diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/animeo_ip/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/animeo_ip/init.c
index 81a8cdf21..2fee1ff61 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/animeo_ip/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/animeo_ip/init.c
@@ -327,20 +327,37 @@ static int animeo_ip_devices_init(void)
 
 device_initcall(animeo_ip_devices_init);
 
-static int animeo_ip_console_init(void)
+static struct device_d *usart0, *usart1;
+
+static void animeo_ip_shutdown_uart(void *base)
+{
+#define ATMEL_US_BRGR	0x0020
+	writel(0, base + ATMEL_US_BRGR);
+}
+
+static void animeo_ip_shutdown(void)
 {
 	/*
-	 * disable the dbgu enable by the bootstrap
+	 * disable the dbgu and others enable by the bootstrap
 	 * so linux can detect that we only enable the uart2
 	 * and use it for decompress
 	 */
-#define ATMEL_US_BRGR	0x0020
-	at91_sys_write(AT91_DBGU + ATMEL_US_BRGR, 0);
+	animeo_ip_shutdown_uart(IOMEM(AT91_DBGU + AT91_BASE_SYS));
+	animeo_ip_shutdown_uart(IOMEM(AT91SAM9260_BASE_US0));
+	animeo_ip_shutdown_uart(IOMEM(AT91SAM9260_BASE_US1));
+}
+
+static int animeo_ip_console_init(void)
+{
+	at91_register_uart(3, 0);
+
+	usart0 = at91_register_uart(1, ATMEL_UART_RTS);
+	usart1 = at91_register_uart(2, ATMEL_UART_RTS);
+	board_shutdown = animeo_ip_shutdown;
 
 	barebox_set_model("Somfy Animeo IP");
 	barebox_set_hostname("animeoip");
 
-	at91_register_uart(3, 0);
 	return 0;
 }
 console_initcall(animeo_ip_console_init);
@@ -351,3 +368,64 @@ static int animeo_ip_main_clock(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 pure_initcall(animeo_ip_main_clock);
+
+static unsigned int get_char_timeout(struct console_device *cs, int timeout)
+{
+	uint64_t start = get_time_ns();
+
+	do {
+		if (!cs->tstc(cs))
+			continue;
+		return cs->getc(cs);
+	} while (!is_timeout(start, timeout));
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static int animeo_ip_cross_detect_init(void)
+{
+	struct console_device *cs0, *cs1;
+	int i;
+	char *s = "loop";
+	int crossed = 0;
+
+	cs0 = console_get_by_dev(usart0);
+	if (!cs0)
+		return -EINVAL;
+	cs1 = console_get_by_dev(usart1);
+	if (!cs1)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	at91_set_gpio_input(AT91_PIN_PC16, 0);
+	cs0->set_mode(cs0, CONSOLE_MODE_RS485);
+	cs0->setbrg(cs0, 38400);
+	cs1->set_mode(cs1, CONSOLE_MODE_RS485);
+	cs1->setbrg(cs1, 38400);
+
+	/* empty the bus */
+	while (cs1->tstc(cs1))
+		cs1->getc(cs1);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < strlen(s); i++) {
+		unsigned int ch = s[i];
+		unsigned int c;
+
+resend:
+		cs0->putc(cs0, ch);
+		c = get_char_timeout(cs1, 10 * MSECOND);
+		if (c == 0)
+			goto resend;
+		else if (c != ch)
+			goto err;
+	}
+
+	crossed = 1;
+
+err:
+	export_env_ull("rs485_crossed", crossed);
+
+	pr_info("rs485 ports %scrossed\n", crossed ? "" : "not ");
+
+	return 0;
+}
+late_initcall(animeo_ip_cross_detect_init);
diff --git a/arch/arm/configs/animeo_ip_defconfig b/arch/arm/configs/animeo_ip_defconfig
index 7f6961f9c..e076162b4 100644
--- a/arch/arm/configs/animeo_ip_defconfig
+++ b/arch/arm/configs/animeo_ip_defconfig
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ CONFIG_PROMPT_HUSH_PS2="y"
 CONFIG_HUSH_FANCY_PROMPT=y
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EDITING=y
 CONFIG_AUTO_COMPLETE=y
-CONFIG_CONSOLE_ACTIVATE_ALL=y
 CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_GENERIC=y
 CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH="arch/arm/boards/animeo_ip/env"
 CONFIG_CMD_EDIT=y
diff --git a/common/console_common.c b/common/console_common.c
index 5d2ccdb6e..cc184dfae 100644
--- a/common/console_common.c
+++ b/common/console_common.c
@@ -169,6 +169,19 @@ int fputc(int fd, char c)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(fputc);
 
+struct console_device *console_get_by_dev(struct device_d *dev)
+{
+	struct console_device *cdev;
+
+	for_each_console(cdev) {
+		if (cdev->dev == dev)
+			return cdev;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(console_get_by_dev);
+
 /*
  * @brief returns current used console device
  *
diff --git a/common/startup.c b/common/startup.c
index 0a36c07aa..2e0a4ba3d 100644
--- a/common/startup.c
+++ b/common/startup.c
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ void __noreturn hang (void)
 	for (;;);
 }
 
+void (*board_shutdown)(void);
+
 /* Everything needed to cleanly shutdown barebox.
  * Should be called before starting an OS to get
  * the devices into a clean state
@@ -171,4 +173,6 @@ void shutdown_barebox(void)
 #ifdef ARCH_SHUTDOWN
 	arch_shutdown();
 #endif
+	if (board_shutdown)
+		board_shutdown();
 }
diff --git a/drivers/serial/atmel.c b/drivers/serial/atmel.c
index 8392e78ce..c2a5d33b1 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/atmel.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/atmel.c
@@ -362,6 +362,32 @@ static int atmel_serial_setbaudrate(struct console_device *cdev, int baudrate)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int atmel_serial_set_mode(struct console_device *cdev, enum console_mode mode)
+{
+	struct atmel_uart_port *uart = to_atmel_uart_port(cdev);
+	u32 mr;
+	u8 m;
+
+	mr = readl(uart->base + USART3_MR);
+	mr &= ~0xf;
+
+	switch (mode) {
+	case CONSOLE_MODE_NORMAL:
+		m = USART3_USART_MODE_NORMAL;
+		break;
+	case CONSOLE_MODE_RS485:
+		m = USART3_USART_MODE_RS485;
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	mr |= USART3_BF(USART_MODE, m);
+	writel(mr, uart->base + USART3_MR);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Initialise the serial port with the given baudrate. The settings
  * are always 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no start bits.
@@ -401,6 +427,7 @@ static int atmel_serial_probe(struct device_d *dev)
 	cdev->putc = atmel_serial_putc;
 	cdev->getc = atmel_serial_getc;
 	cdev->setbrg = atmel_serial_setbaudrate;
+	cdev->set_mode = atmel_serial_set_mode;
 
 	atmel_serial_init_port(cdev);
 
diff --git a/include/common.h b/include/common.h
index 066827fd7..0f0ba08c4 100644
--- a/include/common.h
+++ b/include/common.h
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ extern int (*barebox_main)(void);
 
 void __noreturn start_barebox(void);
 void shutdown_barebox(void);
+extern void (*board_shutdown)(void);
 
 /*
  * architectures which have special calling conventions for
diff --git a/include/console.h b/include/console.h
index d12a06ebe..550b44037 100644
--- a/include/console.h
+++ b/include/console.h
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@
 #define CONSOLE_STDOUT          (1 << 1)
 #define CONSOLE_STDERR          (1 << 2)
 
+enum console_mode {
+	CONSOLE_MODE_NORMAL,
+	CONSOLE_MODE_RS485,
+};
+
 struct console_device {
 	struct device_d *dev;
 	struct device_d class_dev;
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ struct console_device {
 	int  (*getc)(struct console_device *cdev);
 	int (*setbrg)(struct console_device *cdev, int baudrate);
 	void (*flush)(struct console_device *cdev);
+	int (*set_mode)(struct console_device *cdev, enum console_mode mode);
 
 	struct list_head list;
 
@@ -48,6 +54,8 @@ struct console_device {
 int console_register(struct console_device *cdev);
 int console_unregister(struct console_device *cdev);
 
+struct console_device *console_get_by_dev(struct device_d *dev);
+
 extern struct list_head console_list;
 #define for_each_console(console) list_for_each_entry(console, &console_list, list)