diff --git a/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/display.rs b/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/display.rs
index 46a7e5589d..a0bc8200f1 100644
--- a/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/display.rs
+++ b/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/display.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ impl Display {
         let new_display_handle = match V2GraphicsHandle::from_file(display_file) {
             Ok(handle) => handle,
             Err(err) => {
-                log::warn!("fbcond: display not ready at handoff (from_file: {err}); will retry");
+                // Transient during the handoff race; handle_handoff retries and
+                // emits a single warning if it ultimately gives up.
+                log::debug!("fbcond: display not ready at handoff (from_file: {err}); will retry");
                 return;
             }
         };
diff --git a/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/text.rs b/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/text.rs
index fbf03f89ba..e74ffad4a0 100644
--- a/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/text.rs
+++ b/drivers/graphics/fbcond/src/text.rs
@@ -53,10 +53,28 @@ impl TextScreen {
 
     pub fn handle_handoff(&mut self) {
         log::info!("fbcond: Performing handoff");
-        self.display.reopen_for_handoff();
-        if self.display.map.is_some() {
-            self.flush_pending_writes();
+        // The handoff is one-shot: inputd signals it the moment the real display
+        // driver registers its path, but the driver's scheme may not serve the
+        // v2 open / capability query for a few more milliseconds. Without a
+        // retry, a transient not-ready driver leaves the framebuffer permanently
+        // blank (the login prompt is drawn to the framebuffer VT, so the console
+        // appears dead even though boot continues on the serial mirror). Retry
+        // briefly — the driver becomes ready well within this bound in practice.
+        for attempt in 0..250u32 {
+            self.display.reopen_for_handoff();
+            if self.display.map.is_some() {
+                if attempt > 0 {
+                    log::info!("fbcond: handoff completed after {attempt} retries");
+                }
+                self.flush_pending_writes();
+                return;
+            }
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(10));
         }
+        log::warn!(
+            "fbcond: display still not ready after handoff retries; \
+             framebuffer console will remain blank (serial mirror unaffected)"
+        );
     }
 
     pub fn input(&mut self, event: &Event) {