diff --git a/drivers/macintosh/via-pmu-backlight.c b/drivers/macintosh/via-pmu-backlight.c
index 4397fac55ba044c711735412b8fec56d060d39d2..a82f313d9dc97681a8d7220d25d1faa5de6eceb0 100644
--- a/drivers/macintosh/via-pmu-backlight.c
+++ b/drivers/macintosh/via-pmu-backlight.c
@@ -167,11 +167,11 @@ void __init pmu_backlight_init()
 				pmu_backlight_data.max_brightness / 15);
 	}
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = level;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);
 	if (!pmac_backlight)
diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c b/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
index 106d428b72c90dcd57b6fca1aa418a3ed8b40016..276a21530b9527c4e5dbf1d4624ea116488f5163 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/aty128fb.c
@@ -1800,14 +1800,15 @@ static struct backlight_properties aty128_bl_data = {
 
 static void aty128_bl_set_power(struct fb_info *info, int power)
 {
-	if (info->bl_dev == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	mutex_lock(&info->bl_mutex);
-	up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
-	info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
-	__aty128_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
-	down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+
+	if (info->bl_dev) {
+		down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+		info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
+		__aty128_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
+		up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+	}
+
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 }
 
@@ -1842,11 +1843,11 @@ static void aty128_bl_init(struct aty128fb_par *par)
 		219 * FB_BACKLIGHT_MAX / MAX_LEVEL);
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = aty128_bl_data.max_brightness;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c b/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
index 510e4ea296ed14b8fa180dd1db62b53d2010d65b..19a71f045784008c3a278be54f1f42f19cfda6c9 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/atyfb_base.c
@@ -2199,14 +2199,15 @@ static struct backlight_properties aty_bl_data = {
 
 static void aty_bl_set_power(struct fb_info *info, int power)
 {
-	if (info->bl_dev == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	mutex_lock(&info->bl_mutex);
-	up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
-	info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
-	__aty_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
-	down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+
+	if (info->bl_dev) {
+		down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+		info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
+		__aty_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
+		up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+	}
+
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 }
 
@@ -2237,11 +2238,11 @@ static void aty_bl_init(struct atyfb_par *par)
 		0xFF * FB_BACKLIGHT_MAX / MAX_LEVEL);
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = aty_bl_data.max_brightness;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/video/aty/radeon_backlight.c b/drivers/video/aty/radeon_backlight.c
index 1755dddf189908550b0dae24bdf8d2d498b1cc46..585eb7b9e63610f43b523cde48a3414c3d6b5e5f 100644
--- a/drivers/video/aty/radeon_backlight.c
+++ b/drivers/video/aty/radeon_backlight.c
@@ -195,11 +195,11 @@ void radeonfb_bl_init(struct radeonfb_info *rinfo)
 		217 * FB_BACKLIGHT_MAX / MAX_RADEON_LEVEL);
 	mutex_unlock(&rinfo->info->bl_mutex);
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = radeon_bl_data.max_brightness;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/video/nvidia/nv_backlight.c b/drivers/video/nvidia/nv_backlight.c
index 14c37c42191cec4652f2bef39e4804692d867f0c..5b75ae4e945704b8fca10b84befbea176374012a 100644
--- a/drivers/video/nvidia/nv_backlight.c
+++ b/drivers/video/nvidia/nv_backlight.c
@@ -112,13 +112,15 @@ static struct backlight_properties nvidia_bl_data = {
 
 void nvidia_bl_set_power(struct fb_info *info, int power)
 {
-	if (info->bl_dev == NULL)
-		return;
 	mutex_lock(&info->bl_mutex);
-	up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
-	info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
-	__nvidia_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
-	down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+
+	if (info->bl_dev) {
+		down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+		info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
+		__nvidia_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
+		up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+	}
+
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 }
 
@@ -153,11 +155,11 @@ void nvidia_bl_init(struct nvidia_par *par)
 		0x534 * FB_BACKLIGHT_MAX / MAX_LEVEL);
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = nvidia_bl_data.max_brightness;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/video/riva/fbdev.c b/drivers/video/riva/fbdev.c
index 90363943bd57654f3602342be72b9deb88c0198d..8ddb47a56b07a23cf9429d2f21f68814c34070ee 100644
--- a/drivers/video/riva/fbdev.c
+++ b/drivers/video/riva/fbdev.c
@@ -354,14 +354,15 @@ static struct backlight_properties riva_bl_data = {
 
 static void riva_bl_set_power(struct fb_info *info, int power)
 {
-	if (info->bl_dev == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	mutex_lock(&info->bl_mutex);
-	up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
-	info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
-	__riva_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
-	down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+
+	if (info->bl_dev) {
+		down(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+		info->bl_dev->props->power = power;
+		__riva_bl_update_status(info->bl_dev);
+		up(&info->bl_dev->sem);
+	}
+
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 }
 
@@ -396,11 +397,11 @@ static void riva_bl_init(struct riva_par *par)
 		0x534 * FB_BACKLIGHT_MAX / MAX_LEVEL);
 	mutex_unlock(&info->bl_mutex);
 
-	up(&bd->sem);
+	down(&bd->sem);
 	bd->props->brightness = riva_bl_data.max_brightness;
 	bd->props->power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 	bd->props->update_status(bd);
-	down(&bd->sem);
+	up(&bd->sem);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PMAC_BACKLIGHT
 	mutex_lock(&pmac_backlight_mutex);