diff --git a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
index ad38006307725ff2a563d9e86e78230df0879e22..5578248c18a46837e6c88b0b1779cb2e08b436c3 100644
--- a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -546,6 +546,10 @@ and is between 256 and 4096 characters. It is defined in the file
 			console=brl,ttyS0
 		For now, only VisioBraille is supported.
 
+	consoleblank=	[KNL] The console blank (screen saver) timeout in
+			seconds. Defaults to 10*60 = 10mins. A value of 0
+			disables the blank timer.
+
 	coredump_filter=
 			[KNL] Change the default value for
 			/proc/<pid>/coredump_filter.
diff --git a/drivers/char/vt.c b/drivers/char/vt.c
index c796a86ab7f36bbff85998425b31d78fb2417d32..d9113b4c76e370bad289b19558958448846a6064 100644
--- a/drivers/char/vt.c
+++ b/drivers/char/vt.c
@@ -171,8 +171,9 @@ int do_poke_blanked_console;
 int console_blanked;
 
 static int vesa_blank_mode; /* 0:none 1:suspendV 2:suspendH 3:powerdown */
-static int blankinterval = 10*60*HZ;
 static int vesa_off_interval;
+static int blankinterval = 10*60;
+core_param(consoleblank, blankinterval, int, 0444);
 
 static DECLARE_WORK(console_work, console_callback);
 
@@ -1485,7 +1486,7 @@ static void setterm_command(struct vc_data *vc)
 			update_attr(vc);
 			break;
 		case 9:	/* set blanking interval */
-			blankinterval = ((vc->vc_par[1] < 60) ? vc->vc_par[1] : 60) * 60 * HZ;
+			blankinterval = ((vc->vc_par[1] < 60) ? vc->vc_par[1] : 60) * 60;
 			poke_blanked_console();
 			break;
 		case 10: /* set bell frequency in Hz */
@@ -2871,7 +2872,7 @@ static int __init con_init(void)
 
 	if (blankinterval) {
 		blank_state = blank_normal_wait;
-		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + blankinterval);
+		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + (blankinterval * HZ));
 	}
 
 	for (currcons = 0; currcons < MIN_NR_CONSOLES; currcons++) {
@@ -3677,7 +3678,7 @@ void do_unblank_screen(int leaving_gfx)
 		return; /* but leave console_blanked != 0 */
 
 	if (blankinterval) {
-		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + blankinterval);
+		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + (blankinterval * HZ));
 		blank_state = blank_normal_wait;
 	}
 
@@ -3711,7 +3712,7 @@ void unblank_screen(void)
 static void blank_screen_t(unsigned long dummy)
 {
 	if (unlikely(!keventd_up())) {
-		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + blankinterval);
+		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + (blankinterval * HZ));
 		return;
 	}
 	blank_timer_expired = 1;
@@ -3741,7 +3742,7 @@ void poke_blanked_console(void)
 	if (console_blanked)
 		unblank_screen();
 	else if (blankinterval) {
-		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + blankinterval);
+		mod_timer(&console_timer, jiffies + (blankinterval * HZ));
 		blank_state = blank_normal_wait;
 	}
 }