diff --git a/frontend/ui/device.lua b/frontend/ui/device.lua
index 5bfd2a433..2c81231e3 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/device.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/device.lua
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ KindleFrontLight = {
 
 KoboFrontLight = {
 	min = 1, max = 100,
-	intensity = nil,
+	intensity = 20,
+	restore_settings = true,
 	fl = nil,
 }
 
@@ -227,11 +228,6 @@ end
 
 function KoboFrontLight:init()
 	self.fl = kobolight.open()
-	self.intensity = G_reader_settings:readSetting("frontlight_intensity")
-	if not self.intensity then
-		self.intensity = 20
-	end
-	self:setIntensity(self.intensity)
 end
 
 function KoboFrontLight:toggle()
diff --git a/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua b/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
index 8a81b3afd..eb003e594 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ function Input:init()
 	if Device:isTouchDevice() then
 		self:initTouchState()
 	end
-	Device:getFrontlight() -- forces initialization
 	-- set up fake event map
 	self.event_map[10000] = "IntoSS" -- go into screen saver
 	self.event_map[10001] = "OutOfSS" -- go out of screen saver
diff --git a/reader.lua b/reader.lua
index a21cd7c0d..8da196131 100755
--- a/reader.lua
+++ b/reader.lua
@@ -269,6 +269,14 @@ local last_file = G_reader_settings:readSetting("lastfile")
 --@TODO we can read version here, refer to commit in master tree:   (houqp)
 --87712cf0e43fed624f8a9f610be42b1fe174b9fe
 
+do
+	local fl = Device:getFrontlight()
+	if fl.restore_settings then
+		local intensity = G_reader_settings:readSetting("frontlight_intensity")
+		intensity = intensity or fl.intensity
+		fl:setIntensity(intensity)
+	end
+end
 
 if ARGV[argidx] and ARGV[argidx] ~= "" then
 	if lfs.attributes(ARGV[argidx], "mode") == "directory" then