diff --git a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
index 4b8faa5daf31a08da29a89d125d4342ece85fa0c..4a6cc6566085d8e338a0431b9471fd96e3d019be 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc85xx/cpu_init.c
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ void cpu_init_f (void)
 	invalidate_cpc();
 }
 
+/* Implement a dummy function for those platforms w/o SERDES */
+static void __fsl_serdes__init(void)
+{
+	return ;
+}
+__attribute__((weak, alias("__fsl_serdes__init"))) void fsl_serdes_init(void);
 
 /*
  * Initialize L2 as cache.
@@ -375,10 +381,8 @@ int cpu_init_r(void)
 	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();
diff --git a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
index 5c5be0ce919e72f51811d3ef10de7c1efaac3ea6..7473834c5ed54072da7c3925bb11d60b0eb3aeac 100644
--- a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
+++ b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@
 #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*/
diff --git a/include/configs/P1022DS.h b/include/configs/P1022DS.h
index 7e6c40fc6fe006efc6d2b2e4ae8b2d0f3f3b2499..272bd9ff63dd4562e832c49f34818df351e07f8c 100644
--- a/include/configs/P1022DS.h
+++ b/include/configs/P1022DS.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #define CONFIG_FSL_PCI_INIT		/* Use common FSL init code */
 #define CONFIG_FSL_PCIE_RESET		/* need PCIe reset errata */
 #define CONFIG_SYS_PCI_64BIT		/* enable 64-bit PCI resources */
-#define CONFIG_SYS_HAS_SERDES		/* has SERDES */
 
 #define CONFIG_PHYS_64BIT
 #define CONFIG_ENABLE_36BIT_PHYS
diff --git a/include/configs/corenet_ds.h b/include/configs/corenet_ds.h
index 454a30a040c4528c1af9e90729e4f08b747d31db..e1cd1b0b09c2cf53361e80ad69c4e77038679256 100644
--- a/include/configs/corenet_ds.h
+++ b/include/configs/corenet_ds.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 #define CONFIG_PCIE3			/* PCIE controler 3 */
 #define CONFIG_FSL_PCI_INIT		/* Use common FSL init code */
 #define CONFIG_SYS_PCI_64BIT		/* enable 64-bit PCI resources */
-#define CONFIG_SYS_HAS_SERDES		/* has SERDES */
 
 #define CONFIG_SRIO1			/* SRIO port 1 */
 #define CONFIG_SRIO2			/* SRIO port 2 */