diff --git a/src/drivers/bus.h b/src/drivers/bus.h
index 50dcbfb..8922ebf 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus.h
+++ b/src/drivers/bus.h
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ struct _ukBus
 {
 	ukBus * (*init)(void);
 
+	int (*read8)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint8_t * value);
+	int (*read16)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint16_t * value);
+	int (*read32)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint32_t * value);
+
 	int (*write8)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint8_t value);
 	int (*write16)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint16_t value);
 	int (*write32)(ukBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint32_t value);
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/ioport.S b/src/drivers/bus/ioport.S
index d65735e..cc19176 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/ioport.S
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/ioport.S
@@ -7,6 +7,20 @@
 #if defined(__amd64__) || defined(__i386__)
 /* functions */
 .section .text
+/* ioport_bus_read8 */
+.global ioport_bus_read8
+.type ioport_bus_read8, @function
+ioport_bus_read8:
+	mov	0x8(%esp), %dx		/* address */
+	movl	0xc(%esp), %ecx		/* return address */
+	inb	%dx, %al
+	mov	%al, (%ecx)
+
+	/* return 0 */
+	mov	$0x0, %eax
+	ret
+
+
 /* ioport_bus_write8 */
 .global ioport_bus_write8
 .type ioport_bus_write8, @function
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/ioport.c b/src/drivers/bus/ioport.c
index 56cecbc..e70a2e8 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/ioport.c
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/ioport.c
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ typedef struct _ukBus IOPortBus;
 
 /* prototypes */
 static IOPortBus * _ioport_bus_init(void);
+extern int ioport_bus_read8(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint8_t * value);
+static int _ioport_bus_read16(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint16_t * value);
+static int _ioport_bus_read32(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint32_t * value);
 extern int ioport_bus_write8(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
 		uint8_t value);
 static int _ioport_bus_write16(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
@@ -27,6 +33,9 @@ static int _ioport_bus_write32(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
 static IOPortBus _ioport_bus =
 {
 	_ioport_bus_init,
+	ioport_bus_read8,
+	_ioport_bus_read16,
+	_ioport_bus_read32,
 	ioport_bus_write8,
 	_ioport_bus_write16,
 	_ioport_bus_write32,
@@ -44,6 +53,30 @@ static IOPortBus * _ioport_bus_init(void)
 }
 
 
+/* ioport_bus_read16 */
+static int _ioport_bus_read16(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint16_t * value)
+{
+	(void) bus;
+	(void) address;
+	(void) value;
+
+	return -ENOTSUP;
+}
+
+
+/* ioport_bus_read32 */
+static int _ioport_bus_read32(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint32_t * value)
+{
+	(void) bus;
+	(void) address;
+	(void) value;
+
+	return -ENOTSUP;
+}
+
+
 /* ioport_bus_write16 */
 static int _ioport_bus_write16(IOPortBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
 		uint16_t value)
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/tty.c b/src/drivers/bus/tty.c
index 65d5aeb..5ea2aee 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/tty.c
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/tty.c
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ typedef struct _ukBus TTYBus;
 /* prototypes */
 static TTYBus * _tty_bus_init(void);
 
+static int _tty_bus_read8(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint8_t * value);
+static int _tty_bus_read16(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint16_t * value);
+static int _tty_bus_read32(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint32_t * value);
+
 static int _tty_bus_write8(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint8_t value);
 static int _tty_bus_write16(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
 		uint16_t value);
@@ -23,6 +30,7 @@ static int _tty_bus_write32(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
 		uint32_t value);
 
 /* XXX make this more elegant */
+extern int read(int fd, char const * buf, size_t len);
 extern int write(int fd, char const * buf, size_t len);
 
 
@@ -30,6 +38,9 @@ extern int write(int fd, char const * buf, size_t len);
 static TTYBus _tty_bus =
 {
 	_tty_bus_init,
+	_tty_bus_read8,
+	_tty_bus_read16,
+	_tty_bus_read32,
 	_tty_bus_write8,
 	_tty_bus_write16,
 	_tty_bus_write32,
@@ -47,6 +58,36 @@ static TTYBus * _tty_bus_init(void)
 }
 
 
+/* tty_bus_read8 */
+static int _tty_bus_read8(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint8_t * value)
+{
+	(void) bus;
+
+	return read((int)address, (char const *)value, sizeof(value));
+}
+
+
+/* tty_bus_read16 */
+static int _tty_bus_read16(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint16_t * value)
+{
+	(void) bus;
+
+	return read((int)address, (char const *)value, sizeof(value));
+}
+
+
+/* tty_bus_read32 */
+static int _tty_bus_read32(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address,
+		uint32_t * value)
+{
+	(void) bus;
+
+	return read((int)address, (char const *)value, sizeof(value));
+}
+
+
 /* tty_bus_write8 */
 static int _tty_bus_write8(TTYBus * bus, ukBusAddress * address, uint8_t value)
 {
diff --git a/src/drivers/console/vga.c b/src/drivers/console/vga.c
index 2c1928c..7c31601 100644
--- a/src/drivers/console/vga.c
+++ b/src/drivers/console/vga.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 /* $Id$ */
 /* Copyright (c) 2018 Pierre Pronchery <khorben@defora.org> */
 /* This file is part of DeforaOS uKernel */
+/* TODO:
+ * - document the values used */
 
 
 
@@ -24,6 +26,8 @@ typedef struct _ukConsoleData
 	uint8_t color_bg;
 	uint8_t color_fg;
 
+	bool cursor;
+
 	uint8_t pos_x;
 	uint8_t pos_y;
 
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ static ukConsoleData _vga_console_data =
 	(uint16_t *)VGA_ADDRESS_BASE,
 	VGA_TEXT_COLOR_BLACK,
 	VGA_TEXT_COLOR_WHITE,
+	false,
 	0,
 	0,
 	NULL
@@ -77,6 +82,9 @@ static ukConsole * _vga_console_init(ukBus * bus)
 {
 	_vga_console_data.bus = bus;
 	_vga_console_clear(&_vga_console);
+	/* reset the cursor */
+	_vga_cursor_set(&_vga_console, !_vga_console_data.cursor, 0, 0);
+	_vga_cursor_set(&_vga_console, true, 0, 0);
 	return &_vga_console;
 }
 
@@ -119,7 +127,7 @@ static void _vga_console_print(VGAConsole * console, char const * str,
 			_vga_scroll(console, 1);
 		_vga_print(console, str[i], data->pos_y, data->pos_x++);
 	}
-	_vga_cursor_set(console, true, data->pos_y, min(data->pos_x,
+	_vga_cursor_set(console, data->cursor, data->pos_y, min(data->pos_x,
 				VGA_TEXT_COLUMNS));
 }
 
@@ -132,13 +140,37 @@ static void _vga_cursor_set(VGAConsole * console, bool enabled,
 {
 	VGAConsoleData * data = console->data;
 	uint16_t pos = row * VGA_TEXT_COLUMNS + column;
+	uint8_t u8;
 
-	if(row >= VGA_TEXT_ROWS || column >= VGA_TEXT_COLUMNS)
+	if(enabled == false)
+	{
+		/* disable the cursor if necessary */
+		if(data->cursor == false)
+			return;
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4, 0x0a);
+		data->bus->read8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, &u8);
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, u8 | 0x20);
+	}
+	else if(row >= VGA_TEXT_ROWS || column >= VGA_TEXT_COLUMNS)
 		return;
-	data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4, 0x0f);
-	data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, pos & 0xff);
-	data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4, 0x0e);
-	data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, pos >> 8);
+	else
+	{
+		/* position the cursor */
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4, 0x0f);
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, pos & 0xff);
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4, 0x0e);
+		data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, pos >> 8);
+		/* enable the cursor if necessary */
+		if(data->cursor == false)
+		{
+			data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d4,
+					0x0a);
+			data->bus->read8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5, &u8);
+			data->bus->write8(data->bus, (ukBusAddress *)0x3d5,
+					u8 & ~0x20);
+		}
+	}
+	data->cursor = enabled;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tools/arch/i386/start.S b/tools/arch/i386/start.S
index 0841cee..fafca85 100644
--- a/tools/arch/i386/start.S
+++ b/tools/arch/i386/start.S
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ _exit:
 	jmp	_syscall
 
 
+/* read */
+.global read
+.type read, @function
+read:
+	mov	$0x3, %eax
+	jmp	_syscall
+
+
 /* start */
 _start:
 	/* reset the stack */