diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
index bee8cb6108a7..a3730e0289e5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_panel.c
@@ -321,6 +321,9 @@ 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);
 
+	dev_priv->backlight_enabled = true;
+	intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, dev_priv->backlight_level);
+
 	if (INTEL_INFO(dev)->gen >= 4) {
 		uint32_t reg, tmp;
 
@@ -356,12 +359,12 @@ void intel_panel_enable_backlight(struct drm_device *dev,
 	}
 
 set_level:
-	/* Call below after setting BLC_PWM_CPU_CTL2 and BLC_PWM_PCH_CTL1.
-	 * BLC_PWM_CPU_CTL may be cleared to zero automatically when these
-	 * registers are set.
+	/* Check the current backlight level and try to set again if it's zero.
+	 * On some machines, BLC_PWM_CPU_CTL is cleared to zero automatically
+	 * when BLC_PWM_CPU_CTL2 and BLC_PWM_PCH_CTL1 are written.
 	 */
-	dev_priv->backlight_enabled = true;
-	intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, dev_priv->backlight_level);
+	if (!intel_panel_get_backlight(dev))
+		intel_panel_actually_set_backlight(dev, dev_priv->backlight_level);
 }
 
 static void intel_panel_init_backlight(struct drm_device *dev)