RHEL6: kernel resets the system or crashes on boot in efi_enter_virtual_mode()

Issue

Kernel crashes at the early stages of boot with the following hang or reset of the machine. Kdump is not alive at this point so no vmcore can be collected.
The last observed message in bootlog is:

pid_max: default: 245760 minimum: 1920

Kernel crashes in function efi_enter_virtual_mode() -- custom kernel with additional printk() messages is required to detect where it crashes.
Kernel with version 2.6.32-573.60.1.el6 or before that boots fine.