diff --git a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
index d491e2a..5d5b4c2 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@
 
 DECLARE_GLOBAL_DATA_PTR;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MPC8536
-extern void fsl_serdes_init(void);
-#endif
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_QE
 extern qe_iop_conf_t qe_iop_conf_tab[];
 extern void qe_config_iopin(u8 port, u8 pin, int dir,
@@ -185,9 +181,6 @@
 	/* Config QE ioports */
 	config_qe_ioports();
 #endif
-#if defined(CONFIG_MPC8536)
-	fsl_serdes_init();
-#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_FSL_DMA)
 	dma_init();
 #endif
@@ -332,6 +325,11 @@
 	qe_reset();
 #endif
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_SYS_HAS_SERDES)
+	/* needs to be in ram since code uses global static vars */
+	fsl_serdes_init();
+#endif
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_MP)
 	setup_mp();
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/mpc8536_serdes.c b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/mpc8536_serdes.c
index 7e72f5f..6dadeb8 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/mpc8536_serdes.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/mpc8536_serdes.c
@@ -66,10 +66,11 @@
 #define FSL_SRDSCR3_LANEE_SGMII	0x00000000
 #define FSL_SRDSCR3_LANEE_SATA	0x00150005
 
-
 #define SRDS1_MAX_LANES		8
 #define SRDS2_MAX_LANES		2
 
+static u32 serdes1_prtcl_map, serdes2_prtcl_map;
+
 static u8 serdes1_cfg_tbl[][SRDS1_MAX_LANES] = {
 	[0x2] = {PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, NONE, NONE, NONE, NONE},
 	[0x3] = {PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1, PCIE1},
@@ -86,39 +87,12 @@
 
 int is_serdes_configured(enum srds_prtcl device)
 {
-	int i;
-	ccsr_gur_t *gur = (void *)(CONFIG_SYS_MPC85xx_GUTS_ADDR);
-	u32 pordevsr = in_be32(&gur->pordevsr);
-	u32 srds1_cfg = (pordevsr & MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_IO_SEL) >>
-				MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_IO_SEL_SHIFT;
+	int ret = (1 << device) & serdes1_prtcl_map;
 
-	u32 srds2_cfg = (pordevsr & MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_SRDS2_IO_SEL) >>
-				GUTS_PORDEVSR_SERDES2_IO_SEL_SHIFT;
-
-	debug("%s: dev = %d\n", __FUNCTION__, device);
-	debug("PORDEVSR[IO_SEL] = %x\n", srds1_cfg);
-	debug("PORDEVSR[SRDS2_IO_SEL] = %x\n", srds2_cfg);
-
-	if (srds1_cfg > ARRAY_SIZE(serdes1_cfg_tbl)) {
-		printf("Invalid PORDEVSR[IO_SEL] = %d\n", srds1_cfg);
-		return 0;
-	}
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
-	if (srds2_cfg > ARRAY_SIZE(serdes2_cfg_tbl)) {
-		printf("Invalid PORDEVSR[SRDS2_IO_SEL] = %d\n", srds2_cfg);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < SRDS1_MAX_LANES; i++) {
-		if (serdes1_cfg_tbl[srds1_cfg][i] == device)
-			return 1;
-	}
-	for (i = 0; i < SRDS2_MAX_LANES; i++) {
-		if (serdes2_cfg_tbl[srds2_cfg][i] == device)
-			return 1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
+	return (1 << device) & serdes2_prtcl_map;
 }
 
 void fsl_serdes_init(void)
@@ -126,13 +100,20 @@
 	void *guts = (void *)(CONFIG_SYS_MPC85xx_GUTS_ADDR);
 	void *sd = (void *)CONFIG_SYS_MPC85xx_SERDES2_ADDR;
 	u32 pordevsr = in_be32(guts + GUTS_PORDEVSR_OFFS);
-	u32 srds2_io_sel;
+	u32 srds1_io_sel, srds2_io_sel;
 	u32 tmp;
+	int lane;
+
+	srds1_io_sel = (pordevsr & MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_IO_SEL) >>
+				MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_IO_SEL_SHIFT;
 
 	/* parse the SRDS2_IO_SEL of PORDEVSR */
 	srds2_io_sel = (pordevsr & GUTS_PORDEVSR_SERDES2_IO_SEL)
 		       >> GUTS_PORDEVSR_SERDES2_IO_SEL_SHIFT;
 
+	debug("PORDEVSR[SRDS1_IO_SEL] = %x\n", srds1_io_sel);
+	debug("PORDEVSR[SRDS2_IO_SEL] = %x\n", srds2_io_sel);
+
 	switch (srds2_io_sel) {
 	case 1:	/* Lane A - SATA1, Lane E - SATA2 */
 		/* CR 0 */
@@ -246,4 +227,23 @@
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
+
+	if (srds1_io_sel > ARRAY_SIZE(serdes1_cfg_tbl)) {
+		printf("Invalid PORDEVSR[SRDS1_IO_SEL] = %d\n", srds1_io_sel);
+		return;
+	}
+	for (lane = 0; lane < SRDS1_MAX_LANES; lane++) {
+		enum srds_prtcl lane_prtcl = serdes1_cfg_tbl[srds1_io_sel][lane];
+		serdes1_prtcl_map |= (1 << lane_prtcl);
+	}
+
+	if (srds2_io_sel > ARRAY_SIZE(serdes2_cfg_tbl)) {
+		printf("Invalid PORDEVSR[SRDS2_IO_SEL] = %d\n", srds2_io_sel);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	for (lane = 0; lane < SRDS2_MAX_LANES; lane++) {
+		enum srds_prtcl lane_prtcl = serdes2_cfg_tbl[srds2_io_sel][lane];
+		serdes2_prtcl_map |= (1 << lane_prtcl);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/fsl_serdes.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/fsl_serdes.h
index d4839f4..c7877b9 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/fsl_serdes.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/fsl_serdes.h
@@ -44,5 +44,6 @@
 };
 
 int is_serdes_configured(enum srds_prtcl device);
+void fsl_serdes_init(void);
 
 #endif /* __FSL_SERDES_H */
diff --git a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
index 24a75c6..890a6c9 100644
--- a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
+++ b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 #define CONFIG_FSL_PCI_INIT	1	/* Use common FSL init code */
 #define CONFIG_FSL_PCIE_RESET	1	/* need PCIe reset errata */
 #define CONFIG_SYS_PCI_64BIT	1	/* enable 64-bit PCI resources */
+#define CONFIG_SYS_HAS_SERDES		/* has SERDES */
 
 #define CONFIG_FSL_LAW		1	/* Use common FSL init code */
 #define CONFIG_E1000		1	/* Defind e1000 pci Ethernet card*/