diff --git a/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-bootloader b/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-bootloader
index 20fc01b9..602c2dec 100755
--- a/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-bootloader
+++ b/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-bootloader
@@ -120,8 +120,10 @@ function install_grub2 {
 
     DIST=`lsb_release -is`
     [ -n "$DIST" ]
-    echo 'GRUB_TERMINAL=console' >>/etc/default/grub
+    echo 'GRUB_TERMINAL="serial console"' >>/etc/default/grub
     echo 'GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=text' >>/etc/default/grub
+    echo 'GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200"' >>/etc/default/grub
+    echo 'GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="serial --speed=115200 --unit=0 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1"' >>/etc/default/grub
     GRUB_MKCONFIG="grub2-mkconfig -o $GRUB_CFG"
     case $DIST in
         'Ubuntu'|'Debian')
@@ -151,10 +153,6 @@ function install_grub2 {
     sed -i "s%$PART_DEV%LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs%" $GRUB_CFG
     sed -i "s%search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root .*$%search --no-floppy --set=root --label cloudimg-rootfs%" $GRUB_CFG
     sed -i "s%root=UUID=[A-Za-z0-9\-]*%root=LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs%" $GRUB_CFG
-    if [ "$DIST" = 'Debian' ] || [ "$DIST" = 'Fedora' ]; then
-        # enable serial console
-        sed -i "s%LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs%LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200%" $GRUB_CFG
-    fi
     if [ "$DIST" = 'Fedora' ] ; then
         if [ $(lsb_release -rs) = '19' ]; then
             sed -i "s%UUID=[A-Za-z0-9\-]*%LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs%" /etc/fstab