diff --git a/sh.Linux/init-early.sh b/sh.Linux/init-early.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..680d63de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sh.Linux/init-early.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Try and set a font and as early as we can
+termencoding="(K"
+[ -e "${RC_LIBDIR}"/console/unicode ] && termencoding="%G"
+printf "\033%s" "${termencoding}"
+if [ -r "${RC_LIBDIR}"/console/font -a -x /bin/setfont ] ; then
+	font="$(cat "${RC_LIBDIR}"/console/font)"
+	CONSOLE="${CONSOLE:-/dev/console}"
+	[ -c "${CONSOLE}" ] && cons="-C ${CONSOLE}"
+	setfont ${cons} "${RC_LIBDIR}"/console/"${font}"
+fi