diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 9a0954e1..00704030 100755
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -66,10 +66,6 @@ RUN pre-commit install-hooks
 # Add /project as a safe git repository
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory /project
 
-# Patch esp_efuse_startup.c
-COPY ./patch_esp_efuse_startup.sh /
-RUN ./patch_esp_efuse_startup.sh
-
 # Patch FreeRTOSConfig.h
 COPY ./patch_esp_trace_include.sh /
 RUN ./patch_esp_trace_include.sh
diff --git a/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.c b/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.c
index c47b7c14..e758336c 100644
--- a/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.c
+++ b/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.c
@@ -8,6 +8,34 @@
 
 static const char* TAG = "grid_esp32";
 
+void grid_esp32_setup_rom_log_scheme(void) {
+  // Configure ROM bootloader to only log when GPIO is high.
+  // This speeds up boot by suppressing ROM logs on normal boots.
+  // We handle this in firmware instead of via CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_HIGH
+  // to avoid ESP-IDF bug: https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/issues/12894
+  // The fix was supposedly merged but never actually made it to the main branch.
+  // IMPORTANT: sdkconfig must have CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ALWAYS_ON=y (the default).
+  // Do NOT set CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_HIGH in sdkconfig - it will crash.
+  esp_err_t err = esp_efuse_set_rom_log_scheme(ESP_EFUSE_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_HIGH);
+
+  switch (err) {
+  case ESP_OK:
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ROM log scheme set to GPIO_HIGH");
+    break;
+  case ESP_ERR_INVALID_STATE:
+    // eFuse already burned - this is expected after first boot
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "ROM log eFuse already configured");
+    break;
+  case ESP_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED:
+    // Chip doesn't support this feature (e.g., ESP32)
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "ROM log scheme not supported on this chip");
+    break;
+  default:
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Unexpected error setting ROM log scheme: %s", esp_err_to_name(err));
+    break;
+  }
+}
+
 void vTaskGetRunTimeStats2(char* pcWriteBuffer) {
 
   TaskStatus_t* pxTaskStatusArray;
diff --git a/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.h b/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.h
index 474fad8e..2ed2b503 100644
--- a/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.h
+++ b/grid_esp/main/grid_esp32.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ void grid_platform_nvm_defrag();
 
 uint8_t grid_platform_get_adc_bit_depth();
 
+void grid_esp32_setup_rom_log_scheme(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/grid_esp/main/grid_fw.c b/grid_esp/main/grid_fw.c
index f6d8eb61..13668a93 100644
--- a/grid_esp/main/grid_fw.c
+++ b/grid_esp/main/grid_fw.c
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ void app_main(void) {
 
   esp_log_level_set("*", ESP_LOG_INFO);
 
+  grid_esp32_setup_rom_log_scheme();
+
   TaskHandle_t core2_task_hdl;
   xTaskCreatePinnedToCore(system_init_core_2_task, "swd_init", 1024 * 3, NULL, 4, &core2_task_hdl, 1);
 
diff --git a/grid_esp/sdkconfig b/grid_esp/sdkconfig
index a2eabfe9..5cd6f902 100644
--- a/grid_esp/sdkconfig
+++ b/grid_esp/sdkconfig
@@ -536,9 +536,9 @@ CONFIG_ESP_ROM_CONSOLE_OUTPUT_SECONDARY=y
 #
 # Boot ROM Behavior
 #
-# CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ALWAYS_ON is not set
+CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ALWAYS_ON=y
 # CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ALWAYS_OFF is not set
-CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_HIGH=y
+# CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_HIGH is not set
 # CONFIG_BOOT_ROM_LOG_ON_GPIO_LOW is not set
 # end of Boot ROM Behavior