diff --git a/moto/ec2/responses/general.py b/moto/ec2/responses/general.py
index 9add43d3e..262d9f8ea 100644
--- a/moto/ec2/responses/general.py
+++ b/moto/ec2/responses/general.py
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@ from moto.core.responses import BaseResponse
 class General(BaseResponse):
 
     def get_console_output(self):
-        instance_id = self._get_multi_param('InstanceId')[0]
+        instance_id = self._get_param('InstanceId')
+        if not instance_id:
+            # For compatibility with boto.
+            # See: https://github.com/spulec/moto/pull/1152#issuecomment-332487599
+            instance_id = self._get_multi_param('InstanceId')[0]
+
         instance = self.ec2_backend.get_instance(instance_id)
         template = self.response_template(GET_CONSOLE_OUTPUT_RESULT)
         return template.render(instance=instance)
diff --git a/tests/test_ec2/test_general.py b/tests/test_ec2/test_general.py
index 1dc77df82..4c319d30d 100644
--- a/tests/test_ec2/test_general.py
+++ b/tests/test_ec2/test_general.py
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ import tests.backport_assert_raises
 from nose.tools import assert_raises
 
 import boto
+import boto3
 from boto.exception import EC2ResponseError
 import sure  # noqa
 
-from moto import mock_ec2_deprecated
+from moto import mock_ec2_deprecated, mock_ec2
 
 
 @mock_ec2_deprecated
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@ def test_console_output():
     conn = boto.connect_ec2('the_key', 'the_secret')
     reservation = conn.run_instances('ami-1234abcd')
     instance_id = reservation.instances[0].id
-
     output = conn.get_console_output(instance_id)
     output.output.should_not.equal(None)
 
@@ -29,3 +29,14 @@ def test_console_output_without_instance():
     cm.exception.code.should.equal('InvalidInstanceID.NotFound')
     cm.exception.status.should.equal(400)
     cm.exception.request_id.should_not.be.none
+
+
+@mock_ec2
+def test_console_output_boto3():
+    conn = boto3.resource('ec2', 'us-east-1')
+    instances = conn.create_instances(ImageId='ami-1234abcd',
+                                      MinCount=1,
+                                      MaxCount=1)
+
+    output = instances[0].console_output()
+    output.get('Output').should_not.equal(None)