diff --git a/drivers/char/vt.c b/drivers/char/vt.c
index 1bbb45b..b9b3247 100644
--- a/drivers/char/vt.c
+++ b/drivers/char/vt.c
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ static void blank_screen_t(unsigned long
 static void set_palette(struct vc_data *vc);
 
 static int printable;		/* Is console ready for printing? */
+static int default_utf;
+module_param(default_utf, int, S_IRUGO | S_IWUSR);
 
 /*
  * ignore_poke: don't unblank the screen when things are typed.  This is
@@ -1497,7 +1499,6 @@ static void reset_terminal(struct vc_dat
 	vc->vc_charset		= 0;
 	vc->vc_need_wrap	= 0;
 	vc->vc_report_mouse	= 0;
-	vc->vc_utf		= 0;
 	vc->vc_utf_count	= 0;
 
 	vc->vc_disp_ctrl	= 0;
@@ -2590,6 +2591,7 @@ static void vc_init(struct vc_data *vc, 
 	vc->vc_rows = rows;
 	vc->vc_size_row = cols << 1;
 	vc->vc_screenbuf_size = vc->vc_rows * vc->vc_size_row;
+	vc->vc_utf = default_utf;
 
 	set_origin(vc);
 	vc->vc_pos = vc->vc_origin;