diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
index 03500e94a73ff..499d4c0dbeebd 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ static void intel_pch_panel_set_backlight(struct drm_device *dev, u32 level)
 	I915_WRITE(BLC_PWM_CPU_CTL, val | level);
 }
 
-void intel_panel_set_backlight(struct drm_device *dev, u32 level)
+static void intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(struct drm_device *dev, u32 level)
 {
 	struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv = dev->dev_private;
 	u32 tmp;
@@ -254,16 +254,21 @@ void intel_panel_set_backlight(struct drm_device *dev, u32 level)
 	I915_WRITE(BLC_PWM_CTL, tmp | level);
 }
 
-void intel_panel_disable_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)
+void intel_panel_set_backlight(struct drm_device *dev, u32 level)
 {
 	struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv = dev->dev_private;
 
-	if (dev_priv->backlight_enabled) {
-		dev_priv->backlight_level = intel_panel_get_backlight(dev);
-		dev_priv->backlight_enabled = false;
-	}
+	dev_priv->backlight_level = level;
+	if (dev_priv->backlight_enabled)
+		intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, level);
+}
+
+void intel_panel_disable_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)
+{
+	struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv = dev->dev_private;
 
-	intel_panel_set_backlight(dev, 0);
+	dev_priv->backlight_enabled = false;
+	intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, 0);
 }
 
 void intel_panel_enable_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)
@@ -273,8 +278,8 @@ void intel_panel_enable_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)
 	if (dev_priv->backlight_level == 0)
 		dev_priv->backlight_level = intel_panel_get_max_backlight(dev);
 
-	intel_panel_set_backlight(dev, dev_priv->backlight_level);
 	dev_priv->backlight_enabled = true;
+	intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, dev_priv->backlight_level);
 }
 
 static void intel_panel_init_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)