diff --git a/metropolis/installer/BUILD.bazel b/metropolis/installer/BUILD.bazel
index 442213b..0e57108 100644
--- a/metropolis/installer/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/metropolis/installer/BUILD.bazel
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 efi_unified_kernel_image(
     name = "kernel",
+    cmdline = "console=ttyS0",
     initramfs = ":initramfs",
     kernel = "//third_party/linux",
     os_release = ":installer-release-info",
diff --git a/metropolis/installer/main.go b/metropolis/installer/main.go
index e3a4896..4e6d6e0 100644
--- a/metropolis/installer/main.go
+++ b/metropolis/installer/main.go
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@
 
 import (
 	"archive/zip"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 
@@ -203,12 +205,22 @@
 	if err != nil {
 		panicf("While reading the installer ESP UUID: %v", err)
 	}
-	// Look up the installer partition based on espUuid.
-	espDev, err := sysfs.DeviceByPartUUID(espUuid)
-	espPath := filepath.Join("/dev", espDev)
-	if err != nil {
-		panicf("While resolving the installer device handle: %v", err)
+	// Wait for up to 30 tries @ 1s (30s) for the ESP to show up
+	var espDev string
+	var retries = 30
+	for {
+		// Look up the installer partition based on espUuid.
+		espDev, err = sysfs.DeviceByPartUUID(espUuid)
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		} else if errors.Is(err, sysfs.ErrDevNotFound) && retries > 0 {
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+			retries--
+		} else {
+			panicf("While resolving the installer device handle: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
+	espPath := filepath.Join("/dev", espDev)
 	// Mount the installer partition. The installer bundle will be read from it.
 	if err := mountInstallerESP(espPath); err != nil {
 		panicf("While mounting the installer ESP: %v", err)
diff --git a/metropolis/pkg/sysfs/block.go b/metropolis/pkg/sysfs/block.go
index f253777..9f9ebf8 100644
--- a/metropolis/pkg/sysfs/block.go
+++ b/metropolis/pkg/sysfs/block.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 package sysfs
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@
 	return m, nil
 }
 
+var ErrDevNotFound = errors.New("device not found")
+
 // DeviceByPartUUID returns a block device name, given its corresponding
 // partition UUID.
 func DeviceByPartUUID(uuid string) (string, error) {
@@ -65,7 +68,7 @@
 	if bdev, ok := pm[strings.ToLower(uuid)]; ok {
 		return bdev, nil
 	}
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't find a block device matching the partition UUID %q", uuid)
+	return "", ErrDevNotFound
 }
 
 // ParentBlockDevice transforms the block device name of a partition, eg