diff --git a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig.xml b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig.xml
index d8f1ea9b1..8c1b951a7 100644
--- a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig.xml
+++ b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig.xml
@@ -210,12 +210,42 @@
         Returns the new value after rounding.
     -->
     <method name="ChangeBacklight">
+      <annotation name="org.freedesktop.DBus.Deprecated" value="true"/>
       <arg name="serial" direction="in" type="u" />
       <arg name="output" direction="in" type="u" />
       <arg name="value" direction="in" type="i" />
       <arg name="new_value" direction="out" type="i" />
     </method>
 
+    <!--
+	SetBacklight:
+	@serial: configuration serial
+	@connector: the connector name
+	@value: the new backlight value
+
+	Changes the backlight of @output to @value.
+    -->
+    <method name="SetBacklight">
+      <arg name="serial" direction="in" type="u" />
+      <arg name="connector" direction="in" type="s" />
+      <arg name="value" direction="in" type="i" />
+    </method>
+
+    <!--
+	Backlight:
+
+	A set of backlights. Each backlight is a dictionary with the following
+	entries. If an entry is only a connector, it means there is no way to
+	control it via this D-Bus interface.
+
+	  * 'connector' (s) - An associated monitor connector
+	  * 'active' (s) - True if the monitor is active
+	  * 'value' (i) - Current value (optional)
+
+	The initial 'u' is a serial number used when setting the backlight.
+    -->
+    <property name="Backlight" type="(uaa{sv})" access="read" />
+
     <!--
         GetCrtcGamma:
 	@serial: configuration serial
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
index 306e7253b..921d1dcbb 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ typedef struct _MetaMonitorManagerPrivate
 
   guint reload_monitor_manager_id;
   guint switch_config_handle_id;
+
+  uint32_t backlight_serial;
 } MetaMonitorManagerPrivate;
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (MetaMonitorManager, meta_monitor_manager,
@@ -139,6 +141,9 @@ static gboolean
 is_global_scale_matching_in_config (MetaMonitorsConfig *config,
                                     float               scale);
 
+static void update_backlight (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
+                              gboolean            bump_serial);
+
 MetaBackend *
 meta_monitor_manager_get_backend (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 {
@@ -1205,6 +1210,8 @@ meta_monitor_manager_notify_monitors_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 {
   meta_backend_monitors_changed (manager->backend);
 
+  update_backlight (manager, TRUE);
+
   g_signal_emit (manager, signals[MONITORS_CHANGED_INTERNAL], 0);
   g_signal_emit (manager, signals[MONITORS_CHANGED], 0);
 
@@ -1240,6 +1247,8 @@ meta_monitor_manager_setup (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 
   meta_monitor_manager_notify_monitors_changed (manager);
 
+  update_backlight (manager, TRUE);
+
   manager->in_init = FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -2365,7 +2374,7 @@ meta_monitor_manager_is_config_complete (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
 
 static MetaMonitor *
 find_monitor_from_connector (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
-                             char               *connector)
+                             const char         *connector)
 {
   GList *monitors;
   GList *l;
@@ -2910,9 +2919,72 @@ meta_monitor_manager_handle_change_backlight  (MetaDBusDisplayConfig *skeleton,
   meta_output_set_backlight (output, value);
   renormalized_value = normalize_backlight (output, value);
 
+  G_GNUC_BEGIN_IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS
   meta_dbus_display_config_complete_change_backlight (skeleton,
                                                       invocation,
                                                       renormalized_value);
+  G_GNUC_END_IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS
+
+
+  update_backlight (manager, FALSE);
+
+  return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+meta_monitor_manager_handle_set_backlight (MetaDBusDisplayConfig *skeleton,
+                                           GDBusMethodInvocation *invocation,
+                                           uint32_t               serial,
+                                           const char *           connector,
+                                           int                    value,
+                                           MetaMonitorManager    *monitor_manager)
+{
+  MetaMonitorManagerPrivate *priv =
+    meta_monitor_manager_get_instance_private (monitor_manager);
+  MetaMonitor *monitor;
+  int backlight_min;
+  int backlight_max;
+
+  if (serial != priv->backlight_serial)
+    {
+      g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR,
+                                             G_DBUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS,
+                                             "Invalid backlight serial");
+      return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
+    }
+
+  monitor = find_monitor_from_connector (monitor_manager, connector);
+  if (!monitor)
+    {
+      g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR,
+                                             G_DBUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS,
+                                             "Unknown monitor");
+      return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
+    }
+
+  if (!meta_monitor_get_backlight_info (monitor,
+                                        &backlight_min,
+                                        &backlight_max))
+    {
+      g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR,
+                                             G_DBUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS,
+                                             "Monitor doesn't support changing backlight");
+      return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
+    }
+
+  if (value < backlight_min || value > backlight_max)
+    {
+      g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR,
+                                             G_DBUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS,
+                                             "Invalid backlight value");
+      return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
+    }
+
+  meta_monitor_set_backlight (monitor, value);
+
+  meta_dbus_display_config_complete_set_backlight (skeleton, invocation);
+
+  update_backlight (monitor_manager, FALSE);
 
   return G_DBUS_METHOD_INVOCATION_HANDLED;
 }
@@ -3099,6 +3171,9 @@ monitor_manager_setup_dbus_config_handlers (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
   g_signal_connect_object (manager->display_config, "handle-change-backlight",
                            G_CALLBACK (meta_monitor_manager_handle_change_backlight),
                            manager, 0);
+  g_signal_connect_object (manager->display_config, "handle-set-backlight",
+                           G_CALLBACK (meta_monitor_manager_handle_set_backlight),
+                           manager, 0);
   g_signal_connect_object (manager->display_config, "handle-get-crtc-gamma",
                            G_CALLBACK (meta_monitor_manager_handle_get_crtc_gamma),
                            manager, 0);
@@ -3594,6 +3669,68 @@ meta_monitor_manager_read_current_state (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
   manager_class->read_current_state (manager);
 }
 
+static void
+update_backlight (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
+                  gboolean            bump_serial)
+{
+  MetaMonitorManagerPrivate *priv =
+    meta_monitor_manager_get_instance_private (manager);
+  GList *l;
+  GVariantBuilder backlight_builder;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) backlight = NULL;
+
+  if (bump_serial)
+    priv->backlight_serial++;
+
+  g_variant_builder_init (&backlight_builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE ("(uaa{sv})"));
+  g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "u", priv->backlight_serial);
+
+  g_variant_builder_open (&backlight_builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE ("aa{sv}"));
+
+  for (l = manager->monitors; l; l = l->next)
+    {
+      MetaMonitor *monitor = META_MONITOR (l->data);
+      const char *connector;
+      gboolean active;
+      int value;
+
+      if (!meta_monitor_is_laptop_panel (monitor))
+        continue;
+
+      g_variant_builder_open (&backlight_builder,
+                              G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
+
+      connector = meta_monitor_get_connector (monitor);
+      active = meta_monitor_is_active (monitor);
+      g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "{sv}",
+                             "connector", g_variant_new_string (connector));
+      g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "{sv}",
+                             "active", g_variant_new_boolean (active));
+
+      if (meta_monitor_get_backlight (monitor, &value))
+        {
+          int min, max;
+
+          meta_monitor_get_backlight_info (monitor, &min, &max);
+          g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "{sv}",
+                                 "min", g_variant_new_int32 (min));
+          g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "{sv}",
+                                 "max", g_variant_new_int32 (max));
+          g_variant_builder_add (&backlight_builder, "{sv}",
+                                 "value", g_variant_new_int32 (value));
+        }
+
+      g_variant_builder_close (&backlight_builder);
+    }
+
+  g_variant_builder_close (&backlight_builder);
+
+  backlight = g_variant_builder_end (&backlight_builder);
+
+  meta_dbus_display_config_set_backlight (manager->display_config,
+                                          g_steal_pointer (&backlight));
+}
+
 static void
 set_logical_monitor_modes (MetaMonitorManager       *manager,
                            MetaLogicalMonitorConfig *logical_monitor_config)
diff --git a/src/tests/meson.build b/src/tests/meson.build
index 5b1e9ccf9..4f39724b3 100644
--- a/src/tests/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/meson.build
@@ -335,6 +335,23 @@ screen_cast_client = executable('mutter-screen-cast-client',
   install_rpath: pkglibdir,
 )
 
+backlight_client = executable('monitor-backlight-client',
+  sources: [
+    'monitor-backlight-client.c',
+    built_dbus_sources['meta-dbus-display-config'],
+  ],
+  include_directories: tests_includes,
+  c_args: [
+    tests_c_args,
+    '-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="mutter-monitor-backlight-test-client"',
+  ],
+  dependencies: [
+    gio_dep,
+  ],
+  install: have_installed_tests,
+  install_dir: mutter_installed_tests_libexecdir,
+)
+
 input_capture_client = executable('mutter-input-capture-test-client',
   sources: [
     'input-capture-test-client.c',
diff --git a/src/tests/monitor-backlight-client.c b/src/tests/monitor-backlight-client.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f605793a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/monitor-backlight-client.c
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2025 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <gio/gio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "meta-dbus-display-config.h"
+
+static void
+backlight_changed_cb (MetaDBusDisplayConfig *proxy,
+                      GParamSpec            *pspec,
+                      int                   *new_value)
+{
+  GVariant *backlight_variant = NULL;
+  uint32_t serial;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) backlights = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) backlight_monitor = NULL;
+  int value;
+
+  backlight_variant = meta_dbus_display_config_get_backlight (proxy);
+  g_variant_get (backlight_variant, "(u@aa{sv})",
+                 &serial, &backlights);
+  g_variant_get_child (backlights, 0, "@a{sv}",
+                       &backlight_monitor);
+  g_variant_lookup (backlight_monitor, "value", "i", &value);
+
+  *new_value = value;
+}
+
+static void
+test_legacy_backlight (MetaDBusDisplayConfig *proxy)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) resources_variant = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  unsigned int serial;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) crtcs = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) outputs = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) modes = NULL;
+  int max_screen_width, max_screen_height;
+  int output_id;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) output_properties = NULL;
+  int normalized_backlight;
+  gulong handler_id;
+  int new_value = -1;
+
+  g_debug ("Running %s test", __func__);
+
+  meta_dbus_display_config_call_get_resources_sync (proxy,
+                                                    &serial,
+                                                    &crtcs,
+                                                    &outputs,
+                                                    &modes,
+                                                    &max_screen_width,
+                                                    &max_screen_height,
+                                                    NULL,
+                                                    &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (g_variant_n_children (outputs), ==, 2);
+
+  g_variant_get_child (outputs, 0,
+                       "(uxiausauau@a{sv})",
+                       &output_id,
+                       NULL,
+                       NULL,
+                       NULL,
+                       NULL,
+                       NULL,
+                       NULL,
+                       &output_properties);
+  g_variant_lookup (output_properties,
+                    "backlight", "i",
+                    &normalized_backlight);
+  g_assert_cmpint (normalized_backlight, >=, 0);
+  g_assert_cmpint (normalized_backlight, <=, 100);
+
+  G_GNUC_BEGIN_IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS
+  meta_dbus_display_config_call_change_backlight_sync (proxy,
+                                                       serial,
+                                                       output_id,
+                                                       1,
+                                                       NULL,
+                                                       NULL, &error);
+  G_GNUC_END_IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS
+
+  g_debug ("Checking denormalization");
+
+  handler_id = g_signal_connect (proxy, "notify::backlight",
+                                 G_CALLBACK (backlight_changed_cb), &new_value);
+  while (new_value == -1)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+  g_assert_cmpint (new_value, ==, 3);
+
+  g_signal_handler_disconnect (proxy, handler_id);
+}
+
+static void
+test_set_backlight (MetaDBusDisplayConfig *proxy)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  GVariant *backlight_variant;
+  uint32_t serial;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) backlights = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) backlight_monitor = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *connector = NULL;
+  int min;
+  int max;
+  int value;
+  gulong handler_id;
+  int new_value = -1;
+
+  g_debug ("Running %s test", __func__);
+
+  backlight_variant = meta_dbus_display_config_get_backlight (proxy);
+  g_variant_get (backlight_variant, "(u@aa{sv})",
+                 &serial, &backlights);
+  g_variant_get_child (backlights, 0, "@a{sv}",
+                       &backlight_monitor);
+  g_variant_lookup (backlight_monitor, "connector", "s", &connector);
+  g_variant_lookup (backlight_monitor, "min", "i", &min);
+  g_variant_lookup (backlight_monitor, "max", "i", &max);
+  g_variant_lookup (backlight_monitor, "value", "i", &value);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (min, ==, 0);
+  g_assert_cmpint (max, ==, 300);
+
+  handler_id = g_signal_connect (proxy, "notify::backlight",
+                                 G_CALLBACK (backlight_changed_cb), &new_value);
+  meta_dbus_display_config_call_set_backlight_sync (proxy,
+                                                    serial,
+                                                    connector,
+                                                    value - 10,
+                                                    NULL, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  while (new_value == -1)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+  g_assert_cmpint (new_value, ==, value - 10);
+
+  g_signal_handler_disconnect (proxy, handler_id);
+}
+
+int
+main (int    argc,
+      char **argv)
+{
+  g_autoptr (MetaDBusDisplayConfig) proxy = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+
+  proxy = meta_dbus_display_config_proxy_new_for_bus_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SESSION,
+                                                           G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_NONE,
+                                                           "org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig",
+                                                           "/org/gnome/Mutter/DisplayConfig",
+                                                           NULL, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  g_assert_nonnull (proxy);
+
+  test_set_backlight (proxy);
+  test_legacy_backlight (proxy);
+
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/monitor-backlight-tests.c b/src/tests/monitor-backlight-tests.c
index ca3cc2d50..4b8ab20df 100644
--- a/src/tests/monitor-backlight-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/monitor-backlight-tests.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include "tests/meta-test/meta-context-test.h"
 #include "tests/meta-monitor-test-utils.h"
 
+#include "meta-dbus-display-config.h"
+
 static MonitorTestCaseSetup initial_test_case_setup = {
   .modes = {
     {
@@ -129,6 +131,62 @@ meta_test_backlight_sanity (void)
   g_assert_cmpint (output_info->backlight_max, ==, 0);
 }
 
+static char *
+get_test_client_path (const char *test_client_name)
+{
+  return g_test_build_filename (G_TEST_BUILT,
+                                test_client_name,
+                                NULL);
+}
+
+static void
+subprocess_wait_check_cb (GObject      *source_object,
+                          GAsyncResult *res,
+                          gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  gboolean *exited = user_data;
+
+  g_assert_true (g_subprocess_wait_check_finish (G_SUBPROCESS (source_object),
+                                                 res,
+                                                 &error));
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
+  *exited = TRUE;
+}
+
+static void
+meta_test_backlight_api (void)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GSubprocessLauncher) launcher = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GSubprocess) subprocess = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *test_client_path = NULL;
+  gboolean exited = FALSE;
+
+  launcher = g_subprocess_launcher_new (G_SUBPROCESS_FLAGS_NONE);
+  g_subprocess_launcher_setenv (launcher,
+                                "G_MESSAGES_DEBUG", "all",
+                                TRUE);
+  g_subprocess_launcher_setenv (launcher,
+                                "G_DEBUG", "fatal-warnings",
+                                TRUE);
+  test_client_path = get_test_client_path ("monitor-backlight-client");
+  subprocess =
+    g_subprocess_launcher_spawn (launcher,
+                                 &error,
+                                 test_client_path,
+                                 NULL);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  g_assert_nonnull (subprocess);
+
+  g_subprocess_wait_check_async (subprocess, NULL,
+                                 subprocess_wait_check_cb,
+                                 &exited);
+  while (!exited)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+}
+
 int
 main (int   argc,
       char *argv[])
@@ -143,6 +201,7 @@ main (int   argc,
 
   meta_init_monitor_test_setup (create_test_setup);
   g_test_add_func ("/backends/backlight/sanity", meta_test_backlight_sanity);
+  g_test_add_func ("/backends/backlight/api", meta_test_backlight_api);
 
   return meta_context_test_run_tests (META_CONTEXT_TEST (context),
                                       META_TEST_RUN_FLAG_NONE);