diff --git a/drivers/auxdisplay/Kconfig b/drivers/auxdisplay/Kconfig
index 57410f9c5d44cc11b9156159a49bacf6173168ab..c52c738e554a2dfe8e660973ce8a2685d9a1934b 100644
--- a/drivers/auxdisplay/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/auxdisplay/Kconfig
@@ -164,9 +164,7 @@ config ARM_CHARLCD
 	  line and the Linux version on the second line, but that's
 	  still useful.
 
-endif # AUXDISPLAY
-
-menuconfig PANEL
+menuconfig PARPORT_PANEL
 	tristate "Parallel port LCD/Keypad Panel support"
 	depends on PARPORT
 	select CHARLCD
@@ -178,7 +176,7 @@ menuconfig PANEL
 	  compiled as a module, or linked into the kernel and started at boot.
 	  If you don't understand what all this is about, say N.
 
-if PANEL
+if PARPORT_PANEL
 
 config PANEL_PARPORT
 	int "Default parallel port number (0=LPT1)"
@@ -419,8 +417,11 @@ config PANEL_LCD_PIN_BL
 
 	  Default for the 'BL' pin in custom profile is '0' (uncontrolled).
 
+endif # PARPORT_PANEL
+
 config PANEL_CHANGE_MESSAGE
 	bool "Change LCD initialization message ?"
+	depends on CHARLCD
 	default "n"
 	---help---
 	  This allows you to replace the boot message indicating the kernel version
@@ -444,7 +445,34 @@ config PANEL_BOOT_MESSAGE
 	  An empty message will only clear the display at driver init time. Any other
 	  printf()-formatted message is valid with newline and escape codes.
 
-endif # PANEL
+choice
+	prompt "Backlight initial state"
+	default CHARLCD_BL_FLASH
+
+	config CHARLCD_BL_OFF
+		bool "Off"
+		help
+		  Backlight is initially turned off
+
+	config CHARLCD_BL_ON
+		bool "On"
+		help
+		  Backlight is initially turned on
+
+	config CHARLCD_BL_FLASH
+		bool "Flash"
+		help
+		  Backlight is flashed briefly on init
+
+endchoice
+
+endif # AUXDISPLAY
+
+config PANEL
+	tristate "Parallel port LCD/Keypad Panel support (OLD OPTION)"
+	depends on PARPORT
+	select AUXDISPLAY
+	select PARPORT_PANEL
 
 config CHARLCD
 	tristate "Character LCD core support" if COMPILE_TEST
diff --git a/drivers/auxdisplay/Makefile b/drivers/auxdisplay/Makefile
index 7ac6776ca3f674683c538aca2d7473198e01a3a9..cf54b5efb07e00ae1249dfbc95ef4c88a0f08386 100644
--- a/drivers/auxdisplay/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/auxdisplay/Makefile
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_CFAG12864B)	+= cfag12864b.o cfag12864bfb.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_IMG_ASCII_LCD)	+= img-ascii-lcd.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_HD44780)		+= hd44780.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_HT16K33)		+= ht16k33.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_PANEL)             += panel.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_PARPORT_PANEL)	+= panel.o
diff --git a/drivers/auxdisplay/charlcd.c b/drivers/auxdisplay/charlcd.c
index 60e0b772673f3bd0c631efb6e45b0f624f75aa8a..92745efefb540e5d723f5bbaa3aefd11735b0f29 100644
--- a/drivers/auxdisplay/charlcd.c
+++ b/drivers/auxdisplay/charlcd.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ struct charlcd_priv {
 	unsigned long long drvdata[0];
 };
 
-#define to_priv(p)	container_of(p, struct charlcd_priv, lcd)
+#define charlcd_to_priv(p)	container_of(p, struct charlcd_priv, lcd)
 
 /* Device single-open policy control */
 static atomic_t charlcd_available = ATOMIC_INIT(1);
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static void long_sleep(int ms)
 /* turn the backlight on or off */
 static void charlcd_backlight(struct charlcd *lcd, int on)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	if (!lcd->ops->backlight)
 		return;
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ static void charlcd_bl_off(struct work_struct *work)
 /* turn the backlight on for a little while */
 void charlcd_poke(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	if (!lcd->ops->backlight)
 		return;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(charlcd_poke);
 
 static void charlcd_gotoxy(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 	unsigned int addr;
 
 	/*
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ static void charlcd_gotoxy(struct charlcd *lcd)
 
 static void charlcd_home(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	priv->addr.x = 0;
 	priv->addr.y = 0;
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static void charlcd_home(struct charlcd *lcd)
 
 static void charlcd_print(struct charlcd *lcd, char c)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	if (priv->addr.x < lcd->bwidth) {
 		if (lcd->char_conv)
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static void charlcd_clear_fast(struct charlcd *lcd)
 /* clears the display and resets X/Y */
 static void charlcd_clear_display(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	lcd->ops->write_cmd(lcd, LCD_CMD_DISPLAY_CLEAR);
 	priv->addr.x = 0;
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ static void charlcd_clear_display(struct charlcd *lcd)
 static int charlcd_init_display(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
 	void (*write_cmd_raw)(struct charlcd *lcd, int cmd);
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 	u8 init;
 
 	if (lcd->ifwidth != 4 && lcd->ifwidth != 8)
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ static bool parse_xy(const char *s, unsigned long *x, unsigned long *y)
 
 static inline int handle_lcd_special_code(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	/* LCD special codes */
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ static inline int handle_lcd_special_code(struct charlcd *lcd)
 
 static void charlcd_write_char(struct charlcd *lcd, char c)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	/* first, we'll test if we're in escape mode */
 	if ((c != '\n') && priv->esc_seq.len >= 0) {
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ static ssize_t charlcd_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
 
 static int charlcd_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(the_charlcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(the_charlcd);
 	int ret;
 
 	ret = -EBUSY;
@@ -763,10 +763,24 @@ static void charlcd_puts(struct charlcd *lcd, const char *s)
 	}
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PANEL_BOOT_MESSAGE
+#define LCD_INIT_TEXT CONFIG_PANEL_BOOT_MESSAGE
+#else
+#define LCD_INIT_TEXT "Linux-" UTS_RELEASE "\n"
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_CHARLCD_BL_ON
+#define LCD_INIT_BL "\x1b[L+"
+#elif defined(CONFIG_CHARLCD_BL_FLASH)
+#define LCD_INIT_BL "\x1b[L*"
+#else
+#define LCD_INIT_BL "\x1b[L-"
+#endif
+
 /* initialize the LCD driver */
 static int charlcd_init(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 	int ret;
 
 	if (lcd->ops->backlight) {
@@ -784,13 +798,8 @@ static int charlcd_init(struct charlcd *lcd)
 		return ret;
 
 	/* display a short message */
-#ifdef CONFIG_PANEL_CHANGE_MESSAGE
-#ifdef CONFIG_PANEL_BOOT_MESSAGE
-	charlcd_puts(lcd, "\x1b[Lc\x1b[Lb\x1b[L*" CONFIG_PANEL_BOOT_MESSAGE);
-#endif
-#else
-	charlcd_puts(lcd, "\x1b[Lc\x1b[Lb\x1b[L*Linux-" UTS_RELEASE "\n");
-#endif
+	charlcd_puts(lcd, "\x1b[Lc\x1b[Lb" LCD_INIT_BL LCD_INIT_TEXT);
+
 	/* clear the display on the next device opening */
 	priv->must_clear = true;
 	charlcd_home(lcd);
@@ -818,6 +827,12 @@ struct charlcd *charlcd_alloc(unsigned int drvdata_size)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(charlcd_alloc);
 
+void charlcd_free(struct charlcd *lcd)
+{
+	kfree(charlcd_to_priv(lcd));
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(charlcd_free);
+
 static int panel_notify_sys(struct notifier_block *this, unsigned long code,
 			    void *unused)
 {
@@ -866,7 +881,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(charlcd_register);
 
 int charlcd_unregister(struct charlcd *lcd)
 {
-	struct charlcd_priv *priv = to_priv(lcd);
+	struct charlcd_priv *priv = charlcd_to_priv(lcd);
 
 	unregister_reboot_notifier(&panel_notifier);
 	charlcd_puts(lcd, "\x0cLCD driver unloaded.\x1b[Lc\x1b[Lb\x1b[L-");
diff --git a/drivers/auxdisplay/hd44780.c b/drivers/auxdisplay/hd44780.c
index 9ad93ea42fdc73e81242ea358ffb357612833367..ab15b64707ad22ef429a7ee6911d72ec9a284bd5 100644
--- a/drivers/auxdisplay/hd44780.c
+++ b/drivers/auxdisplay/hd44780.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ static int hd44780_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	return 0;
 
 fail:
-	kfree(lcd);
+	charlcd_free(lcd);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ static int hd44780_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct charlcd *lcd = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
 
 	charlcd_unregister(lcd);
+
+	charlcd_free(lcd);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/auxdisplay/panel.c b/drivers/auxdisplay/panel.c
index 21b9b2f2470a26d1f2d1c2d5eb4237fe3902af82..e06de63497cf8f00edde8d2d7bcffa5b25cc8e81 100644
--- a/drivers/auxdisplay/panel.c
+++ b/drivers/auxdisplay/panel.c
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ static void panel_attach(struct parport *port)
 	if (lcd.enabled)
 		charlcd_unregister(lcd.charlcd);
 err_unreg_device:
-	kfree(lcd.charlcd);
+	charlcd_free(lcd.charlcd);
 	lcd.charlcd = NULL;
 	parport_unregister_device(pprt);
 	pprt = NULL;
@@ -1647,7 +1647,7 @@ static void panel_detach(struct parport *port)
 	if (lcd.enabled) {
 		charlcd_unregister(lcd.charlcd);
 		lcd.initialized = false;
-		kfree(lcd.charlcd);
+		charlcd_free(lcd.charlcd);
 		lcd.charlcd = NULL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/misc/charlcd.h b/include/misc/charlcd.h
index 23f61850f3639ae1686f9f83e0bac6e6a5015ba5..1832402324cef7a00cc1ca97327aa21dd65e836b 100644
--- a/include/misc/charlcd.h
+++ b/include/misc/charlcd.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ struct charlcd_ops {
 };
 
 struct charlcd *charlcd_alloc(unsigned int drvdata_size);
+void charlcd_free(struct charlcd *lcd);
 
 int charlcd_register(struct charlcd *lcd);
 int charlcd_unregister(struct charlcd *lcd);