diff --git a/drivers/tty/hvc/hvc_console.c b/drivers/tty/hvc/hvc_console.c
index 27284a2dcd2b62..436cc51c92c397 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/hvc/hvc_console.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/hvc/hvc_console.c
@@ -302,10 +302,6 @@ int hvc_instantiate(uint32_t vtermno, int index, const struct hv_ops *ops)
 	vtermnos[index] = vtermno;
 	cons_ops[index] = ops;
 
-	/* reserve all indices up to and including this index */
-	if (last_hvc < index)
-		last_hvc = index;
-
 	/* check if we need to re-register the kernel console */
 	hvc_check_console(index);
 
@@ -960,13 +956,22 @@ struct hvc_struct *hvc_alloc(uint32_t vtermno, int data,
 		    cons_ops[i] == hp->ops)
 			break;
 
-	/* no matching slot, just use a counter */
-	if (i >= MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES)
-		i = ++last_hvc;
+	if (i >= MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES) {
+
+		/* find 'empty' slot for console */
+		for (i = 0; i < MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES && vtermnos[i] != -1; i++) {
+		}
+
+		/* no matching slot, just use a counter */
+		if (i == MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES)
+			i = ++last_hvc + MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES;
+	}
 
 	hp->index = i;
-	cons_ops[i] = ops;
-	vtermnos[i] = vtermno;
+	if (i < MAX_NR_HVC_CONSOLES) {
+		cons_ops[i] = ops;
+		vtermnos[i] = vtermno;
+	}
 
 	list_add_tail(&(hp->next), &hvc_structs);
 	mutex_unlock(&hvc_structs_mutex);