diff --git a/firmware/panic.c b/firmware/panic.c
index 0223dc1494..66b9e4d7eb 100644
--- a/firmware/panic.c
+++ b/firmware/panic.c
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #include "led.h"
 #include "power.h"
 #include "system.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKLIGHT
+#include "backlight-target.h"
+#endif
 
 static char panic_buf[128];
 #define LINECHARS (LCD_WIDTH/SYSFONT_WIDTH)
@@ -75,9 +78,14 @@ void panicf( const char *fmt, ...)
 #else
     /* no LCD */
 #endif
+
     lcd_update();
     DEBUGF("%s", panic_buf);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKLIGHT
+    _backlight_on();
+#endif
+
     set_cpu_frequency(0);
     
 #ifdef HAVE_ATA_POWER_OFF
diff --git a/firmware/target/arm/system-arm.c b/firmware/target/arm/system-arm.c
index 5c5a18c867..7d38b17979 100644
--- a/firmware/target/arm/system-arm.c
+++ b/firmware/target/arm/system-arm.c
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "lcd.h"
 #include "font.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKLIGHT
+#include "backlight-target.h"
+#endif
 
 static const char* const uiename[] = {
     "Undefined instruction",
@@ -48,6 +51,10 @@ void __attribute__((noreturn)) UIE(unsigned int pc, unsigned int num)
     lcd_puts(0, 1, str);
     lcd_update();
 
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKLIGHT
+    _backlight_on();
+#endif
+
     disable_interrupt(IRQ_FIQ_STATUS);
 
     system_exception_wait(); /* If this returns, try to reboot */