diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/safemode.h b/headers/private/kernel/safemode.h
index 308edfaa10..bcf5751367 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/safemode.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/safemode.h
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 #include <safemode_defs.h>
 
 
+struct kernel_args;
+
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -19,6 +22,13 @@ extern "C" {
 status_t	get_safemode_option(const char* parameter, char* buffer,
 				size_t* _bufferSize);
 bool		get_safemode_boolean(const char* parameter, bool defaultValue);
+
+// before driver_settings_init() has been called (limited parsing support)
+status_t	get_safemode_option_early(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter,
+				char* buffer, size_t* _bufferSize);
+bool		get_safemode_boolean_early(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter,
+				bool defaultValue);
+
 status_t	_user_get_safemode_option(const char* parameter, char* buffer,
 				size_t* _bufferSize);
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/debug/safemode_settings.cpp b/src/system/kernel/debug/safemode_settings.cpp
index 2cb9950783..61334aee7b 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/debug/safemode_settings.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/debug/safemode_settings.cpp
@@ -4,59 +4,194 @@
  */
 
 
+#include <safemode.h>
+
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <algorithm>
+
 #include <KernelExport.h>
 
-#include <safemode.h>
+#include <boot/kernel_args.h>
 #include <kernel.h>
 #include <syscalls.h>
 
-#include <string.h>
+
+#ifndef _BOOT_MODE
 
 
-extern "C" status_t
-get_safemode_option(const char* parameter, char* buffer, size_t* _bufferSize)
+static status_t
+get_option_from_kernel_args(kernel_args* args, const char* settingsName,
+	const char* parameter, size_t parameterLength, char* buffer,
+	size_t* _bufferSize)
 {
-	status_t status = B_ENTRY_NOT_FOUND;
-
-	void* handle = load_driver_settings(B_SAFEMODE_DRIVER_SETTINGS);
-	if (handle != NULL) {
-		status = B_NAME_NOT_FOUND;
-
-		const char* value = get_driver_parameter(handle, parameter, NULL, NULL);
-		if (value != NULL) {
-			*_bufferSize = strlcpy(buffer, value, *_bufferSize);
-			status = B_OK;
+	// find the settings in the kernel args
+	const char* settings = NULL;
+	for (driver_settings_file* file = args->driver_settings;
+			file != NULL; file = file->next) {
+		if (strcmp(settingsName, file->name) == 0) {
+			settings = file->buffer;
+			break;
 		}
-
-		unload_driver_settings(handle);
 	}
 
-	if (status != B_OK) {
-		// Try kernel settings file as a fall back
-		handle = load_driver_settings("kernel");
-		if (handle != NULL) {
-			const char* value = get_driver_parameter(handle, parameter, NULL,
-				NULL);
-			if (value != NULL) {
-				*_bufferSize = strlcpy(buffer, value, *_bufferSize);
-				status = B_OK;
+	if (settings == NULL)
+		return B_ENTRY_NOT_FOUND;
+
+	// Unfortunately we can't just use parse_driver_settings_string(), since
+	// we might not have a working heap yet. So we do very limited parsing
+	// ourselves.
+	const char* settingsEnd = settings + strlen(settings);
+	int32 parameterLevel = 0;
+
+	while (*settings != '\0') {
+		// find end of line
+		const char* lineEnd = strchr(settings, '\n');
+		const char* nextLine;
+		if (lineEnd != NULL)
+			nextLine = lineEnd + 1;
+		else
+			nextLine = lineEnd = settingsEnd;
+
+		// ignore any trailing comments
+		lineEnd = std::find(settings, lineEnd, '#');
+
+		const char* nameStart = NULL;
+		const char* nameEnd = NULL;
+		const char* valueStart = NULL;
+		const char* valueEnd = NULL;
+		const char** elementEnd = NULL;
+		bool sawSeparator = true;
+
+		for (; settings < lineEnd; settings++) {
+			switch (*settings) {
+				case '{':
+					parameterLevel++;
+					sawSeparator = true;
+					break;
+
+				case '}':
+					parameterLevel--;
+					sawSeparator = true;
+					break;
+
+				case ';':
+					// TODO: That's not correct. There should be another loop.
+					sawSeparator = true;
+					break;
+
+				default:
+					if (parameterLevel != 0)
+						break;
+
+					if (isspace(*settings)) {
+						sawSeparator = true;
+						break;
+					}
+
+					if (!sawSeparator)
+						break;
+
+					sawSeparator = false;
+
+					if (nameStart == NULL) {
+						nameStart = settings;
+						elementEnd = &nameEnd;
+					} else if (valueStart == NULL) {
+						valueStart = settings;
+						elementEnd = &valueEnd;
+					}
+					break;
 			}
 
-			unload_driver_settings(handle);
+			if (sawSeparator && elementEnd != NULL) {
+				*elementEnd = settings;
+				elementEnd = NULL;
+			}
 		}
+
+		if (elementEnd != NULL)
+			*elementEnd = settings;
+
+		if (nameStart != NULL && size_t(nameEnd - nameStart) == parameterLength
+			&& strncmp(parameter, nameStart, parameterLength) == 0) {
+			if (valueStart == NULL)
+				return B_NAME_NOT_FOUND;
+
+			size_t length = valueEnd - valueStart;
+			if (*_bufferSize > 0) {
+				size_t toCopy = std::min(length, *_bufferSize - 1);
+				memcpy(buffer, valueStart, toCopy);
+				buffer[toCopy] = '\0';
+			}
+
+			*_bufferSize = length;
+			return B_OK;
+		}
+
+		settings = nextLine;
+	}
+
+	return B_NAME_NOT_FOUND;
+}
+
+
+#endif	// !_BOOT_MODE
+
+
+static status_t
+get_option(kernel_args* args, const char* settingsName, const char* parameter,
+	size_t parameterLength, char* buffer, size_t* _bufferSize)
+{
+#ifndef _BOOT_MODE
+	if (args != NULL) {
+		return get_option_from_kernel_args(args, settingsName, parameter,
+			parameterLength, buffer, _bufferSize);
+	}
+#endif
+
+	void* handle = load_driver_settings(settingsName);
+	if (handle == NULL)
+		return B_ENTRY_NOT_FOUND;
+
+	status_t status = B_NAME_NOT_FOUND;
+
+	const char* value = get_driver_parameter(handle, parameter, NULL, NULL);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		*_bufferSize = strlcpy(buffer, value, *_bufferSize);
+		status = B_OK;
+	}
+
+	unload_driver_settings(handle);
+	return status;
+}
+
+
+static status_t
+get_option(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter, char* buffer,
+	size_t* _bufferSize)
+{
+	size_t parameterLength = strlen(parameter);
+	status_t status = get_option(args, B_SAFEMODE_DRIVER_SETTINGS, parameter,
+		parameterLength, buffer, _bufferSize);
+	if (status != B_OK) {
+		// Try kernel settings file as a fall back
+		status = get_option(args, "kernel", parameter, parameterLength, buffer,
+			_bufferSize);
 	}
 
 	return status;
 }
 
 
-extern "C" bool
-get_safemode_boolean(const char* parameter, bool defaultValue)
+static bool
+get_boolean(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter, bool defaultValue)
 {
 	char value[16];
 	size_t length = sizeof(value);
 
-	if (get_safemode_option(parameter, value, &length) != B_OK)
+	if (get_option(args, parameter, value, &length) != B_OK)
 		return defaultValue;
 
 	return !strcasecmp(value, "on") || !strcasecmp(value, "true")
@@ -65,6 +200,45 @@ get_safemode_boolean(const char* parameter, bool defaultValue)
 }
 
 
+// #pragma mark -
+
+
+status_t
+get_safemode_option(const char* parameter, char* buffer, size_t* _bufferSize)
+{
+	return get_option(NULL, parameter, buffer, _bufferSize);
+}
+
+
+bool
+get_safemode_boolean(const char* parameter, bool defaultValue)
+{
+	return get_boolean(NULL, parameter, defaultValue);
+}
+
+
+#ifndef _BOOT_MODE
+
+
+status_t
+get_safemode_option_early(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter,
+	char* buffer, size_t* _bufferSize)
+{
+	return get_option(args, parameter, buffer, _bufferSize);
+}
+
+
+bool
+get_safemode_boolean_early(kernel_args* args, const char* parameter,
+	bool defaultValue)
+{
+	return get_boolean(args, parameter, defaultValue);
+}
+
+
+#endif	// _BOOT_MODE
+
+
 //	#pragma mark - syscalls