diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_brightness.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_brightness.sh
index 2c7733d..3128e35 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_brightness.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_brightness.sh
@@ -4,23 +4,27 @@
 # shellcheck source=scripts/core/sxmo_common.sh
 . "$(dirname "$0")/sxmo_common.sh"
 
-[ -e /sys/class/backlight/edp-backlight ] && DEV=/sys/class/backlight/edp-backlight
-[ -e /sys/devices/platform/backlight/backlight/backlight ] && DEV=/sys/devices/platform/backlight/backlight/backlight
+BACKLIGHT="${BACKLIGHT:-/sys/devices/platform/backlight/backlight/backlight}"
+if [ ! -e "$BACKLIGHT" ] && [ -e /sys/class/backlight/edp-backlight ]; then
+	BACKLIGHT=/sys/class/backlight/edp-backlight
+fi
 
-MAX=$(cat $DEV/max_brightness)
+[ ! -e "$BACKLIGHT" ] && echo "unable to find backlight device" && exit 1
+
+MAX=$(cat $BACKLIGHT/max_brightness)
 MIN=2
 MINSTEP=1
 STEP=$(echo "($MAX - $MIN) / 10" | bc | xargs -ISTP echo -e "$MINSTEP\nSTP" | sort -r | head -n1)
 
 setdelta() {
 	sxmo_setpinebacklight "$(
-		xargs -IB echo B "$1" < $DEV/brightness |
+		xargs -IB echo B "$1" < $BACKLIGHT/brightness |
 		bc |
 		xargs -INUM echo -e "$MIN\nNUM" | sort -n | tail -n1 |
 		xargs -INUM echo -e "$MAX\nNUM" | sort -n | head -n1
 	)"
 
-	dunstify -i 0 -u normal -r 999 "☀ $(cat $DEV/brightness)/${MAX}"
+	dunstify -i 0 -u normal -r 999 "☀ $(cat $BACKLIGHT/brightness)/${MAX}"
 }
 
 up() {