diff --git a/kdm/backend/dm.c b/kdm/backend/dm.c
index e0f1366..5a5f8a7 100644
--- a/kdm/backend/dm.c
+++ b/kdm/backend/dm.c
@@ -1347,54 +1347,207 @@ getBusyVTs(void)
     return activeVTs;
 }
 
+static int
+get_active_vt (void)
+{
+        int console_fd;
+        struct vt_stat console_state = { 0 };
+        console_fd = open ("/dev/tty0", O_RDONLY | O_NOCTTY);
+        if (console_fd < 0) {
+                return 0;
+        }
+        ioctl (console_fd, VT_GETSTATE, &console_state);
+
+        close (console_fd);
+        return console_state.v_active;
+}
+
+static int
+plymouth_is_running (void)
+{
+        static int running = -1;
+        if (running == 0)
+            return 0;
+
+        int status;
+        status = system ("/usr/bin/plymouth --ping");
+
+        running = WIFEXITED (status) && WEXITSTATUS (status) == 0;
+        logWarn ("plymouth is %srunning\n", running?"":"NOT ");
+        return running;
+}
+
+static int
+plymouth_has_active_vt (void)
+{
+        int status;
+        status = system ("/usr/bin/plymouth --has-active-vt");
+
+        return WIFEXITED (status) && WEXITSTATUS (status) == 0;
+}
+
+static int
+plymouth_prepare_for_transition (void)
+{
+        int status;
+        status = system ("/usr/bin/plymouth deactivate");
+
+        return WIFEXITED (status) && WEXITSTATUS (status) == 0;
+}
+
+int
+plymouth_quit_with_transition (void)
+{
+        int status;
+        status = system ("/usr/bin/plymouth --wait quit --retain-splash");
+
+        return WIFEXITED (status) && WEXITSTATUS (status) == 0;
+}
+
+int
+plymouth_quit_without_transition (void)
+{
+        int status;
+        status = system ("/usr/bin/plymouth --wait quit");
+
+        return WIFEXITED (status) && WEXITSTATUS (status) == 0;
+}
+
+static int
+triggered_to_force_display_on_active_vt (void)
+{
+   int should_force_display_on_active_vt;
+   should_force_display_on_active_vt=open("/var/spool/gdm/force-display-on-active-vt", O_RDONLY);
+   if ( should_force_display_on_active_vt >= 0 )
+       close(should_force_display_on_active_vt);
+   unlink("/var/spool/gdm/force-display-on-active-vt");
+   return should_force_display_on_active_vt;
+}
+
 static void
 allocateVT(struct display *d)
 {
     struct display *cd;
-    int i, tvt, volun;
+    int i, tvt;
 
     if ((d->displayType & d_location) == dLocal &&
         d->status == notRunning && !d->serverVT && d->reqSrvVT >= 0)
     {
+        /* Try to find the correct VT.
+         * If ServerVT is specified in the config, use it (if the admin used the
+         * same VT for multiple display, it is his/her own fault, no checks done).
+         * Otherwise, walk the list of specified VTs. Positive numbers are used
+         * even if the VT is already in use by a tty. Negative numbers and 
+         * unspecified numbers (up to #15) are used if not already in use.
+         * VTs already in use (cd->serverVT) or requested (cd->reqSrvVT)
+         * by any display are skipped.
+         */
+
+        /* some special handling is needed for Plymouth:
+         * if no VT is requested, use the active VT from plymouth for the first
+         * started display.
+         * If the display takes over the VT from plymouth, deactivate plymouth
+         */
+
+        char allowedVTs[16] = { 0 };
         if (d->reqSrvVT && d->reqSrvVT < 16) {
-            d->serverVT = d->reqSrvVT;
+            allowedVTs[d->reqSrvVT] = 1;
         } else {
-            for (i = tvt = 0;;) {
-                if (serverVTs[i]) {
-                    tvt = atoi(serverVTs[i++]);
-                    volun = False;
-                    if (tvt < 0) {
-                        tvt = -tvt;
-                        volun = True;
-                    }
-                    if (!tvt || tvt >= 16)
-                        continue;
-                } else {
-                    if (++tvt >= 16)
-                        break;
-                    volun = True;
+            for (i = 0; serverVTs[i]; i++) {
+                tvt = atoi(serverVTs[i]);
+                if ((tvt >= 0) && (tvt < 16)) {
+                    allowedVTs[tvt] = 1;
+                } else if (tvt > -16) {
+                    allowedVTs[-tvt] = 2;
                 }
-                for (cd = displays; cd; cd = cd->next) {
-                    if (cd->reqSrvVT == tvt && /* protect from lusers */
-                            (cd->status != zombie || cd->zstatus != DS_REMOVE))
-                        goto next;
-                    if (cd->serverVT == tvt) {
-                        if (cd->status != zombie || cd->zstatus == DS_REMOTE)
-                            goto next;
-                        if (!cd->follower) {
-                            d->serverVT = -1;
-                            cd->follower = d;
-                            return;
-                        }
-                    }
+            }
+
+            for (tvt = 15; allowedVTs[tvt] == 0; tvt--) {
+              allowedVTs[tvt] = 2;
+            }
+
+            for (cd = displays; cd; cd = cd->next) {
+                if (cd->status != zombie) {
+                    if (cd->reqSrvVT >= 0) allowedVTs[cd->reqSrvVT] = 0;
+                    if (cd->serverVT >= 0) allowedVTs[cd->serverVT] = 0;
+                } else if (cd->zstatus == DS_REMOTE) {
+                    /* dying, but will spawn new server for remote login */
+                    if (cd->serverVT >= 0) allowedVTs[cd->serverVT] = 0;
+                } else if (cd->zstatus != DS_REMOVE) {
+                    /* dying, but will be restarted or reserved */
+                    if (cd->reqSrvVT >= 0) allowedVTs[cd->reqSrvVT] = 0;
                 }
-                if (!volun || !((1 << tvt) & getBusyVTs())) {
-                    d->serverVT = tvt;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* check for plymouth using newer methods */
+        d->plymouth_vt = -1;
+        if (plymouth_is_running ()) {
+            if (plymouth_has_active_vt ()) {
+                int vt = get_active_vt ();
+                if (allowedVTs[vt]) {
+                    logWarn ("plymouth is active on VT %d, reusing for %s\n", vt, d->name);
+                    d->serverVT = vt;
+                    d->plymouth_vt = vt;
                     return;
                 }
-          next: ;
+            }
+        /* fallback to old/deprecated method */
+        } else if ( triggered_to_force_display_on_active_vt() >= 0 ) {
+            int vt = get_active_vt ();
+            if (allowedVTs[vt]) {
+                d->serverVT = vt;
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        for (tvt = 0; tvt < 16; tvt++) {
+            if ((allowedVTs[tvt] == 1) ||
+                ((allowedVTs[tvt] == 2) && !((1 << tvt) & getBusyVTs()))) {
+                d->serverVT = tvt;
+                return;
             }
         }
+
+        for (cd = displays; cd; cd = cd->next) {
+            if ((cd->status == zombie) && (cd->zstatus != DS_REMOTE) &&
+                (cd->follower == 0) && (cd->reqSrvVT != cd->serverVT)) {
+            /* removed; or restarted/reserved on any VT */
+                    d->serverVT = -1;
+                    cd->follower = d;
+                    return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+replacePlymouth(void)
+{
+    struct display *cd;
+
+    /* if one display reuses plymouth' VT, plymouth is stopped in the
+     * startServerSuccess/Failed callback (see server.c). In any other
+     * case plymouth is stopped now.
+     */
+    for (cd = displays; cd; cd = cd->next) {
+        if ((cd->serverVT > 0) && (cd->serverVT == cd->plymouth_vt)) {
+            if (cd->status == notRunning) {
+                /* tell plymouth to quit when server has started */
+                logWarn ("plymouth should quit after server startup\n");
+                plymouth_prepare_for_transition ();
+                kickDisplay(cd);
+                return;
+            } else if (cd->status == running) {
+                /* replacing server is starting up, do nothing */
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ( plymouth_is_running ()) {
+        plymouth_prepare_for_transition ();
+        plymouth_quit_without_transition ();
     }
 }
 #endif
@@ -1407,6 +1560,7 @@ startDisplays(void)
 #ifdef HAVE_VTS
     activeVTs = -1;
     forEachDisplayRev(allocateVT);
+    replacePlymouth();
 #endif
     forEachDisplay(kickDisplay);
 }
diff --git a/kdm/backend/dm.h b/kdm/backend/dm.h
index 64e106b..930af0e 100644
--- a/kdm/backend/dm.h
+++ b/kdm/backend/dm.h
@@ -304,6 +304,8 @@ struct display {
     int authNum;                /* number of authorizations */
     char *authFile;             /* file to store authorization in */
     char *greeterAuthFile;      /* file to store authorization for greeter in */
+    
+    int plymouth_vt;            /* Plymouth's VT nr */
 };
 
 #define d_location   1
@@ -428,6 +430,9 @@ int anyDisplaysLeft(void);
 void forEachDisplay(void (*f)(struct display *));
 #ifdef HAVE_VTS
 void forEachDisplayRev(void (*f)(struct display *));
+/* function for plymouth */
+int plymouth_quit_with_transition (void);
+int plymouth_quit_without_transition (void);
 #endif
 void removeDisplay(struct display *old);
 struct display
diff --git a/kdm/backend/server.c b/kdm/backend/server.c
index d8dd6f3..8b4708e 100644
--- a/kdm/backend/server.c
+++ b/kdm/backend/server.c
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ startServerOnce(void)
     char **argv;
 
     debug("startServerOnce for %s, try %d\n", d->name, ++d->startTries);
+
     d->serverStatus = starting;
     switch (Fork(&d->serverPid)) {
     case 0:
@@ -137,6 +138,12 @@ startServerSuccess()
     struct display *d = startingServer;
     d->serverStatus = ignore;
     serverTimeout = TO_INF;
+    if ((d->serverVT > 0) && (d->serverVT == d->plymouth_vt)) {
+        int plymouth_running;
+        logWarn ("Quitting Plymouth with transition\n" );
+        plymouth_running = !plymouth_quit_with_transition ();
+        logWarn ("Is Plymouth still running? %s\n", plymouth_running ? "yes" : "no");
+    }
     debug("X server ready, starting session\n");
     startDisplayP2(d);
 }
@@ -154,6 +161,10 @@ startServerFailed()
         startingServer = 0;
         logError("X server for display %s cannot be started,"
                  " session disabled\n", d->name);
+        if ((d->serverVT > 0) && (d->serverVT == d->plymouth_vt)) {
+            logWarn ("Quitting Plymouth without transition\n" );
+            plymouth_quit_without_transition ();
+        }
         stopDisplay(d);
     }
 }