diff --git a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.cpp b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.cpp
index 43fb6b561c..ea9c462882 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ static bool sSyslogOutputEnabled = true;
 static bool sBlueScreenEnabled = false;
 	// must always be false on startup
 static bool sDebugScreenEnabled = false;
+static bool sSerialInputEnabled = false;
 static bool sBlueScreenOutput = true;
 static bool sEmergencyKeysEnabled = true;
 static spinlock sSpinlock = B_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
@@ -662,6 +663,9 @@ read_line(char* buffer, int32 maxLength,
 char
 kgetc(void)
 {
+	if (sSerialInputEnabled)
+		return arch_debug_serial_getchar();
+
 	// give the kernel debugger modules a chance first
 	for (uint32 i = 0; i < kMaxDebuggerModules; i++) {
 		if (sDebuggerModules[i] && sDebuggerModules[i]->debugger_getchar) {
@@ -996,6 +1000,16 @@ cmd_dump_syslog(int argc, char** argv)
 }
 
 
+static int
+cmd_serial_input(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+	sSerialInputEnabled = !sSerialInputEnabled;
+	kprintf("Serial input is turned %s now.\n",
+		sSerialInputEnabled ? "on" : "off");
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 cmd_switch_cpu(int argc, char** argv)
 {
@@ -1209,6 +1223,9 @@ syslog_init(struct kernel_args* args)
 		"[-n]\nDumps the whole syslog buffer, or, if -n is specified, only "
 		"the part that hasn't been sent yet.\n", 0);
 
+	add_debugger_command("serial_input", &cmd_serial_input,
+		"Enable or disable serial input");
+
 	return B_OK;
 
 err2: