diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig b/kernel/Kconfig
index f68f1874d7a..828631f1b5d 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig
@@ -204,6 +204,20 @@ config BOOT_BANNER
 	This option outputs a banner to the console device during boot up. It
 	also embeds a date & time stamp in the kernel and in each USAP image.
 
+config BOOT_DELAY
+	int "milliseconds to delay boot"
+	prompt "Boot delay"
+	default 0
+	help
+	This option delays bootup for the specified amount of
+	milliseconds. This is used to allow serial ports to get ready
+	before starting to print information on them during boot, as
+	some systems might boot to fast for a receiving endpoint to
+	detect the new USB serial bus, enumerate it and get ready to
+	receive before it actually gets data. A similar effect can be
+	achieved by waiting for DCD on the serial port--however, not
+	all serial ports have DCD.
+
 config BUILD_TIMESTAMP
 	bool
 	prompt "Build Timestamp"
diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index 236d2775693..c409cfd95f2 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -37,7 +37,17 @@ const char * const build_timestamp = BUILD_TIMESTAMP;
 
 /* boot banner items */
 
-#define BOOT_BANNER "BOOTING ZEPHYR OS v" KERNEL_VERSION_STRING
+static const unsigned int boot_delay;
+#if defined(CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY) && CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY > 0
+#define BOOT_DELAY_BANNER " (delayed boot "	\
+	STRINGIFY(CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY) "ms)"
+static const unsigned int boot_delay = CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY;
+#else
+#define BOOT_DELAY_BANNER ""
+static const unsigned int boot_delay;
+#endif
+#define BOOT_BANNER "BOOTING ZEPHYR OS v"	\
+	KERNEL_VERSION_STRING BOOT_DELAY_BANNER
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_BOOT_BANNER)
 #define PRINT_BOOT_BANNER() do { } while (0)
@@ -200,6 +210,13 @@ static void _main(void *unused1, void *unused2, void *unused3)
 
 	_init_static_threads();
 
+	if (boot_delay > 0) {
+		printk("***** delaying boot " STRINGIFY(CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY)
+		       "ms (per build configuration) *****\n");
+		k_sleep(CONFIG_BOOT_DELAY);
+	}
+	PRINT_BOOT_BANNER();
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_BOOT_TIME_MEASUREMENT
 	/* record timestamp for kernel's _main() function */
 	extern u64_t __main_time_stamp;
@@ -360,8 +377,6 @@ FUNC_NORETURN void _Cstart(void)
 
 	/* display boot banner */
 
-	PRINT_BOOT_BANNER();
-
 	switch_to_main_thread();
 
 	/*