diff --git a/net/netconsole.c b/net/netconsole.c
index c817107..99b9984 100644
--- a/net/netconsole.c
+++ b/net/netconsole.c
@@ -52,24 +52,6 @@
 	kfifo_put(priv->fifo, packet, net_eth_to_udplen(pkt));
 }
 
-static int nc_init(void)
-{
-	struct nc_priv *priv = g_priv;
-
-	if (priv->con)
-		net_unregister(priv->con);
-
-	priv->con = net_udp_new(priv->ip, priv->port, nc_handler, NULL);
-	if (IS_ERR(priv->con)) {
-		int ret = PTR_ERR(priv->con);
-		priv->con = NULL;
-		return ret;
-	}
-
-	net_udp_bind(priv->con, priv->port);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int nc_getc(struct console_device *cdev)
 {
 	struct nc_priv *priv = container_of(cdev,
@@ -123,9 +105,39 @@
 	priv->busy = 0;
 }
 
-static int nc_port_set(struct param_d *p, void *_priv)
+static int nc_set_active(struct console_device *cdev, unsigned flags)
 {
-	nc_init();
+	struct nc_priv *priv = container_of(cdev,
+					struct nc_priv, cdev);
+
+	if (priv->con) {
+		net_unregister(priv->con);
+		priv->con = NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (!flags)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (!priv->port) {
+		pr_err("port not set\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (!priv->ip) {
+		pr_err("ip not set\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	priv->con = net_udp_new(priv->ip, priv->port, nc_handler, NULL);
+	if (IS_ERR(priv->con)) {
+		int ret = PTR_ERR(priv->con);
+		priv->con = NULL;
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	net_udp_bind(priv->con, priv->port);
+
+	pr_info("netconsole initialized with %s:%d\n", ip_to_string(priv->ip), priv->port);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -142,6 +154,7 @@
 	cdev->putc = nc_putc;
 	cdev->getc = nc_getc;
 	cdev->devname = "netconsole";
+	cdev->set_active = nc_set_active;
 
 	g_priv = priv;
 
@@ -157,7 +170,7 @@
 	priv->port = 6666;
 
 	dev_add_param_ip(&cdev->class_dev, "ip", NULL, NULL, &priv->ip, NULL);
-	dev_add_param_int(&cdev->class_dev, "port", nc_port_set, NULL, &priv->port, "%u", NULL);
+	dev_add_param_int(&cdev->class_dev, "port", NULL, NULL, &priv->port, "%u", NULL);
 
 	pr_info("registered as %s%d\n", cdev->class_dev.name, cdev->class_dev.id);