diff --git a/repos/ports/ports/seoul.hash b/repos/ports/ports/seoul.hash
index 0ddf311f39..14296af26d 100644
--- a/repos/ports/ports/seoul.hash
+++ b/repos/ports/ports/seoul.hash
@@ -1 +1 @@
-02abcfcffb40098c98656bcf8ba3d88d4d709cf5
+cb9a134ba7d65887627d14beaaffbf0aa0c6b93b
diff --git a/repos/ports/ports/seoul.port b/repos/ports/ports/seoul.port
index 201533f87c..5ad3f39228 100644
--- a/repos/ports/ports/seoul.port
+++ b/repos/ports/ports/seoul.port
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ VERSION   := git
 DOWNLOADS := seoul.git
 
 URL(seoul) := https://github.com/alex-ab/seoul.git
-# branch genode_17_05
-REV(seoul) := 878f0ea5593d0bc87bbbad3c5499c26d5f64d472
+# branch genode_18_05
+REV(seoul) := 253faafcfa7bbcf68732c9962d6a88052194a0d0
 DIR(seoul) := src/app/seoul
 
 #
diff --git a/repos/ports/run/seoul-disc.run b/repos/ports/run/seoul-disc.run
index eccff46909..9574c909ea 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/seoul-disc.run
+++ b/repos/ports/run/seoul-disc.run
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ set use_model_ide     0
 set use_block_ram     1
 set use_block_sata    0
 
-set use_nic_session   0
+set use_nic_session   1
 set use_nic_bridge    0
 
 set use_usb           0
diff --git a/repos/ports/run/seoul.inc b/repos/ports/run/seoul.inc
index bda73fe77d..afff8fce63 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/seoul.inc
+++ b/repos/ports/run/seoul.inc
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ append_if $use_block_sata config {
 
 append_if $use_block_ram config {
 	<start name="ram_blk" priority="-1">
-		<resource name="RAM" quantum="132M" />
+		<resource name="RAM" quantum="162M" />
 		<provides><service name="Block"/></provides>
 		<config file="seoul-disc.raw" block_size="512"/>
 	</start>}
diff --git a/repos/ports/src/app/seoul/console.cc b/repos/ports/src/app/seoul/console.cc
index 4ae97ef9d5..c425f9a9e4 100644
--- a/repos/ports/src/app/seoul/console.cc
+++ b/repos/ports/src/app/seoul/console.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <nitpicker_gfx/text_painter.h>
 
 #include <nul/motherboard.h>
+#include <host/screen.h>
 
 /* local includes */
 #include "console.h"
@@ -39,8 +40,9 @@ static struct {
 	Genode::uint64_t checksum2 = 0;
 	unsigned         unchanged = 0;
 	bool             cmp_even  = 1;
-	bool             active    = true;
+	bool             active    = false;
 	bool             revoked   = false;
+	bool             vga_update= false; /* update indirectly by vbios */
 } fb_state;
 
 
@@ -195,12 +197,24 @@ bool Seoul::Console::receive(MessageConsole &msg)
 	return true;
 }
 
+void Screen::vga_updated()
+{
+	fb_state.vga_update = true;
+}
 
 bool Seoul::Console::receive(MessageMemRegion &msg)
 {
-	if (msg.page >= 0xb8 && msg.page <= 0xbf) {
+	/* we had a fault in the text framebuffer */
+	bool reactivate = (msg.page >= 0xb8 && msg.page <= 0xbf);
 
-		/* we had a fault in the text framebuffer */
+	/* vga memory got changed indirectly by vbios */
+	if (fb_state.vga_update) {
+		fb_state.vga_update = false;
+		if (!fb_state.active)
+			reactivate = true;
+	}
+
+	if (reactivate) {
 		if (!fb_state.active) fb_state.active = true;
 		Logging::printf("Reactivating text buffer loop.\n");