diff --git a/Makefile.flags b/Makefile.flags
index b445bad..238e84d 100644
--- a/Makefile.flags
+++ b/Makefile.flags
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 .SILENT:
 
 
+# HELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET   Supress on-screen kernel output (not supressing serial output)
+export BUILD_OPTIONS = -DHELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET
+
+
 FLAGS_DIR := $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 SELF_DIR   = $(dir $@)
 
@@ -18,8 +22,8 @@ export FASM = echo "  FASM  $^" && fasm >/dev/null
 export INCLUDEFLAGS = -I/usr/include/efi -I/usr/include/efi/x86_64
 
 export CPPFLAGS =
-export CFLAGS   = $(INCLUDEFLAGS) -DHELOS -O2 -Wno-attributes -fPIE -ffreestanding -nostdlib -mcmodel=large -mno-red-zone
-export CXXFLAGS = $(INCLUDEFLAGS) -DHELOS -O2 -Wno-unused-result -std=c++17 -fPIE -ffreestanding -nostdlib -mcmodel=large -mno-red-zone -fno-exceptions -fno-rtti
+export CFLAGS   = $(INCLUDEFLAGS) -DHELOS $(BUILD_OPTIONS) -O2 -Wno-attributes -fPIE -ffreestanding -nostdlib -mcmodel=large -mno-red-zone
+export CXXFLAGS = $(INCLUDEFLAGS) -DHELOS $(BUILD_OPTIONS) -O2 -Wno-unused-result -std=c++17 -fPIE -ffreestanding -nostdlib -mcmodel=large -mno-red-zone -fno-exceptions -fno-rtti
 export LDFLAGS  = -T Linker.ld -O2 -eefiMain -nostdlib -shared -fPIE -ffreestanding -Wl,--dynamicbase,--subsystem,10 -o Main.efi -s
 export LDLIBS   = ../Unifont/unifont.o -lgcc
 
diff --git a/runtime/stdio.c b/runtime/stdio.c
index 26bd79e..92d3642 100644
--- a/runtime/stdio.c
+++ b/runtime/stdio.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 void _putchar(char c) {
 	pic_serial_Write(&pic_serial_COM1, &c, 1);
 
+#ifndef HELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET
 	if (!graphics_Framebuffer) {
 		UINT16 buf[2] = {c, 0};
 		efiStdout->OutputString(efiStdout, buf);
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ void _putchar(char c) {
 			graphics_SwapBuffer();
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 int     __io_WriteConsole_bufSize = 512;
@@ -43,11 +45,12 @@ void __io_WriteConsole_ResizeBuffer(int size) {
 }
 
 void io_WriteConsole(const char *str) {
+	pic_serial_Write(&pic_serial_COM1, str, 0);
+
+#ifndef HELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET
 	int size = 0;           // don't include the \0 at the end here
 	int len  = strlen(str); // left the \0 out here too
 
-	pic_serial_Write(&pic_serial_COM1, str, len);
-
 	for (int i = 0;
 		 i < len;
 		 i += utf8_Decode(str + i, len - i, NULL), size++) {}
@@ -66,11 +69,13 @@ void io_WriteConsole(const char *str) {
 	} else {
 		console_WriteUTF16(&HelosGraphics_Color_White, __io_WriteConsole_buffer, 0);
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 void io_WriteConsoleASCII(const char *str) {
 	pic_serial_Write(&pic_serial_COM1, str, 0);
 
+#ifndef HELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET
 	if (!graphics_Framebuffer) {
 		int len = strlen(str);
 		__io_WriteConsole_ResizeBuffer(len + 1);
@@ -80,6 +85,7 @@ void io_WriteConsoleASCII(const char *str) {
 	} else {
 		console_WriteASCII(&HelosGraphics_Color_White, str, 0);
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 char __io_Printf_buffer[4096];
@@ -96,10 +102,14 @@ int io_Printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
 }
 
 EFI_INPUT_KEY io_PauseForKeystroke() {
+#ifdef HELOS_RUNTIME_QUIET
+	EFI_INPUT_KEY k = {0, 0};
+	return k;
+#else
 	UINTN         index;
 	EFI_INPUT_KEY key;
 	efiBootServices->WaitForEvent(1, &efiStdin->WaitForKey, &index);
 	efiSystemTable->ConIn->ReadKeyStroke(efiSystemTable->ConIn, &key);
-
 	return key;
+#endif
 }