diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/board.c b/arch/arm/lib/board.c
index 109a1ac752..0b47ab341e 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/board.c
@@ -492,9 +492,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 #ifdef CONFIG_CLOCKS
 	set_cpu_clk_info(); /* Setup clock information */
 #endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 	debug("Now running in RAM - U-Boot at: %08lx\n", dest_addr);
 
diff --git a/arch/blackfin/lib/board.c b/arch/blackfin/lib/board.c
index 6a9282c77b..e47b606e87 100644
--- a/arch/blackfin/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/blackfin/lib/board.c
@@ -284,9 +284,7 @@ void board_init_f(ulong bootflag)
 	init_baudrate();
 	serial_early_puts("Serial init\n");
 	serial_init();
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 	serial_early_puts("Console init flash\n");
 	console_init_f();
 	serial_early_puts("End of early debugging\n");
diff --git a/arch/m68k/lib/board.c b/arch/m68k/lib/board.c
index 2add630abb..67c9a1382e 100644
--- a/arch/m68k/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/m68k/lib/board.c
@@ -401,9 +401,7 @@ void board_init_r (gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 
 	gd->flags |= GD_FLG_RELOC;	/* tell others: relocation done */
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 	debug ("Now running in RAM - U-Boot at: %08lx\n", dest_addr);
 
diff --git a/arch/microblaze/lib/board.c b/arch/microblaze/lib/board.c
index 674b573196..efd63cd341 100644
--- a/arch/microblaze/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/microblaze/lib/board.c
@@ -108,9 +108,7 @@ void board_init_f(ulong not_used)
 	 */
 	mem_malloc_init (CONFIG_SYS_MALLOC_BASE, CONFIG_SYS_MALLOC_LEN);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 	for (init_fnc_ptr = init_sequence; *init_fnc_ptr; ++init_fnc_ptr) {
 		WATCHDOG_RESET ();
diff --git a/arch/nds32/lib/board.c b/arch/nds32/lib/board.c
index 17d3ee071f..89900fea43 100644
--- a/arch/nds32/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/nds32/lib/board.c
@@ -324,9 +324,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 		(ulong)(&__u_boot_cmd_end - &__u_boot_cmd_start));
 #endif /* defined(CONFIG_NEEDS_MANUAL_RELOC) */
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 	debug("Now running in RAM - U-Boot at: %08lx\n", dest_addr);
 
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/lib/board.c b/arch/powerpc/lib/board.c
index 07feaf55fc..b860141efd 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/lib/board.c
@@ -672,9 +672,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 	gd->env_addr += dest_addr - CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 	debug("Now running in RAM - U-Boot at: %08lx\n", dest_addr);
 
diff --git a/arch/sandbox/lib/board.c b/arch/sandbox/lib/board.c
index c173bf96f0..83858c1ffe 100644
--- a/arch/sandbox/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/sandbox/lib/board.c
@@ -220,9 +220,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 
 	gd->flags |= GD_FLG_RELOC;	/* tell others: relocation done */
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize();
-#endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_POST
 	post_output_backlog();
diff --git a/arch/x86/lib/board.c b/arch/x86/lib/board.c
index 90cf7fc888..e5caf13561 100644
--- a/arch/x86/lib/board.c
+++ b/arch/x86/lib/board.c
@@ -150,9 +150,7 @@ init_fnc_t *init_sequence_r[] = {
 	timer_init,
 	display_banner,
 	display_dram_config,
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_initialize_r,
-#endif
 #ifndef CONFIG_SYS_NO_FLASH
 	flash_init_r,
 #endif
diff --git a/common/cmd_nvedit.c b/common/cmd_nvedit.c
index 772cffa8a2..d655ab9684 100644
--- a/common/cmd_nvedit.c
+++ b/common/cmd_nvedit.c
@@ -239,10 +239,8 @@ int env_check_apply(const char *name, const char *oldval,
 		if (console_assign(console, newval) < 0)
 			return 1;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 		if (serial_assign(newval) < 0)
 			return 1;
-#endif
 #endif /* CONFIG_CONSOLE_MUX */
 	}
 
diff --git a/common/fdt_support.c b/common/fdt_support.c
index 593f16c162..963ea90234 100644
--- a/common/fdt_support.c
+++ b/common/fdt_support.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ int fdt_find_and_setprop(void *fdt, const char *node, const char *prop,
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF_STDOUT_VIA_ALIAS
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
+#ifdef CONFIG_CONS_INDEX
 static void fdt_fill_multisername(char *sername, size_t maxlen)
 {
 	const char *outname = stdio_devices[stdout]->name;
@@ -106,9 +106,7 @@ static void fdt_fill_multisername(char *sername, size_t maxlen)
 	if (strcmp(outname + 1, "serial") > 0)
 		strncpy(sername, outname + 1, maxlen);
 }
-#else
-static inline void fdt_fill_multisername(char *sername, size_t maxlen) {}
-#endif /* CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI */
+#endif
 
 static int fdt_fixup_stdout(void *fdt, int chosenoff)
 {
diff --git a/common/iomux.c b/common/iomux.c
index 91d98e9835..dbc231250c 100644
--- a/common/iomux.c
+++ b/common/iomux.c
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ int iomux_doenv(const int console, const char *arg)
 		 */
 		if (console_assign(console, start[j]) < 0)
 			continue;
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 		/*
 		 * This was taken from common/cmd_nvedit.c.
 		 * This will never work because serial_assign() returns
@@ -146,7 +145,6 @@ int iomux_doenv(const int console, const char *arg)
 		 */
 		if (serial_assign(start[j]) < 0)
 			continue;
-#endif
 		cons_set[cs_idx++] = dev;
 	}
 	free(console_args);
diff --git a/common/stdio.c b/common/stdio.c
index 1bf9ba0829..605ff3fde3 100644
--- a/common/stdio.c
+++ b/common/stdio.c
@@ -227,9 +227,7 @@ int stdio_init (void)
 	drv_logbuff_init ();
 #endif
 	drv_system_init ();
-#ifdef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
 	serial_stdio_init ();
-#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_USB_TTY
 	drv_usbtty_init ();
 #endif
diff --git a/include/common.h b/include/common.h
index 7d9ab1540b..7205677b8d 100644
--- a/include/common.h
+++ b/include/common.h
@@ -195,18 +195,6 @@ typedef void (interrupt_handler_t)(void *);
 # endif
 #endif
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI
-
-#if defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SMC1) || defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SMC2) \
- || defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SCC1) || defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SCC2) \
- || defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SCC3) || defined(CONFIG_8xx_CONS_SCC4)
-
-#define CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI	1
-
-#endif
-
-#endif /* CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI */
-
 /*
  * General Purpose Utilities
  */
diff --git a/include/serial.h b/include/serial.h
index 01a86b44dd..a8d23f519d 100644
--- a/include/serial.h
+++ b/include/serial.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ extern int usbtty_tstc(void);
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_USB_TTY */
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_MPC512X) &&  defined(CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI)
+#if defined(CONFIG_MPC512X)
 extern struct stdio_dev *open_port(int num, int baudrate);
 extern int close_port(int num);
 extern int write_port(struct stdio_dev *port, char *buf);
diff --git a/post/board/pdm360ng/coproc_com.c b/post/board/pdm360ng/coproc_com.c
index 075535213b..b7e02b5736 100644
--- a/post/board/pdm360ng/coproc_com.c
+++ b/post/board/pdm360ng/coproc_com.c
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 #include <post.h>
 #include <serial.h>
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI)
-
 /*
  * Actually the termination sequence of the coprocessor
  * commands is "\r\n" (CR LF), but here we use a side effect of
@@ -94,4 +92,3 @@ int coprocessor_post_test(int flags)
 
 	return 0;
 }
-#endif	/* CONFIG_SERIAL_MULTI */