diff --git a/console-tools/chvt.c b/console-tools/chvt.c
index ea3e7c048..302ffb4f9 100644
--- a/console-tools/chvt.c
+++ b/console-tools/chvt.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ int chvt_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	num = xatou_range(argv[1], 1, 63);
-	/* double cast suppresses "cast to ptr from int of different size" */
-	console_make_active(get_console_fd(), num);
+	console_make_active(get_console_fd_or_die(), num);
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/console-tools/deallocvt.c b/console-tools/deallocvt.c
index e9a3989c7..09748834f 100644
--- a/console-tools/deallocvt.c
+++ b/console-tools/deallocvt.c
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ int deallocvt_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* double cast suppresses "cast to ptr from int of different size" */
-	xioctl(get_console_fd(), VT_DISALLOCATE, (void *)(ptrdiff_t)num);
+	xioctl(get_console_fd_or_die(), VT_DISALLOCATE, (void *)(ptrdiff_t)num);
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/console-tools/dumpkmap.c b/console-tools/dumpkmap.c
index 1d6bbdc63..c382b5af9 100644
--- a/console-tools/dumpkmap.c
+++ b/console-tools/dumpkmap.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ int dumpkmap_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv UNUSED_PARAM)
 
 /*	bb_warn_ignoring_args(argc>=2);*/
 
-	fd = xopen(CURRENT_VC, O_RDWR);
+	fd = get_console_fd_or_die();
 
 	write(STDOUT_FILENO, "bkeymap", 7);
 
diff --git a/console-tools/kbd_mode.c b/console-tools/kbd_mode.c
index 2162fd4fc..cb97947ce 100644
--- a/console-tools/kbd_mode.c
+++ b/console-tools/kbd_mode.c
@@ -19,17 +19,15 @@ int kbd_mode_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 	int fd;
 	unsigned opt;
 	enum {
-		SCANCODE = (1<<0),
-		ASCII	 = (1<<1),
-		MEDIUMRAW= (1<<2),
-		UNICODE	 = (1<<3)
+		SCANCODE  = (1 << 0),
+		ASCII	  = (1 << 1),
+		MEDIUMRAW = (1 << 2),
+		UNICODE	  = (1 << 3)
 	};
 	static const char KD_xxx[] ALIGN1 = "saku";
 	opt = getopt32(argv, KD_xxx);
-	fd = get_console_fd();
-/*	if (fd < 0)
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-*/
+	fd = get_console_fd_or_die();
+
 	if (!opt) { /* print current setting */
 		const char *mode = "unknown";
 		int m;
@@ -46,7 +44,8 @@ int kbd_mode_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		printf("The keyboard is in %s mode\n", mode);
 	} else {
 		opt = opt & UNICODE ? 3 : opt >> 1;
-		xioctl(fd, KDSKBMODE, opt);
+		/* double cast prevents warnings about widening conversion */
+		xioctl(fd, KDSKBMODE, (void*)(ptrdiff_t)opt);
 	}
 
 	if (ENABLE_FEATURE_CLEAN_UP)
diff --git a/console-tools/loadfont.c b/console-tools/loadfont.c
index 48b298002..567aa38ae 100644
--- a/console-tools/loadfont.c
+++ b/console-tools/loadfont.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ int loadfont_main(int argc, char **argv UNUSED_PARAM)
 	if (argc != 1)
 		bb_show_usage();
 
-	fd = xopen(CURRENT_VC, O_RDWR);
+	fd = get_console_fd_or_die();
 	loadnewfont(fd);
 
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/console-tools/loadkmap.c b/console-tools/loadkmap.c
index b891c9b0e..56948e0d0 100644
--- a/console-tools/loadkmap.c
+++ b/console-tools/loadkmap.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int loadkmap_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv UNUSED_PARAM)
 
 /*  bb_warn_ignoring_args(argc>=2);*/
 
-	fd = xopen(CURRENT_VC, O_RDWR);
+	fd = get_console_fd_or_die();
 
 	xread(STDIN_FILENO, flags, 7);
 	if (strncmp(flags, BINARY_KEYMAP_MAGIC, 7))
diff --git a/console-tools/setkeycodes.c b/console-tools/setkeycodes.c
index e9a050862..597272a2f 100644
--- a/console-tools/setkeycodes.c
+++ b/console-tools/setkeycodes.c
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ int setkeycodes_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int fd, sc;
 	struct kbkeycode a;
 
-	if (argc % 2 != 1 || argc < 2) {
+	if (!(argc & 1) /* if even */ || argc < 2) {
 		bb_show_usage();
 	}
 
-	fd = get_console_fd();
+	fd = get_console_fd_or_die();
 
 	while (argc > 2) {
 		a.keycode = xatou_range(argv[2], 0, 127);
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ int setkeycodes_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			a.scancode += 128;
 		}
 		ioctl_or_perror_and_die(fd, KDSETKEYCODE, &a,
-			"failed to set SCANCODE %x to KEYCODE %d",
+			"can't set SCANCODE %x to KEYCODE %d",
 			sc, a.keycode);
 		argc -= 2;
 		argv += 2;
diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 3996846b5..075fa055d 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ extern int recursive_action(const char *fileName, unsigned flags,
 extern int device_open(const char *device, int mode) FAST_FUNC;
 enum { GETPTY_BUFSIZE = 16 }; /* more than enough for "/dev/ttyXXX" */
 extern int xgetpty(char *line) FAST_FUNC;
-extern int get_console_fd(void) FAST_FUNC;
+extern int get_console_fd_or_die(void) FAST_FUNC;
 extern void console_make_active(int fd, const int vt_num) FAST_FUNC;
 extern char *find_block_device(const char *path) FAST_FUNC;
 /* bb_copyfd_XX print read/write errors and return -1 if they occur */
diff --git a/libbb/get_console.c b/libbb/get_console.c
index d042afa2b..ad56e740f 100644
--- a/libbb/get_console.c
+++ b/libbb/get_console.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static int open_a_console(const char *fnam)
  * if someone else used X (which does a chown on /dev/console).
  */
 
-int FAST_FUNC get_console_fd(void)
+int FAST_FUNC get_console_fd_or_die(void)
 {
 	static const char *const console_names[] = {
 		DEV_CONSOLE, CURRENT_VC, CURRENT_TTY
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ int FAST_FUNC get_console_fd(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	bb_error_msg("can't open console");
-	return fd;                      /* total failure */
+	bb_error_msg_and_die("can't open console");
+	/*return fd; - total failure */
 }
 
 /* From <linux/vt.h> */