diff --git a/common/spl/Kconfig b/common/spl/Kconfig
index c5d4b5e14b..259f96607e 100644
--- a/common/spl/Kconfig
+++ b/common/spl/Kconfig
@@ -626,6 +626,8 @@ config SPL_SATA_SUPPORT
 
 config SPL_SERIAL_SUPPORT
 	bool "Support serial"
+	select SPL_PRINTF
+	select SPL_STRTO
 	help
 	  Enable support for serial in SPL. This allows use of a serial UART
 	  for displaying messages while SPL is running. It also brings in
@@ -927,6 +929,8 @@ config TPL_RAM_DEVICE
 
 config TPL_SERIAL_SUPPORT
 	bool "Support serial"
+	select TPL_PRINTF
+	select TPL_STRTO
 	help
 	  Enable support for serial in TPL. See SPL_SERIAL_SUPPORT for
 	  details.
diff --git a/lib/Kconfig b/lib/Kconfig
index 436b90fa85..33fb06712f 100644
--- a/lib/Kconfig
+++ b/lib/Kconfig
@@ -27,6 +27,40 @@ config HAVE_PRIVATE_LIBGCC
 config LIB_UUID
 	bool
 
+config PRINTF
+	bool
+	default y
+
+config SPL_PRINTF
+	bool
+	select SPL_SPRINTF
+	select SPL_STRTO if !USE_TINY_PRINTF
+
+config TPL_PRINTF
+	bool
+	select TPL_SPRINTF
+	select TPL_STRTO if !USE_TINY_PRINTF
+
+config SPRINTF
+	bool
+	default y
+
+config SPL_SPRINTF
+	bool
+
+config TPL_SPRINTF
+	bool
+
+config STRTO
+	bool
+	default y
+
+config SPL_STRTO
+	bool
+
+config TPL_STRTO
+	bool
+
 config USE_PRIVATE_LIBGCC
 	bool "Use private libgcc"
 	depends on HAVE_PRIVATE_LIBGCC
diff --git a/lib/Makefile b/lib/Makefile
index 35da5705a4..13be8f4cfc 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile
+++ b/lib/Makefile
@@ -88,22 +88,19 @@ obj-y += time.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_TRACE) += trace.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_LIB_UUID) += uuid.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_LIB_RAND) += rand.o
+obj-y += panic.o
 
-ifdef CONFIG_SPL_BUILD
-ifdef CONFIG_TPL_BUILD
-SERIAL_SUPPORT := $(CONFIG_TPL_SERIAL_SUPPORT)
-else
-SERIAL_SUPPORT := $(CONFIG_SPL_SERIAL_SUPPORT)
-endif
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_$(SPL_TPL_)BUILD),y)
 # SPL U-Boot may use full-printf, tiny-printf or none at all
 ifdef CONFIG_USE_TINY_PRINTF
-obj-$(SERIAL_SUPPORT) += tiny-printf.o panic.o strto.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_$(SPL_TPL_)SPRINTF) += tiny-printf.o
 else
-obj-$(SERIAL_SUPPORT) += vsprintf.o panic.o strto.o strmhz.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_$(SPL_TPL_)SPRINTF) += vsprintf.o strmhz.o
 endif
+obj-$(CONFIG_$(SPL_TPL_)STRTO) += strto.o
 else
 # Main U-Boot always uses the full printf support
-obj-y += vsprintf.o panic.o strto.o strmhz.o
+obj-y += vsprintf.o strto.o strmhz.o
 endif
 
 subdir-ccflags-$(CONFIG_CC_OPTIMIZE_LIBS_FOR_SPEED) += -O2