diff --git a/Documentation/user/networking.rst b/Documentation/user/networking.rst
index 6802138..6eeb93d 100644
--- a/Documentation/user/networking.rst
+++ b/Documentation/user/networking.rst
@@ -61,15 +61,15 @@
 barebox has a UDP-based network console. If enabled in the config, you will see
 something like this during startup::
 
-  registered netconsole as cs1
+  registered netconsole as netconsole
 
 By default the network console is disabled during runtime to prevent security
 risks. It can be enabled using:
 
 .. code-block:: sh
 
-  cs1.ip=192.168.23.2
-  cs1.active=ioe
+  netconsole.ip=192.168.23.2
+  netconsole.active=ioe
 
 This will send UDP packets to 192.168.23.2 on port 6666. On 192.168.23.2 the
 scripts/netconsole script can be used to control barebox:
diff --git a/common/console.c b/common/console.c
index e5f4267..c092621 100644
--- a/common/console.c
+++ b/common/console.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 	struct console_device *cdev = to_console_dev(dev);
 	char active[4];
 	unsigned int flag = 0, i = 0;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (val) {
 		if (strchr(val, 'i') && cdev->getc) {
@@ -90,6 +91,12 @@
 			cdev->setbrg(cdev, cdev->baudrate);
 	}
 
+	if (cdev->set_active) {
+		ret = cdev->set_active(cdev, flag);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
+
 	active[i] = 0;
 	cdev->f_active = flag;
 
diff --git a/include/console.h b/include/console.h
index 97a406d..beafb4d 100644
--- a/include/console.h
+++ b/include/console.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 	int (*setbrg)(struct console_device *cdev, int baudrate);
 	void (*flush)(struct console_device *cdev);
 	int (*set_mode)(struct console_device *cdev, enum console_mode mode);
+	int (*set_active)(struct console_device *cdev, unsigned active);
 
 	char *devname;
 
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);