diff --git a/ports/nrf/supervisor/port.c b/ports/nrf/supervisor/port.c
index 6e19e7645e..d3c31b51a6 100644
--- a/ports/nrf/supervisor/port.c
+++ b/ports/nrf/supervisor/port.c
@@ -77,6 +77,82 @@ static void power_warning_handler(void) {
     reset_into_safe_mode(BROWNOUT);
 }
 
+#ifdef MY_DEBUGUART
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include "nrfx.h"
+#include "nrf_uart.h"
+#include "nrfx_uart.h"
+const nrfx_uarte_t _dbg_uart_inst = NRFX_UARTE_INSTANCE(1);
+static int _dbg_uart_initialized = 0;
+#define DBG_PBUF_LEN 80
+static char _dbg_pbuf[DBG_PBUF_LEN+1];
+
+void _debug_uart_init(void) {
+  //if (_dbg_uart_initialized) return;
+   nrfx_uarte_config_t config = {
+        .pseltxd = 26,
+        .pselrxd = 15,
+        .pselcts = NRF_UARTE_PSEL_DISCONNECTED,
+        .pselrts = NRF_UARTE_PSEL_DISCONNECTED,
+        .p_context = NULL,
+        .baudrate = NRF_UART_BAUDRATE_115200,
+        .interrupt_priority = 7,
+        .hal_cfg = {
+            .hwfc = NRF_UARTE_HWFC_DISABLED,
+            .parity = NRF_UARTE_PARITY_EXCLUDED
+        }
+    };
+    nrfx_uarte_init(&_dbg_uart_inst, &config, NULL);
+    // drive config
+    nrf_gpio_cfg(config.pseltxd,
+		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_DIR_OUTPUT,
+		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_INPUT_DISCONNECT,
+		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_PULLUP, // orig=NOPULL
+		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_H0H1,  // orig=S0S1
+		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_NOSENSE);
+    _dbg_uart_initialized = 1;
+    return;
+}
+
+void _debug_print_substr(const char* text, uint32_t length) {
+  char* data = (char*)text;
+  int   siz;
+  while(length != 0) {
+    if (length <= DBG_PBUF_LEN) {
+      siz = length;
+    }
+    else {
+      siz = DBG_PBUF_LEN;
+    }
+    memcpy(_dbg_pbuf, data, siz);
+    _dbg_pbuf[siz] = 0;
+    nrfx_uarte_tx(&_dbg_uart_inst, (uint8_t const*)_dbg_pbuf, siz);
+    data += siz;
+    length -= siz;
+  }
+}
+
+void _debug_uart_deinit(void) {
+    nrfx_uarte_uninit(&_dbg_uart_inst);
+}
+
+int dbg_printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
+    va_list ap;
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    int ret = vprintf(fmt, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+extern void _debug_led_init(void);
+extern void _debug_led_set(int v);
+#else /*!MY_DEBUGUART*/
+int dbg_printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 const nrfx_rtc_t rtc_instance = NRFX_RTC_INSTANCE(2);
 
 const nrfx_rtc_config_t rtc_config = {
@@ -149,7 +225,6 @@ void tick_init(void) {
     }
 }
 
-
 safe_mode_t port_init(void) {
     nrf_peripherals_clocks_init();
 
@@ -201,7 +276,6 @@ safe_mode_t port_init(void) {
     return NO_SAFE_MODE;
 }
 
-
 void reset_port(void) {
 #ifdef CIRCUITPY_GAMEPAD_TICKS
     gamepad_reset();
diff --git a/supervisor/serial.h b/supervisor/serial.h
index 6cd8530b36..457ee5336a 100644
--- a/supervisor/serial.h
+++ b/supervisor/serial.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ char serial_read(void);
 bool serial_bytes_available(void);
 bool serial_connected(void);
 
+// XXX  used in nrf52-sleep debug
 int dbg_printf(const char *fmt, ...)__attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 #endif  // MICROPY_INCLUDED_SUPERVISOR_SERIAL_H
diff --git a/supervisor/shared/serial.c b/supervisor/shared/serial.c
index b5d4ef919c..d2fde39a64 100644
--- a/supervisor/shared/serial.c
+++ b/supervisor/shared/serial.c
@@ -37,82 +37,11 @@
 #include "tusb.h"
 
 #ifdef MY_DEBUGUART
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdarg.h>
-#include "nrfx.h"
-#include "nrf_uart.h"
-#include "nrfx_uart.h"
-const nrfx_uarte_t _dbg_uart_inst = NRFX_UARTE_INSTANCE(1);
-static int _dbg_uart_initialized = 0;
-#define DBG_PBUF_LEN 80
-static char _dbg_pbuf[DBG_PBUF_LEN+1];
-
-void _debug_uart_init(void) {
-  //if (_dbg_uart_initialized) return;
-   nrfx_uarte_config_t config = {
-        .pseltxd = 26,
-        .pselrxd = 15,
-        .pselcts = NRF_UARTE_PSEL_DISCONNECTED,
-        .pselrts = NRF_UARTE_PSEL_DISCONNECTED,
-        .p_context = NULL,
-        .baudrate = NRF_UART_BAUDRATE_115200,
-        .interrupt_priority = 7,
-        .hal_cfg = {
-            .hwfc = NRF_UARTE_HWFC_DISABLED,
-            .parity = NRF_UARTE_PARITY_EXCLUDED
-        }
-    };
-    nrfx_uarte_init(&_dbg_uart_inst, &config, NULL);
-    // drive config
-    nrf_gpio_cfg(config.pseltxd,
-		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_DIR_OUTPUT,
-		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_INPUT_DISCONNECT,
-		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_PULLUP, // orig=NOPULL
-		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_H0H1,  // orig=S0S1
-		 NRF_GPIO_PIN_NOSENSE);
-    _dbg_uart_initialized = 1;
-    return;
-}
-
-void _debug_print_substr(const char* text, uint32_t length) {
-  char* data = (char*)text;
-  int   siz;
-  while(length != 0) {
-    if (length <= DBG_PBUF_LEN) {
-      siz = length;
-    }
-    else {
-      siz = DBG_PBUF_LEN;
-    }
-    memcpy(_dbg_pbuf, data, siz);
-    _dbg_pbuf[siz] = 0;
-    nrfx_uarte_tx(&_dbg_uart_inst, (uint8_t const*)_dbg_pbuf, siz);
-    data += siz;
-    length -= siz;
-  }
-}
-
-void _debug_uart_deinit(void) {
-    nrfx_uarte_uninit(&_dbg_uart_inst);
-}
-
-int dbg_printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
-    va_list ap;
-    va_start(ap, fmt);
-    int ret = vprintf(fmt, ap);
-    va_end(ap);
-    return ret;
-}
-
-extern void _debug_led_init(void);
-extern void _debug_led_set(int v);
-#else /*!MY_DEBUGUART*/
-int dbg_printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
-    return 0;
-}
+// XXX  these functions are in nrf/supervisor/port.c
+extern void _debug_uart_init(void);
+extern void _debug_print_substr(const char* text, uint32_t length);
 #endif
 
-
 /*
  * Note: DEBUG_UART currently only works on STM32,
  * enabling on another platform will cause a crash.
@@ -143,7 +72,6 @@ void serial_early_init(void) {
 
 #ifdef MY_DEBUGUART
      _debug_uart_init();
-     _debug_led_init();
 #endif
 }