diff --git a/pixiecore/boot.ipxe b/pixiecore/boot.ipxe
index 4b1efca..ac33df2 100644
--- a/pixiecore/boot.ipxe
+++ b/pixiecore/boot.ipxe
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ set user-class pixiecore
 
 echo metal-stack pixie
 
+echo Manufacturer: ${manufacturer}
+
+# Detect serial console based on manufacturer.
+# Implicitly ttyS1 is used as console for Supermicro.
+
+set console ttyS1
+set sp:hex 20 && set sp ${sp:string}
+iseq ${manufacturer} Dell${sp}Inc. && set console ttyS0 ||
+iseq ${manufacturer} Giga${sp}Computing && set console ttyS0 ||
+
 # Try to get a filename from ProxyDHCP, retrying a couple of times if
 # we fail.
 :loop
diff --git a/pixiecore/http.go b/pixiecore/http.go
index f809fc2..4482a28 100644
--- a/pixiecore/http.go
+++ b/pixiecore/http.go
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ func ipxeScript(mach Machine, spec *Spec, serverHost string) ([]byte, error) {
 	urlTemplate := fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/_/file?name=%%s&type=%%s&mac=%%s", serverHost)
 	var b bytes.Buffer
 	b.WriteString("#!ipxe\n")
+	b.WriteString("isset ${console} || set console ttyS1\n")
 	u := fmt.Sprintf(urlTemplate, url.QueryEscape(string(spec.Kernel)), "kernel", url.QueryEscape(mach.MAC.String()))
 	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "kernel --name kernel %s\n", u)
 	for i, initrd := range spec.Initrd {
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ func ipxeScript(mach Machine, spec *Spec, serverHost string) ([]byte, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expanding cmdline %q: %w", spec.Cmdline, err)
 	}
+	b.WriteString("console=${console},115200n8 ")
 	b.WriteString(cmdline)
 	b.WriteByte('\n')
 
diff --git a/pixiecore/http_test.go b/pixiecore/http_test.go
index bb23788..2422c34 100644
--- a/pixiecore/http_test.go
+++ b/pixiecore/http_test.go
@@ -66,12 +66,13 @@ func TestIpxe(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	expected := `#!ipxe
+isset ${console} || set console ttyS1
 kernel --name kernel http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=k-01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06-0&type=kernel&mac=01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06
 initrd --name initrd0 http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=i1-01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06-0&type=initrd&mac=01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06
 initrd --name initrd1 http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=i2-01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06-0&type=initrd&mac=01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06
 imgfetch --name ready http://localhost:1234/_/booting?mac=01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06 ||
 imgfree ready ||
-boot kernel initrd=initrd0 initrd=initrd1 thing=http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=f-01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06-0 foo=bar
+boot kernel initrd=initrd0 initrd=initrd1 console=${console},115200n8 thing=http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=f-01%3A02%3A03%3A04%3A05%3A06-0 foo=bar
 `
 	if rr.Body.String() != expected {
 		t.Fatalf("Wrong iPXE script\nwant: %s\ngot:  %s", expected, rr.Body.String())
@@ -91,12 +92,13 @@ boot kernel initrd=initrd0 initrd=initrd1 thing=http://localhost:1234/_/file?nam
 	}
 
 	expected = `#!ipxe
+isset ${console} || set console ttyS1
 kernel --name kernel http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=k-fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe-1&type=kernel&mac=fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe
 initrd --name initrd0 http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=i1-fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe-1&type=initrd&mac=fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe
 initrd --name initrd1 http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=i2-fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe-1&type=initrd&mac=fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe
 imgfetch --name ready http://localhost:1234/_/booting?mac=fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe ||
 imgfree ready ||
-boot kernel initrd=initrd0 initrd=initrd1 thing=http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=f-fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe-1 foo=bar
+boot kernel initrd=initrd0 initrd=initrd1 console=${console},115200n8 thing=http://localhost:1234/_/file?name=f-fe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe%3Afe-1 foo=bar
 `
 	if rr.Body.String() != expected {
 		t.Fatalf("Wrong iPXE script\nwant: %s\ngot:  %s", expected, rr.Body.String())