diff --git a/common_features.mk b/common_features.mk
index 67c64b425..01ceb8278 100644
--- a/common_features.mk
+++ b/common_features.mk
@@ -257,13 +257,11 @@ ifeq ($(strip $(BACKLIGHT_ENABLE)), yes)
     SRC += $(QUANTUM_DIR)/backlight/backlight.c
     OPT_DEFS += -DBACKLIGHT_ENABLE
 
-    ifeq ($(strip $(BACKLIGHT_DRIVER)), software)
+    ifeq ($(strip $(BACKLIGHT_DRIVER)), custom)
+        OPT_DEFS += -DBACKLIGHT_CUSTOM_DRIVER
+    else ifeq ($(strip $(BACKLIGHT_DRIVER)), software)
         SRC += $(QUANTUM_DIR)/backlight/backlight_soft.c
     else
-        ifeq ($(strip $(BACKLIGHT_DRIVER)), custom)
-            OPT_DEFS += -DBACKLIGHT_CUSTOM_DRIVER
-        endif
-
         ifeq ($(PLATFORM),AVR)
             SRC += $(QUANTUM_DIR)/backlight/backlight_avr.c
         else
diff --git a/quantum/backlight/backlight.c b/quantum/backlight/backlight.c
index 708022f68..e57b31d10 100644
--- a/quantum/backlight/backlight.c
+++ b/quantum/backlight/backlight.c
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 backlight_config_t backlight_config;
 
+// TODO: migrate to backlight_config_t
+static uint8_t breathing_period = BREATHING_PERIOD;
+
 /** \brief Backlight initialization
  *
  * FIXME: needs doc
@@ -191,3 +194,21 @@ void backlight_disable_breathing(void) {
  */
 bool is_backlight_breathing(void) { return backlight_config.breathing; }
 #endif
+
+// following are marked as weak purely for backwards compatibility
+__attribute__((weak)) void breathing_period_set(uint8_t value) { breathing_period = value ? value : 1; }
+
+__attribute__((weak)) uint8_t get_breathing_period(void) { return breathing_period; }
+
+__attribute__((weak)) void breathing_period_default(void) { breathing_period_set(BREATHING_PERIOD); }
+
+__attribute__((weak)) void breathing_period_inc(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period + 1); }
+
+__attribute__((weak)) void breathing_period_dec(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period - 1); }
+
+// defaults for backlight api
+__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {}
+
+__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {}
+
+__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_task(void) {}
diff --git a/quantum/backlight/backlight.h b/quantum/backlight/backlight.h
index 1e581055d..9f0a5e81d 100644
--- a/quantum/backlight/backlight.h
+++ b/quantum/backlight/backlight.h
@@ -41,22 +41,39 @@ typedef union {
 } backlight_config_t;
 
 void    backlight_init(void);
-void    backlight_increase(void);
-void    backlight_decrease(void);
 void    backlight_toggle(void);
 void    backlight_enable(void);
 void    backlight_disable(void);
 bool    is_backlight_enabled(void);
 void    backlight_step(void);
-void    backlight_set(uint8_t level);
+void    backlight_increase(void);
+void    backlight_decrease(void);
 void    backlight_level(uint8_t level);
 uint8_t get_backlight_level(void);
 
+// implementation specific
+void backlight_init_ports(void);
+void backlight_set(uint8_t level);
+void backlight_task(void);
+
 #ifdef BACKLIGHT_BREATHING
+
 void backlight_toggle_breathing(void);
 void backlight_enable_breathing(void);
 void backlight_disable_breathing(void);
 bool is_backlight_breathing(void);
+
+void    breathing_period_set(uint8_t value);
+uint8_t get_breathing_period(void);
+void    breathing_period_default(void);
+void    breathing_period_inc(void);
+void    breathing_period_dec(void);
+
+// implementation specific
 void breathing_enable(void);
 void breathing_disable(void);
+void breathing_toggle(void);
+bool is_breathing(void);
+void breathing_pulse(void);
+void breathing_task(void);
 #endif
diff --git a/quantum/backlight/backlight_arm.c b/quantum/backlight/backlight_arm.c
index 8c6909a4a..f7065906f 100644
--- a/quantum/backlight/backlight_arm.c
+++ b/quantum/backlight/backlight_arm.c
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ void backlight_task(void) {}
 #    define BREATHING_HALT_ON 2
 #    define BREATHING_STEPS 128
 
-static uint8_t  breathing_period  = BREATHING_PERIOD;
 static uint8_t  breathing_halt    = BREATHING_NO_HALT;
 static uint16_t breathing_counter = 0;
 
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ bool is_breathing(void) { return BACKLIGHT_PWM_DRIVER.config == &pwmCFG_breathin
 
 static inline void breathing_min(void) { breathing_counter = 0; }
 
-static inline void breathing_max(void) { breathing_counter = breathing_period * 256 / 2; }
+static inline void breathing_max(void) { breathing_counter = get_breathing_period() * 256 / 2; }
 
 void breathing_interrupt_enable(void) {
     pwmStop(&BACKLIGHT_PWM_DRIVER);
@@ -166,17 +165,6 @@ void breathing_toggle(void) {
         breathing_enable();
 }
 
-void breathing_period_set(uint8_t value) {
-    if (!value) value = 1;
-    breathing_period = value;
-}
-
-void breathing_period_default(void) { breathing_period_set(BREATHING_PERIOD); }
-
-void breathing_period_inc(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period + 1); }
-
-void breathing_period_dec(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period - 1); }
-
 /* To generate breathing curve in python:
  * from math import sin, pi; [int(sin(x/128.0*pi)**4*255) for x in range(128)]
  */
@@ -187,7 +175,8 @@ static inline uint16_t scale_backlight(uint16_t v) { return v / BACKLIGHT_LEVELS
 
 static void breathing_callback(PWMDriver *pwmp) {
     (void)pwmp;
-    uint16_t interval = (uint16_t)breathing_period * 256 / BREATHING_STEPS;
+    uint8_t  breathing_period = get_breathing_period();
+    uint16_t interval         = (uint16_t)breathing_period * 256 / BREATHING_STEPS;
     // resetting after one period to prevent ugly reset at overflow.
     breathing_counter = (breathing_counter + 1) % (breathing_period * 256);
     uint8_t index     = breathing_counter / interval % BREATHING_STEPS;
@@ -203,12 +192,4 @@ static void breathing_callback(PWMDriver *pwmp) {
     chSysUnlockFromISR();
 }
 
-#else
-
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {}
-
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {}
-
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_task(void) {}
-
 #endif
diff --git a/quantum/backlight/backlight_avr.c b/quantum/backlight/backlight_avr.c
index edda6ea0b..7cf1e0fb3 100644
--- a/quantum/backlight/backlight_avr.c
+++ b/quantum/backlight/backlight_avr.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ static const pin_t backlight_pin = BACKLIGHT_PIN;
 #    endif
 
 #    ifdef NO_HARDWARE_PWM
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {
+void backlight_init_ports(void) {
     // Setup backlight pin as output and output to on state.
     FOR_EACH_LED(setPinOutput(backlight_pin); backlight_on(backlight_pin);)
 
@@ -217,8 +217,6 @@ __attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {
 #        endif
 }
 
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {}
-
 uint8_t backlight_tick = 0;
 
 #        ifndef BACKLIGHT_CUSTOM_DRIVER
@@ -303,7 +301,7 @@ static uint16_t cie_lightness(uint16_t v) {
 static inline void set_pwm(uint16_t val) { OCRxx = val; }
 
 #        ifndef BACKLIGHT_CUSTOM_DRIVER
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {
+void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {
     if (level > BACKLIGHT_LEVELS) level = BACKLIGHT_LEVELS;
 
     if (level == 0) {
@@ -342,7 +340,6 @@ void backlight_task(void) {}
 #            define BREATHING_HALT_ON 2
 #            define BREATHING_STEPS 128
 
-static uint8_t breathing_period = BREATHING_PERIOD;
 static uint8_t breathing_halt = BREATHING_NO_HALT;
 static uint16_t breathing_counter = 0;
 
@@ -377,9 +374,9 @@ bool is_breathing(void) { return !!(TIMSKx & _BV(TOIEx)); }
                 do {                       \
                     breathing_counter = 0; \
                 } while (0)
-#            define breathing_max()                                 \
-                do {                                                \
-                    breathing_counter = breathing_period * 244 / 2; \
+#            define breathing_max()                                       \
+                do {                                                      \
+                    breathing_counter = get_breathing_period() * 244 / 2; \
                 } while (0)
 
 void breathing_enable(void) {
@@ -417,17 +414,6 @@ void breathing_toggle(void) {
         breathing_enable();
 }
 
-void breathing_period_set(uint8_t value) {
-    if (!value) value = 1;
-    breathing_period = value;
-}
-
-void breathing_period_default(void) { breathing_period_set(BREATHING_PERIOD); }
-
-void breathing_period_inc(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period + 1); }
-
-void breathing_period_dec(void) { breathing_period_set(breathing_period - 1); }
-
 /* To generate breathing curve in python:
  * from math import sin, pi; [int(sin(x/128.0*pi)**4*255) for x in range(128)]
  */
@@ -445,6 +431,7 @@ void breathing_task(void)
 ISR(TIMERx_OVF_vect)
 #            endif
 {
+    uint8_t breathing_period = get_breathing_period();
     uint16_t interval = (uint16_t)breathing_period * 244 / BREATHING_STEPS;
     // resetting after one period to prevent ugly reset at overflow.
     breathing_counter = (breathing_counter + 1) % (breathing_period * 244);
@@ -459,7 +446,7 @@ ISR(TIMERx_OVF_vect)
 
 #        endif  // BACKLIGHT_BREATHING
 
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {
+void backlight_init_ports(void) {
     // Setup backlight pin as output and output to on state.
     FOR_EACH_LED(setPinOutput(backlight_pin); backlight_on(backlight_pin);)
 
@@ -500,10 +487,4 @@ __attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {
 
 #    endif  // hardware backlight
 
-#else  // no backlight
-
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_init_ports(void) {}
-
-__attribute__((weak)) void backlight_set(uint8_t level) {}
-
-#endif  // backlight
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif  // backlight
diff --git a/quantum/quantum.h b/quantum/quantum.h
index 9758374f6..09550fec3 100644
--- a/quantum/quantum.h
+++ b/quantum/quantum.h
@@ -251,30 +251,6 @@ void register_code16(uint16_t code);
 void unregister_code16(uint16_t code);
 void tap_code16(uint16_t code);
 
-#ifdef BACKLIGHT_ENABLE
-void backlight_init_ports(void);
-void backlight_task(void);
-void backlight_task_internal(void);
-void backlight_on(pin_t backlight_pin);
-void backlight_off(pin_t backlight_pin);
-
-#    ifdef BACKLIGHT_BREATHING
-void breathing_task(void);
-void breathing_enable(void);
-void breathing_pulse(void);
-void breathing_disable(void);
-void breathing_self_disable(void);
-void breathing_toggle(void);
-bool is_breathing(void);
-
-void breathing_intensity_default(void);
-void breathing_period_default(void);
-void breathing_period_set(uint8_t value);
-void breathing_period_inc(void);
-void breathing_period_dec(void);
-#    endif
-#endif
-
 void     send_dword(uint32_t number);
 void     send_word(uint16_t number);
 void     send_byte(uint8_t number);