diff --git a/arch/x86/cpu/ivybridge/gma.c b/arch/x86/cpu/ivybridge/gma.c
index 6cf9654..821ea25 100644
--- a/arch/x86/cpu/ivybridge/gma.c
+++ b/arch/x86/cpu/ivybridge/gma.c
@@ -758,7 +758,8 @@
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_VIDEO
 	start = get_timer(0);
-	ret = pci_run_vga_bios(dev, int15_handler, false);
+	ret = pci_run_vga_bios(dev, int15_handler, PCI_ROM_USE_NATIVE |
+			       PCI_ROM_ALLOW_FALLBACK);
 	debug("BIOS ran in %lums\n", get_timer(start));
 #endif
 	/* Post VBIOS init */
diff --git a/drivers/pci/pci_rom.c b/drivers/pci/pci_rom.c
index 5729a15..48c0a77 100644
--- a/drivers/pci/pci_rom.c
+++ b/drivers/pci/pci_rom.c
@@ -228,11 +228,12 @@
 #endif
 }
 
-int pci_run_vga_bios(pci_dev_t dev, int (*int15_handler)(void), bool emulate)
+int pci_run_vga_bios(pci_dev_t dev, int (*int15_handler)(void), int exec_method)
 {
 	struct pci_rom_header *rom, *ram;
 	int vesa_mode = -1;
 	uint16_t class;
+	bool emulate;
 	int ret;
 
 	/* Only execute VGA ROMs */
@@ -262,6 +263,29 @@
 	vesa_mode = CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_VESA_MODE;
 #endif
 	debug("Selected vesa mode %#x\n", vesa_mode);
+
+	if (exec_method & PCI_ROM_USE_NATIVE) {
+#ifdef CONFIG_X86
+		emulate = false;
+#else
+		if (!(exec_method & PCI_ROM_ALLOW_FALLBACK)) {
+			printf("BIOS native execution is only available on x86\n");
+			return -ENOSYS;
+		}
+		emulate = true;
+#endif
+	} else {
+#ifdef CONFIG_BIOSEMU
+		emulate = true;
+#else
+		if (!(exec_method & PCI_ROM_ALLOW_FALLBACK)) {
+			printf("BIOS emulation not available - see CONFIG_BIOSEMU\n");
+			return -ENOSYS;
+		}
+		emulate = false;
+#endif
+	}
+
 	if (emulate) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_BIOSEMU
 		BE_VGAInfo *info;
@@ -274,9 +298,6 @@
 				  vesa_mode, &mode_info);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
-#else
-		printf("BIOS emulation not available - see CONFIG_BIOSEMU\n");
-		return -ENOSYS;
 #endif
 	} else {
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86
@@ -284,9 +305,6 @@
 
 		bios_run_on_x86(dev, (unsigned long)ram, vesa_mode,
 				&mode_info);
-#else
-		printf("BIOS native execution is only available on x86\n");
-		return -ENOSYS;
 #endif
 	}
 	debug("Final vesa mode %#x\n", mode_info.video_mode);
diff --git a/drivers/video/vesa_fb.c b/drivers/video/vesa_fb.c
index 3a0fea2..9164f8d 100644
--- a/drivers/video/vesa_fb.c
+++ b/drivers/video/vesa_fb.c
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
 			printf("no card detected\n");
 			return NULL;
 		}
-		printf("bdf %x\n", dev);
-		ret = pci_run_vga_bios(dev, NULL, true);
+		ret = pci_run_vga_bios(dev, NULL, PCI_ROM_USE_NATIVE |
+				       PCI_ROM_ALLOW_FALLBACK);
 		if (ret) {
 			printf("failed to run video BIOS: %d\n", ret);
 			return NULL;
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 	sprintf(gdev->modeIdent, "%dx%dx%d", gdev->winSizeX, gdev->winSizeY,
 		bits_per_pixel);
 	printf("%s\n", gdev->modeIdent);
-	debug("Framex buffer at %x\n", gdev->pciBase);
+	debug("Frame buffer at %x\n", gdev->pciBase);
 
 	return (void *)gdev;
 }
diff --git a/include/pci_rom.h b/include/pci_rom.h
index 4ba36eb..2f1665d 100644
--- a/include/pci_rom.h
+++ b/include/pci_rom.h
@@ -33,14 +33,25 @@
 	uint16_t reserved_2;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Determines which execution method is used and whether we allow falling back
+ * to the other if the requested method is not available.
+ */
+enum pci_rom_emul {
+	PCI_ROM_EMULATE		= 0 << 0,
+	PCI_ROM_USE_NATIVE	= 1 << 0,
+	PCI_ROM_ALLOW_FALLBACK	= 1 << 1,
+};
+
  /**
  * pci_run_vga_bios() - Run the VGA BIOS in an x86 PC
  *
  * @dev:	Video device containing the BIOS
  * @int15_handler:	Function to call to handle int 0x15
- * @emulate:	true to use the x86 emulator, false to run native
+ * @exec_method:	flags from enum pci_rom_emul
  */
-int pci_run_vga_bios(pci_dev_t dev, int (*int15_handler)(void), bool emulate);
+int pci_run_vga_bios(pci_dev_t dev, int (*int15_handler)(void),
+		     int exec_method);
 
 /**
  * board_map_oprom_vendev() - map several PCI IDs to the one the ROM expects