diff --git a/board/freescale/mx51evk/mx51evk.c b/board/freescale/mx51evk/mx51evk.c
index 2160d5a49..7c50c54cd 100644
--- a/board/freescale/mx51evk/mx51evk.c
+++ b/board/freescale/mx51evk/mx51evk.c
@@ -399,6 +399,14 @@ int board_mmc_init(bd_t *bis)
 }
 #endif
 
+int board_early_init_f(void)
+{
+	setup_iomux_uart();
+	setup_iomux_fec();
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int board_init(void)
 {
 	system_rev = get_cpu_rev();
@@ -407,9 +415,6 @@ int board_init(void)
 	/* address of boot parameters */
 	gd->bd->bi_boot_params = PHYS_SDRAM_1 + 0x100;
 
-	setup_iomux_uart();
-	setup_iomux_fec();
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/configs/mx51evk.h b/include/configs/mx51evk.h
index b4e57387a..aed96255d 100644
--- a/include/configs/mx51evk.h
+++ b/include/configs/mx51evk.h
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@
 #define CONFIG_SYS_INIT_RAM_ADDR	(IRAM_BASE_ADDR)
 #define CONFIG_SYS_INIT_RAM_SIZE	(IRAM_SIZE)
 
+#define CONFIG_BOARD_EARLY_INIT_F
+
 #define CONFIG_SYS_INIT_SP_OFFSET \
 	(CONFIG_SYS_INIT_RAM_SIZE - GENERATED_GBL_DATA_SIZE)
 #define CONFIG_SYS_INIT_SP_ADDR \