diff --git a/drivers/video/console/vgacon.c b/drivers/video/console/vgacon.c
index a992d922b3a7..23f15f42e5cb 100644
--- a/drivers/video/console/vgacon.c
+++ b/drivers/video/console/vgacon.c
@@ -370,11 +370,17 @@ static void vgacon_init(struct vc_data *c, int init)
 	struct uni_pagedir *p;
 
 	/*
-	 * We cannot be loaded as a module, therefore init is always 1,
-	 * but vgacon_init can be called more than once, and init will
-	 * not be 1.
+	 * We cannot be loaded as a module, therefore init will be 1
+	 * if we are the default console, however if we are a fallback
+	 * console, for example if fbcon has failed registration, then
+	 * init will be 0, so we need to make sure our boot parameters
+	 * have been copied to the console structure for vgacon_resize
+	 * ultimately called by vc_resize.  Any subsequent calls to
+	 * vgacon_init init will have init set to 0 too.
 	 */
 	c->vc_can_do_color = vga_can_do_color;
+	c->vc_scan_lines = vga_scan_lines;
+	c->vc_font.height = c->vc_cell_height = vga_video_font_height;
 
 	/* set dimensions manually if init != 0 since vc_resize() will fail */
 	if (init) {
@@ -383,8 +389,6 @@ static void vgacon_init(struct vc_data *c, int init)
 	} else
 		vc_resize(c, vga_video_num_columns, vga_video_num_lines);
 
-	c->vc_scan_lines = vga_scan_lines;
-	c->vc_font.height = c->vc_cell_height = vga_video_font_height;
 	c->vc_complement_mask = 0x7700;
 	if (vga_512_chars)
 		c->vc_hi_font_mask = 0x0800;