diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c b/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
index 8726c36..e86d7e0 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
@@ -357,6 +357,12 @@
 static int mtrr = 1;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
+static int backlight __devinitdata = 1;
+#else
+static int backlight __devinitdata = 0;
+#endif
+
 /* PLL constants */
 struct aty128_constants {
 	u32 ref_clk;
@@ -1652,6 +1658,9 @@
 		} else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "crt:", 4)) {
 			default_crt_on = simple_strtoul(this_opt+4, NULL, 0);
 			continue;
+		} else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "backlight:", 10)) {
+			backlight = simple_strtoul(this_opt+10, NULL, 0);
+			continue;
 		}
 #ifdef CONFIG_MTRR
 		if(!strncmp(this_opt, "nomtrr", 6)) {
@@ -1985,7 +1994,8 @@
 	par->lock_blank = 0;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_FB_ATY128_BACKLIGHT
-	aty128_bl_init(par);
+	if (backlight)
+		aty128_bl_init(par);
 #endif
 
 	if (register_framebuffer(info) < 0)
diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c b/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
index a7e0062..00a5183 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
@@ -308,6 +308,12 @@
 static int comp_sync __devinitdata = -1;
 static char *mode;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
+static int backlight __devinitdata = 1;
+#else
+static int backlight __devinitdata = 0;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_PPC
 static int default_vmode __devinitdata = VMODE_CHOOSE;
 static int default_cmode __devinitdata = CMODE_CHOOSE;
@@ -2575,7 +2581,7 @@
 			   | (USE_F32KHZ | TRISTATE_MEM_EN), par);
 	} else
 #endif
-	if (M64_HAS(MOBIL_BUS)) {
+	if (M64_HAS(MOBIL_BUS) && backlight) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_FB_ATY_BACKLIGHT
 		aty_bl_init (par);
 #endif
@@ -3757,6 +3763,8 @@
 			xclk = simple_strtoul(this_opt+5, NULL, 0);
 		else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "comp_sync:", 10))
 			comp_sync = simple_strtoul(this_opt+10, NULL, 0);
+		else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "backlight:", 10))
+			backlight = simple_strtoul(this_opt+10, NULL, 0);
 #ifdef CONFIG_PPC
 		else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "vmode:", 6)) {
 			unsigned int vmode =
diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/radeon_base.c b/drivers/video/aty/radeon_base.c
index 46ba123..1bf6f42 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/radeon_base.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/radeon_base.c
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@
 #endif
 static int force_sleep;
 static int ignore_devlist;
+#ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
+static int backlight = 1;
+#else
+static int backlight = 0;
+#endif
 
 /*
  * prototypes
@@ -2348,7 +2353,8 @@
 						 MTRR_TYPE_WRCOMB, 1);
 #endif
 
-	radeonfb_bl_init(rinfo);
+	if (backlight)
+		radeonfb_bl_init(rinfo);
 
 	printk ("radeonfb (%s): %s\n", pci_name(rinfo->pdev), rinfo->name);
 
@@ -2469,6 +2475,8 @@
 			force_dfp = 1;
 		} else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "panel_yres:", 11)) {
 			panel_yres = simple_strtoul((this_opt+11), NULL, 0);
+		} else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "backlight:", 10)) {
+			backlight = simple_strtoul(this_opt+10, NULL, 0);
 #ifdef CONFIG_MTRR
 		} else if (!strncmp(this_opt, "nomtrr", 6)) {
 			nomtrr = 1;