-			line->valid = 0;
-		else {
-			line->init_str = init;
-			line->valid = 1;
-		}
+	if (!strcmp(init, "none"))
+		line->valid = 0;
+	else {
+		line->init_str = init;
+		line->valid = 1;
 	}
 	err = 0;
 out:
@@ -524,47 +521,37 @@ out:
  * @error_out is an error string in the case of failure;
  */
 
-int line_setup(struct line *lines, unsigned int num, char *init,
-	       char **error_out)
+int line_setup(char **conf, unsigned int num, char **def,
+	       char *init, char *name)
 {
-	int i, n, err;
-	char *end;
+	char *error;
 
 	if (*init == '=') {
 		/*
 		 * We said con=/ssl= instead of con#=, so we are configuring all
 		 * consoles at once.
 		 */
-		n = -1;
-	}
-	else {
-		n = simple_strtoul(init, &end, 0);
-		if (*end != '=') {
-			*error_out = "Couldn't parse device number";
-			return -EINVAL;
-		}
-		init = end;
-	}
-	init++;
+		*def = init + 1;
+	} else {
+		char *end;
+		unsigned n = simple_strtoul(init, &end, 0);
 
-	if (n >= (signed int) num) {
-		*error_out = "Device number out of range";
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-	else if (n >= 0) {
-		err = setup_one_line(lines, n, init, INIT_ONE, error_out);
-		if (err)
-			return err;
-	}
-	else {
-		for(i = 0; i < num; i++) {
-			err = setup_one_line(lines, i, init, INIT_ALL,
-					     error_out);
-			if (err)
-				return err;
+		if (*end != '=') {
+			error = "Couldn't parse device number";
+			goto out;
 		}
+		if (n >= num) {
+			error = "Device number out of range";
+			goto out;
+		}
+		conf[n] = end + 1;
 	}
-	return n == -1 ? num : n;
+	return 0;
+
+out:
+	printk(KERN_ERR "Failed to set up %s with "
+	       "configuration string \"%s\" : %s\n", name, init, error);
+	return -EINVAL;
 }
 
 int line_config(struct line *lines, unsigned int num, char *str,
@@ -595,7 +582,7 @@ int line_config(struct line *lines, unsigned int num, char *str,
 		*error_out = "Failed to allocate memory";
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	err = setup_one_line(lines, n, new, INIT_ONE, error_out);
+	err = setup_one_line(lines, n, new, error_out);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 	line = &lines[n];
@@ -654,7 +641,7 @@ int line_remove(struct line *lines, unsigned int num, int n, char **error_out)
 		*error_out = "Device number out of range";
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
-	return setup_one_line(lines, n, "none", INIT_ONE, error_out);
+	return setup_one_line(lines, n, "none", error_out);
 }
 
 struct tty_driver *register_lines(struct line_driver *line_driver,
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/line.h b/arch/um/drivers/line.h
index 63df3ca02ac..0c4dadf5e03 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/line.h
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/line.h
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ struct line {
 	int valid;
 
 	char *init_str;
-	int init_pri;
 	struct list_head chan_list;
 
 	/*This lock is actually, mostly, local to*/
@@ -58,18 +57,10 @@ struct line {
 	int have_irq;
 };
 
-#define LINE_INIT(str, d) \
-	{ .count_lock =	__SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED((str).count_lock), \
-	  .init_str =	str,	\
-	  .init_pri =	INIT_STATIC, \
-	  .valid =	1, \
-	  .lock =	__SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED((str).lock), \
-	  .driver =	d }
-
 extern void line_close(struct tty_struct *tty, struct file * filp);
 extern int line_open(struct line *lines, struct tty_struct *tty);
-extern int line_setup(struct line *lines, unsigned int sizeof_lines,
-		      char *init, char **error_out);
+extern int line_setup(char **conf, unsigned nlines, char **def,
+		      char *init, char *name);
 extern int line_write(struct tty_struct *tty, const unsigned char *buf,
 		      int len);
 extern int line_put_char(struct tty_struct *tty, unsigned char ch);
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/ssl.c b/arch/um/drivers/ssl.c
index 9d8c20af6f8..445288ff065 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/ssl.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/ssl.c
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@ static struct line_driver driver = {
 /* The array is initialized by line_init, at initcall time.  The
  * elements are locked individually as needed.
  */
-static struct line serial_lines[NR_PORTS] =
-	{ [0 ... NR_PORTS - 1] = LINE_INIT(CONFIG_SSL_CHAN, &driver) };
+static char *conf[NR_PORTS];
+static char *def_conf = CONFIG_SSL_CHAN;
+static struct line serial_lines[NR_PORTS];
 
 static int ssl_config(char *str, char **error_out)
 {
@@ -186,9 +187,23 @@ static struct console ssl_cons = {
 static int ssl_init(void)
 {
 	char *new_title;
+	int i;
 
 	printk(KERN_INFO "Initializing software serial port version %d\n",
 	       ssl_version);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < NR_PORTS; i++) {
+		char *s = conf[i];
+		if (!s)
+			s = def_conf;
+		if (s && strcmp(s, "none") != 0) {
+			serial_lines[i].init_str = s;
+			serial_lines[i].valid = 1;
+		}
+		spin_lock_init(&serial_lines[i].lock);
+		spin_lock_init(&serial_lines[i].count_lock);
+		serial_lines[i].driver = &driver;
+	}
 	ssl_driver = register_lines(&driver, &ssl_ops, serial_lines,
 				    ARRAY_SIZE(serial_lines));
 
@@ -214,14 +229,7 @@ __uml_exitcall(ssl_exit);
 
 static int ssl_chan_setup(char *str)
 {
-	char *error;
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = line_setup(serial_lines, ARRAY_SIZE(serial_lines), str, &error);
-	if(ret < 0)
-		printk(KERN_ERR "Failed to set up serial line with "
-		       "configuration string \"%s\" : %s\n", str, error);
-
+	line_setup(conf, NR_PORTS, &def_conf, str, "serial line");
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/stdio_console.c b/arch/um/drivers/stdio_console.c
index 088776f0190..6d244f47096 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/stdio_console.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/stdio_console.c
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ static struct line_driver driver = {
 /* The array is initialized by line_init, at initcall time.  The
  * elements are locked individually as needed.
  */
-static struct line vts[MAX_TTYS] = { LINE_INIT(CONFIG_CON_ZERO_CHAN, &driver),
-				     [ 1 ... MAX_TTYS - 1 ] =
-				     LINE_INIT(CONFIG_CON_CHAN, &driver) };
+static char *vt_conf[MAX_TTYS];
+static char *def_conf;
+static struct line vts[MAX_TTYS];
 
 static int con_config(char *str, char **error_out)
 {
@@ -160,7 +160,22 @@ static struct console stdiocons = {
 static int stdio_init(void)
 {
 	char *new_title;
+	int i;
 
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_TTYS; i++) {
+		char *s = vt_conf[i];
+		if (!s)
+			s = def_conf;
+		if (!s)
+			s = i ? CONFIG_CON_CHAN : CONFIG_CON_ZERO_CHAN;
+		if (s && strcmp(s, "none") != 0) {
+			vts[i].init_str = s;
+			vts[i].valid = 1;
+		}
+		spin_lock_init(&vts[i].lock);
+		spin_lock_init(&vts[i].count_lock);
+		vts[i].driver = &driver;
+	}
 	console_driver = register_lines(&driver, &console_ops, vts,
 					ARRAY_SIZE(vts));
 	if (console_driver == NULL)
@@ -189,14 +204,7 @@ __uml_exitcall(console_exit);
 
 static int console_chan_setup(char *str)
 {
-	char *error;
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = line_setup(vts, ARRAY_SIZE(vts), str, &error);
-	if(ret < 0)
-		printk(KERN_ERR "Failed to set up console with "
-		       "configuration string \"%s\" : %s\n", str, error);
-
+	line_setup(vt_conf, MAX_TTYS, &def_conf, str, "console");
 	return 1;
 }
 __setup("con", console_chan_setup);