diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/main.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/main.cpp
index 4d7b000067..db23ea9dd5 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/main.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/main.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ main(stage2_args *args)
 
 	TRACE(("boot(): heap initialized...\n"));
 
+	// set debug syslog default
+#if KDEBUG_ENABLE_DEBUG_SYSLOG
+	gKernelArgs.keep_debug_output_buffer = true;
+#endif
+
 	// construct boot_volume KMessage explicitely
 	new(&gKernelArgs.boot_volume) KMessage;
 
diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
index 98d65e9e44..1f24dab0cb 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
@@ -734,12 +734,6 @@ add_debug_menu()
     item->SetHelpText("Displays debug output on screen while the system "
 		"is booting, instead of the normal boot logo.");
 
-	// set debug syslog default; doesn't really belong here, but there's no
-	// better place ATM
-#if KDEBUG_ENABLE_DEBUG_SYSLOG
-	gKernelArgs.keep_debug_output_buffer = true;
-#endif
-
 	menu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Enable debug syslog"));
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
 	item->SetMarked(gKernelArgs.keep_debug_output_buffer);