int radeon_deep_color = 0;
 int radeon_use_pflipirq = 2;
 int radeon_bapm = -1;
+int radeon_backlight = -1;
 
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(no_wb, "Disable AGP writeback for scratch registers");
 module_param_named(no_wb, radeon_no_wb, int, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(bapm, "BAPM support (1 = enable, 0 = disable, -1 = auto)");
 module_param_named(bapm, radeon_bapm, int, 0444);
 
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(backlight, "backlight support (1 = enable, 0 = disable, -1 = auto)");
+module_param_named(backlight, radeon_backlight, int, 0444);
+
 static struct pci_device_id pciidlist[] = {
        radeon_PCI_IDS
 };
 
        return ret;
 }
 
+static void radeon_encoder_add_backlight(struct radeon_encoder *radeon_encoder,
+                                        struct drm_connector *connector)
+{
+       struct drm_device *dev = radeon_encoder->base.dev;
+       struct radeon_device *rdev = dev->dev_private;
+       bool use_bl = false;
+
+       if (!(radeon_encoder->devices & (ATOM_DEVICE_LCD_SUPPORT)))
+               return;
+
+       if (radeon_backlight == 0) {
+               return;
+       } else if (radeon_backlight == 1) {
+               use_bl = true;
+       } else if (radeon_backlight == -1) {
+               use_bl = true;
+       }
+
+       if (use_bl) {
+               if (rdev->is_atom_bios)
+                       radeon_atom_backlight_init(radeon_encoder, connector);
+               else
+                       radeon_legacy_backlight_init(radeon_encoder, connector);
+               rdev->mode_info.bl_encoder = radeon_encoder;
+       }
+}
+
 void
 radeon_link_encoder_connector(struct drm_device *dev)
 {
-       struct radeon_device *rdev = dev->dev_private;
        struct drm_connector *connector;
        struct radeon_connector *radeon_connector;
        struct drm_encoder *encoder;
                        radeon_encoder = to_radeon_encoder(encoder);
                        if (radeon_encoder->devices & radeon_connector->devices) {
                                drm_mode_connector_attach_encoder(connector, encoder);
-                               if (radeon_encoder->devices & (ATOM_DEVICE_LCD_SUPPORT)) {
-                                       if (rdev->is_atom_bios)
-                                               radeon_atom_backlight_init(radeon_encoder, connector);
-                                       else
-                                               radeon_legacy_backlight_init(radeon_encoder, connector);
-                                       rdev->mode_info.bl_encoder = radeon_encoder;
-                               }
+                               if (radeon_encoder->devices & (ATOM_DEVICE_LCD_SUPPORT))
+                                       radeon_encoder_add_backlight(radeon_encoder, connector);
                        }
                }
        }