diff --git a/files/apts/ironic b/files/apts/ironic
index 45fdeccbb4..f6c7b74494 100644
--- a/files/apts/ironic
+++ b/files/apts/ironic
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ python-libvirt
 qemu
 qemu-kvm
 qemu-utils
+sgabios
 syslinux
 tftpd-hpa
 xinetd
diff --git a/files/rpms/ironic b/files/rpms/ironic
index e646f3a8aa..0a46314964 100644
--- a/files/rpms/ironic
+++ b/files/rpms/ironic
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ net-tools
 openssh-clients
 openvswitch
 python-libguestfs
+sgabios
 syslinux
 tftp-server
 xinetd
diff --git a/lib/ironic b/lib/ironic
index afe69f2df8..a8a78d42b2 100644
--- a/lib/ironic
+++ b/lib/ironic
@@ -147,6 +147,14 @@ function install_ironic {
     if [[ "$IRONIC_IPXE_ENABLED" == "True" ]] ; then
         install_apache_wsgi
     fi
+
+    if [[ "$IRONIC_VM_LOG_CONSOLE" == "True" ]] && is_ubuntu; then
+        # Ubuntu packaging+apparmor issue prevents libvirt from loading
+        # the ROM from /usr/share/misc.  Workaround by installing it directly
+        # to a directory that it can read from. (LP: #1393548)
+        sudo rm -rf /usr/share/qemu/sgabios.bin
+        sudo cp /usr/share/misc/sgabios.bin /usr/share/qemu/sgabios.bin
+    fi
 }
 
 # install_ironicclient() - Collect sources and prepare
diff --git a/tools/ironic/scripts/configure-vm b/tools/ironic/scripts/configure-vm
index 4c42c491c5..378fcb85ad 100755
--- a/tools/ironic/scripts/configure-vm
+++ b/tools/ironic/scripts/configure-vm
@@ -78,8 +78,10 @@ def main():
             params['emulator'] = "/usr/bin/qemu-kvm"
 
     if args.console_log:
+        params['bios_serial'] = "<bios useserial='yes'/>"
         params['console_log'] = CONSOLE_LOG % {'console_log': args.console_log}
     else:
+        params['bios_serial'] = ''
         params['console_log'] = ''
     libvirt_template = source_template % params
     conn = libvirt.open("qemu:///system")
diff --git a/tools/ironic/templates/vm.xml b/tools/ironic/templates/vm.xml
index 4f40334b7d..ae7d685256 100644
--- a/tools/ironic/templates/vm.xml
+++ b/tools/ironic/templates/vm.xml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     <type arch='%(arch)s' machine='pc-1.0'>hvm</type>
     <boot dev='%(bootdev)s'/>
     <bootmenu enable='no'/>
+    %(bios_serial)s
   </os>
   <features>
     <acpi/>