diff -Nur -x '*.orig' -x '*~' grub2-1.96+20090725/include/grub/i386/linux.h grub2-1.96+20090725.new/include/grub/i386/linux.h
--- grub2-1.96+20090725/include/grub/i386/linux.h	2009-07-06 03:10:57.000000000 +0100
+++ grub2-1.96+20090725.new/include/grub/i386/linux.h	2009-08-08 19:45:10.000000000 +0100
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #define GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_NORMAL	0xFFFF
 #define GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_EXTENDED	0xFFFE
 #define GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_ASK		0xFFFD
+#define GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_CURRENT	0x0F04
 #define GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_VESA_START	0x0300
 
 #define GRUB_LINUX_SETUP_MOVE_SIZE	0x9100
diff -Nur -x '*.orig' -x '*~' grub2-1.96+20090725/loader/i386/linux.c grub2-1.96+20090725.new/loader/i386/linux.c
--- grub2-1.96+20090725/loader/i386/linux.c	2009-08-08 19:31:00.000000000 +0100
+++ grub2-1.96+20090725.new/loader/i386/linux.c	2009-08-08 19:45:09.000000000 +0100
@@ -446,6 +446,7 @@
   int e820_num;
   grub_err_t err = 0;
   char *modevar, *tmp;
+  int keep_mode = 0;
 
   params = real_mode_mem;
 
@@ -460,11 +461,19 @@
       if (! tmp)
 	return grub_errno;
       grub_sprintf (tmp, "%s;" DEFAULT_VIDEO_MODE, modevar);
+#ifndef GRUB_ASSUME_LINUX_HAS_FB_SUPPORT
+      if (grub_memcmp (modevar, "keep", sizeof ("keep")) == 0
+	  || grub_memcmp (modevar, "keep,", sizeof ("keep,") - 1) == 0
+	  || grub_memcmp (modevar, "keep;", sizeof ("keep;") - 1) == 0)
+	keep_mode = 1;
+#endif
       err = grub_video_set_mode (tmp, 0);
       grub_free (tmp);
     }
-#ifndef GRUB_ASSUME_LINUX_HAS_FB_SUPPORT
   else
+#ifdef GRUB_ASSUME_LINUX_HAS_FB_SUPPORT
+    keep_mode = 1;
+#else
     err = grub_video_set_mode (DEFAULT_VIDEO_MODE, 0);
 #endif
 
@@ -474,6 +483,8 @@
       grub_printf ("Booting however\n");
       grub_errno = GRUB_ERR_NONE;
     }
+  else if (keep_mode)
+    params->vid_mode = GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_CURRENT;
 
   if (! grub_linux_setup_video (params))
     params->have_vga = GRUB_VIDEO_TYPE_VLFB;