diff --git a/python/qemu/console_socket.py b/python/qemu/console_socket.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1f74e60ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/qemu/console_socket.py
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
+# This python module implements a ConsoleSocket object which is
+# designed always drain the socket itself, and place
+# the bytes into a in memory buffer for later processing.
+#
+# Optionally a file path can be passed in and we will also
+# dump the characters to this file for debug.
+#
+# Copyright 2020 Linaro
+#
+# Authors:
+#  Robert Foley <robert.foley@linaro.org>
+#
+# This code is licensed under the GPL version 2 or later.  See
+# the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+#
+import asyncore
+import socket
+import threading
+import io
+import os
+import sys
+from collections import deque
+import time
+import traceback
+
+class ConsoleSocket(asyncore.dispatcher):
+
+    def __init__(self, address, file=None):
+        self._recv_timeout_sec = 300
+        self._buffer = deque()
+        self._asyncore_thread = None
+        self._sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        self._sock.connect(address)
+        self._logfile = None
+        if file:
+            self._logfile = open(file, "w")
+        asyncore.dispatcher.__init__(self, sock=self._sock)
+        self._thread_start()
+        self._open = True
+
+    def _thread_start(self):
+        """Kick off a thread to wait on the asyncore.loop"""
+        if self._asyncore_thread is not None:
+            return
+        self._asyncore_thread = threading.Thread(target=asyncore.loop,
+                                                 kwargs={'timeout':1})
+        self._asyncore_thread.daemon = True
+        self._asyncore_thread.start()
+
+    def handle_close(self):
+        """redirect close to base class"""
+        # Call the base class close, but not self.close() since
+        # handle_close() occurs in the context of the thread which
+        # self.close() attempts to join.
+        asyncore.dispatcher.close(self)
+
+    def close(self):
+        """Close the base object and wait for the thread to terminate"""
+        if self._open:
+            self._open = False
+            asyncore.dispatcher.close(self)
+            if self._asyncore_thread is not None:
+                thread, self._asyncore_thread = self._asyncore_thread, None
+                thread.join()
+            if self._logfile:
+                self._logfile.close()
+                self._logfile = None
+
+    def handle_read(self):
+        """process arriving characters into in memory _buffer"""
+        try:
+            data = asyncore.dispatcher.recv(self, 1)
+            # latin1 is needed since there are some chars
+            # we are receiving that cannot be encoded to utf-8
+            # such as 0xe2, 0x80, 0xA6.
+            string = data.decode("latin1")
+        except:
+            print("Exception seen.")
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            return
+        if self._logfile:
+            self._logfile.write("{}".format(string))
+            self._logfile.flush()
+        for c in string:
+            self._buffer.append(c)
+
+    def recv(self, n=1):
+        """Return chars from in memory buffer"""
+        start_time = time.time()
+        while len(self._buffer) < n:
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+            elapsed_sec = time.time() - start_time
+            if elapsed_sec > self._recv_timeout_sec:
+                raise socket.timeout
+        chars = ''.join([self._buffer.popleft() for i in range(n)])
+        # We choose to use latin1 to remain consistent with
+        # handle_read() and give back the same data as the user would
+        # receive if they were reading directly from the
+        # socket w/o our intervention.
+        return chars.encode("latin1")
+
+    def set_blocking(self):
+        """Maintain compatibility with socket API"""
+        pass
+
+    def settimeout(self, seconds):
+        """Set current timeout on recv"""
+        self._recv_timeout_sec = seconds
+
+class ByteBuffer(deque):
+    """Simple in memory buffer with read/write interface"""
+    def write(self, bytes):
+        for i in bytes:
+            self.append(i)
+    def read(self, n):
+        return ''.join([self.popleft() for i in range(n)])
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # Brief test to exercise the above code.
+    # The ConsoleSocket will ship some data to the server,
+    # the server will echo it back and the client will echo what it received.
+
+    # First remove the socket.
+    address = "./test_console_socket"
+    if os.path.exists(address):
+        os.unlink(address)
+
+    # Create the server side.
+    server_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    server_socket.bind(address)
+    server_socket.listen(1)
+
+    # Create the object we are trying to test.
+    console_socket = ConsoleSocket(address, file="./logfile.txt")
+
+    # Generate some data and ship it over the socket.
+    send_data = ""
+    for i in range(10):
+        send_data += "this is a test message {}\n".format(i)
+    console_socket.send(send_data.encode('latin1'))
+    connection, client_address = server_socket.accept()
+
+    # Process the data on the server and ship it back.
+    data = connection.recv(len(send_data))
+    print("server received: {}".format(data))
+    print("server: sending data back to the client")
+    connection.sendall(data)
+
+    # Client receives teh bytes and displays them.
+    print("client: receiving bytes")
+    bytes = console_socket.recv(len(data))
+    recv_data = bytes.decode('latin1')
+    print("client received: {}".format(recv_data))
+    assert(recv_data == send_data)
+    # Close console connection first, then close server.
+    console_socket.close()
+    connection.close()
+    server_socket.close()
+    print("test successful.")
+
diff --git a/python/qemu/machine.py b/python/qemu/machine.py
index 183d8f3d38..a995b8db3a 100644
--- a/python/qemu/machine.py
+++ b/python/qemu/machine.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import subprocess
 import shutil
 import socket
 import tempfile
+from qemu.console_socket import ConsoleSocket
 
 from . import qmp
 
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
 
     def __init__(self, binary, args=None, wrapper=None, name=None,
                  test_dir="/var/tmp", monitor_address=None,
-                 socket_scm_helper=None, sock_dir=None):
+                 socket_scm_helper=None, sock_dir=None,
+                 drain_console=False, console_log=None):
         '''
         Initialize a QEMUMachine
 
@@ -82,6 +84,9 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         @param test_dir: where to create socket and log file
         @param monitor_address: address for QMP monitor
         @param socket_scm_helper: helper program, required for send_fd_scm()
+        @param sock_dir: where to create socket (overrides test_dir for sock)
+        @param console_log: (optional) path to console log file
+        @param drain_console: (optional) True to drain console socket to buffer
         @note: Qemu process is not started until launch() is used.
         '''
         if args is None:
@@ -118,6 +123,12 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         self._console_address = None
         self._console_socket = None
         self._remove_files = []
+        self._console_log_path = console_log
+        if self._console_log_path:
+            # In order to log the console, buffering needs to be enabled.
+            self._drain_console = True
+        else:
+            self._drain_console = drain_console
 
         # just in case logging wasn't configured by the main script:
         logging.basicConfig()
@@ -566,7 +577,11 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         Returns a socket connected to the console
         """
         if self._console_socket is None:
-            self._console_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX,
-                                                 socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-            self._console_socket.connect(self._console_address)
+            if self._drain_console:
+                self._console_socket = ConsoleSocket(self._console_address,
+                                                     file=self._console_log_path)
+            else:
+                self._console_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX,
+                                                     socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+                self._console_socket.connect(self._console_address)
         return self._console_socket
diff --git a/tests/vm/Makefile.include b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
index 419e0f8613..fb61f10619 100644
--- a/tests/vm/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ endif
 	@echo "    J=[0..9]*            	 - Override the -jN parameter for make commands"
 	@echo "    DEBUG=1              	 - Enable verbose output on host and interactive debugging"
 	@echo "    BOOT_CONSOLE=1        	 - Show the console output at boot time. "
+	@echo "    LOG_CONSOLE=1        	 - Log console to file in: ~/.cache/qemu-vm "
 	@echo "    V=1				 - Enable verbose ouput on host and guest commands"
 	@echo "    QEMU_LOCAL=1                 - Use QEMU binary local to this build."
 	@echo "    QEMU=/path/to/qemu		 - Change path to QEMU binary"
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img:	$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/% \
 		$(PYTHON) $< \
 		$(if $(V)$(DEBUG), --debug) \
 		$(if $(BOOT_CONSOLE),--boot-console) \
+		$(if $(LOG_CONSOLE),--log-console) \
 		--build-path $(BUILD_DIR)\
 		--image "$@" \
 		--force \
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ vm-build-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img
 		$(if $(J),--jobs $(J)) \
 		$(if $(V),--verbose) \
 		$(if $(BOOT_CONSOLE),--boot-console) \
+		$(if $(LOG_CONSOLE),--log-console) \
 		--build-path $(BUILD_DIR)\
 		--image "$<" \
 		$(if $(BUILD_TARGET),--build-target $(BUILD_TARGET)) \
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ vm-boot-ssh-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img
 		$(PYTHON) $(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/$* \
 		$(if $(J),--jobs $(J)) \
 		$(if $(BOOT_CONSOLE),--boot-console) \
+		$(if $(LOG_CONSOLE),--log-console) \
 		--build-path $(BUILD_DIR)\
 		--image "$<" \
 		--interactive \
diff --git a/tests/vm/basevm.py b/tests/vm/basevm.py
index bd4a1f9639..e39670635a 100644
--- a/tests/vm/basevm.py
+++ b/tests/vm/basevm.py
@@ -81,12 +81,14 @@ class BaseVM(object):
     poweroff = "poweroff"
     # enable IPv6 networking
     ipv6 = True
+    # This is the timeout on the wait for console bytes.
+    socket_timeout = 120
     # Scale up some timeouts under TCG.
     # 4 is arbitrary, but greater than 2,
     # since we found we need to wait more than twice as long.
     tcg_ssh_timeout_multiplier = 4
     def __init__(self, debug=False, vcpus=None, config=None,
-                 boot_console=False, build_path=None):
+                 boot_console=False, build_path=None, log_console=False):
         self._guest = None
         self._build_path = build_path
         self._boot_console = boot_console
@@ -113,6 +115,11 @@ class BaseVM(object):
         open(self._ssh_tmp_pub_key_file,
              "w").write(self._config['ssh_pub_key'])
 
+        self._console_log_path = None
+        if log_console:
+                self._console_log_path = \
+                         os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~/.cache/qemu-vm"),
+                                      "{}.install.log".format(self.name))
         self.debug = debug
         self._stderr = sys.stderr
         self._devnull = open(os.devnull, "w")
@@ -259,7 +266,9 @@ class BaseVM(object):
         args += ["-device", "VGA"]
         logging.debug("QEMU args: %s", " ".join(args))
         qemu_path = get_qemu_path(self.arch, self._build_path)
-        guest = QEMUMachine(binary=qemu_path, args=args)
+        guest = QEMUMachine(binary=qemu_path, args=args,
+                            console_log=self._console_log_path,
+                            drain_console=True)
         guest.set_machine(self._config['machine'])
         guest.set_console()
         try:
@@ -273,6 +282,8 @@ class BaseVM(object):
             raise
         atexit.register(self.shutdown)
         self._guest = guest
+        # Init console so we can start consuming the chars.
+        self.console_init()
         usernet_info = guest.qmp("human-monitor-command",
                                  command_line="info usernet")
         self.ssh_port = None
@@ -284,7 +295,9 @@ class BaseVM(object):
             raise Exception("Cannot find ssh port from 'info usernet':\n%s" % \
                             usernet_info)
 
-    def console_init(self, timeout = 120):
+    def console_init(self, timeout = None):
+        if timeout == None:
+            timeout = self.socket_timeout
         vm = self._guest
         vm.console_socket.settimeout(timeout)
 
@@ -559,6 +572,8 @@ def parse_args(vmcls):
                       help="Show console during boot. ")
     parser.add_option("--build-path", default=None,
                       help="Path of build directory. ")
+    parser.add_option("--log-console", action="store_true",
+                      help="Log console to file.")
     parser.disable_interspersed_args()
     return parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -575,7 +590,8 @@ def main(vmcls, config=None):
                                    else logging.WARN))
         vm = vmcls(debug=args.debug, vcpus=args.jobs, config=config,
                    boot_console=args.boot_console,
-                   build_path=args.build_path)
+                   build_path=args.build_path,
+                   log_console=args.log_console)
         if args.build_image:
             if os.path.exists(args.image) and not args.force:
                 sys.stderr.writelines(["Image file exists: %s\n" % args.image,
