diff --git a/elements/serial-console/README.md b/elements/serial-console/README.md
index 73ce59c9f..f753b1603 100644
--- a/elements/serial-console/README.md
+++ b/elements/serial-console/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Start getty on ttyS0 and/or ttyS1
+Start getty on active serial consoles.
 
 With ILO and other remote admin environments, having a serial console can be
 useful for debugging and troubleshooting.
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ For upstart:
   If ttyS1 exists, getty will run on that, otherwise on ttyS0.
 
 For systemd:
-  Try to start getty on both ttyS0 and ttyS1.
+  We dynamically start a getty on any active serial port via udev rules.
diff --git a/elements/serial-console/install.d/20-stty b/elements/serial-console/install.d/20-stty
index fe1e0b12c..57e6312ea 100755
--- a/elements/serial-console/install.d/20-stty
+++ b/elements/serial-console/install.d/20-stty
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-
-home=$(dirname $0)
 set -uex
+SCRIPTDIR=$(dirname $0)
 
 DIB_INIT_SYSTEM=$(dib-init-system)
 if [ "$DIB_INIT_SYSTEM" == "upstart" ]; then
-    install -m 0644 -o root -g root $home/ttySx.conf /etc/init/ttySx.conf
+    install -m 0644 -o root -g root ${SCRIPTDIR}/ttySx.conf /etc/init/ttySx.conf
 elif [ "$DIB_INIT_SYSTEM" == "systemd" ]; then
-    ln -s /usr/lib/systemd/system/getty@.service /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@ttyS0.service
-    ln -s /usr/lib/systemd/system/getty@.service /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@ttyS1.service
+    install -D -g root -o root -m 0644 ${SCRIPTDIR}/serial-console-udev.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/99-serial-console.rules
 fi
diff --git a/elements/serial-console/install.d/serial-console-udev.rules b/elements/serial-console/install.d/serial-console-udev.rules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0bd6c746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/serial-console/install.d/serial-console-udev.rules
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+SUBSYSTEM=="tty", ACTION=="add", TAG+="systemd", ENV{SYSTEMD_WANTS}+="getty@$name.service", ATTRS{type}=="4"