diff --git a/arch/nios2/boot/dts/3c120_devboard.dts b/arch/nios2/boot/dts/3c120_devboard.dts
index 31c51f9a2f0973c9d9ee38637ff00b988eb280a2..36ccdf05837dec19988d0be5206257d09a92ecd6 100644
--- a/arch/nios2/boot/dts/3c120_devboard.dts
+++ b/arch/nios2/boot/dts/3c120_devboard.dts
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ partition@800000 {
 	};
 
 	chosen {
-		bootargs = "debug console=ttyJ0,115200";
+		bootargs = "debug earlycon console=ttyJ0,115200";
+		stdout-path = &jtag_uart;
 	};
 };
diff --git a/arch/nios2/kernel/time.c b/arch/nios2/kernel/time.c
index 645129aaa9a016b5e91b2ebc6e42e241ee00f72d..20e86209ef2e03646b49dd1f00324dae0ecedf72 100644
--- a/arch/nios2/kernel/time.c
+++ b/arch/nios2/kernel/time.c
@@ -107,7 +107,10 @@ static struct nios2_clocksource nios2_cs = {
 
 cycles_t get_cycles(void)
 {
-	return nios2_timer_read(&nios2_cs.cs);
+	/* Only read timer if it has been initialized */
+	if (nios2_cs.timer.base)
+		return nios2_timer_read(&nios2_cs.cs);
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(get_cycles);