diff --git a/config/redbear-bare.toml b/config/redbear-bare.toml
index 2ca7e15dbd..87d5ea39d8 100644
--- a/config/redbear-bare.toml
+++ b/config/redbear-bare.toml
@@ -55,23 +55,14 @@ data = ""
 path = "/etc/pkg.d/50_redox"
 data = ""
 
-# Override minimal.toml's 31_debug_console.service — the bare initfs
-# does not start ptyd (only 6 daemons), so getty's retry loop on
-# /scheme/debug/no-preserve hangs the boot for ~45s before the
-# real console login is reached. Disable the debug console entirely.
-# postinstall = true ensures this override wins over any package
-# staging (Layer 2) of the same path.
-[[files]]
-path = "/etc/init.d/31_debug_console.service"
-postinstall = true
-data = """
-[unit]
-description = "Debug console (disabled on redbear-bare)"
-
-[service]
-cmd = "true"
-type = "oneshot"
-"""
+# NOTE: the serial debug console (31_debug_console.service, getty on
+# /scheme/debug/no-preserve) is intentionally LEFT ENABLED (inherited from
+# minimal.toml) on the bare target. It is the only login prompt visible on a
+# headless serial console, which is exactly how a "bare" boot-test image is
+# driven (QEMU -serial stdio, real serial header on bare metal). The earlier
+# concern about a ~45s getty retry hang applied to the minimal 6-daemon initfs
+# that did not run ptyd; the bare target now switchroots into the full rootfs
+# where ptyd is running, so the debug console comes up immediately.
 
 # Override base.toml's login_schemes — no display/audio schemes in bare
 [[files]]
diff --git a/local/sources/base b/local/sources/base
index 324172abaf..1769b083ab 160000
--- a/local/sources/base
+++ b/local/sources/base
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 324172abaf026448c045045a61d0721dd86197be
+Subproject commit 1769b083ab6f1d84609c1b73e815f463a555d526