diff --git a/pureboot/pureboot.cpp b/pureboot/pureboot.cpp
index dab1429..7881008 100644
--- a/pureboot/pureboot.cpp
+++ b/pureboot/pureboot.cpp
@@ -166,6 +166,27 @@ constexpr char usart_digit = '0' + PUREBOOT_USART;
 constexpr char usart_digit = '0';
 #endif
 
+// Release a hardware USART the application may have left enabled onto a
+// bit-banged link's pins. A software transmitter drives its TX pin through the
+// port register, but while that USART's TXEN is set the USART owns the pin and
+// the port write does nothing — the loader would receive and obey yet never
+// answer. Writing UCSRnB zero hands the pin back to the port. Guarded on the
+// pin actually being a USART's TXD, so a link on non-USART pins emits nothing.
+template <char Inst, avr::io::pin Tx>
+[[gnu::always_inline]] inline void release_usart_on()
+{
+	if constexpr (avr::uart::has_usart<Inst>())
+		if constexpr (avr::uart::detail::usart_pin<Inst>("TXD") == Tx)
+			avr::hw::reg_impl<avr::uart::detail::ureg<Inst, "UCSR#B">()>::write(0);
+}
+
+template <avr::io::pin Tx>
+[[gnu::always_inline]] inline void release_usarts_on()
+{
+	release_usart_on<'0', Tx>();
+	release_usart_on<'1', Tx>();
+}
+
 template <avr::hertz_t C, avr::baud_t B>
 struct hardware_link {
 	using uart = avr::uart::usart<usart_digit, C, {.baud = B, .max_baud_error = 2.5_pct}>;
@@ -212,6 +233,7 @@ struct software_link {
 	static void init()
 	{
 		avr::init<rx_t, tx_t>();
+		release_usarts_on<avr::PUREBOOT_TX>();
 	}
 
 	static bool pending()
@@ -245,6 +267,7 @@ struct autobaud_link {
 	static void init()
 	{
 		avr::init<uart>();
+		release_usarts_on<avr::PUREBOOT_TX>();
 	}
 
 	static std::uint8_t rx()