diff --git a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_config.h b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_config.h
index bb134ed5f87..846b06c0e33 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_config.h
+++ b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_config.h
@@ -203,6 +203,31 @@
 #  endif
 #endif
 
+/* Which version of up_putc() should be built?
+ *
+ * --------------------+-------------------+-----------------+------------------
+ *                      HAVE_UART_DEVICE && HAVE_UART_DEVICE  HAVE_LPUART_DEVICE
+ *                      HAVE_LPUART_DEVICE  (only)            (only)
+ * --------------------+-------------------+-----------------+------------------
+ * HAVE_UART_CONSOLE    kinetis_serial      kinetis_serial    (impossible)
+ * HAVE_LPUART_CONSOLE  kinetis_lpserial    (impossible)      kinetis_lpserial
+ * No serial console    kinetis_serial      kinetis_serial    kinetis_lpserial
+ * --------------------+-------------------+-----------------+------------------
+ */
+
+#undef HAVE_UART_PUTC
+#undef HAVE_LPUART_PUTC
+
+#if defined(HAVE_LPUART_CONSOLE)
+#  define HAVE_LPUART_PUTC 1
+#elif defined(HAVE_UART_CONSOLE)
+#  define HAVE_UART_PUTC   1
+#elif define(HAVE_UART_DEVICE)
+#  define HAVE_UART_PUTC   1
+#elif define(HAVE_LPUART_DEVICE)
+#  define HAVE_LPUART_PUTC 1
+#endif
+
 /* Check UART flow control (Not yet supported) */
 
 # undef CONFIG_UART0_FLOWCONTROL
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_lpserial.c b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_lpserial.c
index 5297a7378fa..d75d530cf4b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_lpserial.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_lpserial.c
@@ -853,6 +853,7 @@ void up_serialinit(void)
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LPUART_PUTC
 int up_putc(int ch)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_LPUART_CONSOLE
@@ -875,6 +876,7 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
 #endif
   return ch;
 }
+#endif
 
 #else /* USE_SERIALDRIVER */
 
@@ -886,6 +888,7 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LPUART_PUTC
 int up_putc(int ch)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_LPUART_CONSOLE
@@ -902,5 +905,6 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
 #endif
   return ch;
 }
+#endif
 
 #endif /* USE_SERIALDRIVER */
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_serial.c b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_serial.c
index b6d0c369cf7..c7ffc5a8479 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_serial.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_serial.c
@@ -1315,6 +1315,7 @@ void up_serialinit(void)
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifndef HAVE_UART_PUTC
 int up_putc(int ch)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_UART_CONSOLE
@@ -1337,6 +1338,7 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
 #endif
   return ch;
 }
+#endif
 
 #else /* USE_SERIALDRIVER */
 
@@ -1348,6 +1350,7 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifndef HAVE_UART_PUTC
 int up_putc(int ch)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_UART_CONSOLE
@@ -1364,6 +1367,7 @@ int up_putc(int ch)
 #endif
   return ch;
 }
+#endif
 
 #endif /* USE_SERIALDRIVER */