diff --git a/drivers/video/backlight/gpio_backlight.c b/drivers/video/backlight/gpio_backlight.c
index 3955b513f2f8..52f17c9ca1c3 100644
--- a/drivers/video/backlight/gpio_backlight.c
+++ b/drivers/video/backlight/gpio_backlight.c
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ struct gpio_backlight {
 	int def_value;
 };
 
-static int gpio_backlight_update_status(struct backlight_device *bl)
+static int gpio_backlight_get_next_brightness(struct backlight_device *bl)
 {
-	struct gpio_backlight *gbl = bl_get_data(bl);
 	int brightness = bl->props.brightness;
 
 	if (bl->props.power != FB_BLANK_UNBLANK ||
@@ -35,6 +34,14 @@ static int gpio_backlight_update_status(struct backlight_device *bl)
 	    bl->props.state & (BL_CORE_SUSPENDED | BL_CORE_FBBLANK))
 		brightness = 0;
 
+	return brightness;
+}
+
+static int gpio_backlight_update_status(struct backlight_device *bl)
+{
+	struct gpio_backlight *gbl = bl_get_data(bl);
+	int brightness = gpio_backlight_get_next_brightness(bl);
+
 	gpiod_set_value_cansleep(gbl->gpiod, brightness);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -85,7 +92,8 @@ static int gpio_backlight_initial_power_state(struct gpio_backlight *gbl)
 		return gbl->def_value ? FB_BLANK_UNBLANK : FB_BLANK_POWERDOWN;
 
 	/* if the enable GPIO is disabled, do not enable the backlight */
-	if (gpiod_get_value_cansleep(gbl->gpiod) == 0)
+	if (gpiod_get_direction(gbl->gpiod) == 0 &&
+	    gpiod_get_value_cansleep(gbl->gpiod) == 0)
 		return FB_BLANK_POWERDOWN;
 
 	return FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
@@ -98,7 +106,7 @@ static int gpio_backlight_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct backlight_properties props;
 	struct backlight_device *bl;
 	struct gpio_backlight *gbl;
-	int ret;
+	int ret, init_brightness;
 
 	gbl = devm_kzalloc(&pdev->dev, sizeof(*gbl), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (gbl == NULL)
@@ -151,7 +159,12 @@ static int gpio_backlight_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	bl->props.power = gpio_backlight_initial_power_state(gbl);
 	bl->props.brightness = 1;
 
-	backlight_update_status(bl);
+	init_brightness = gpio_backlight_get_next_brightness(bl);
+	ret = gpiod_direction_output(gbl->gpiod, init_brightness);
+	if (ret) {
+		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "failed to set initial brightness\n");
+		return ret;
+	}
 
 	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, bl);
 	return 0;