diff --git a/drivers/staging/fbtft/fb_ssd1351.c b/drivers/staging/fbtft/fb_ssd1351.c
index cf263a58a148..6fd549a424d5 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/fbtft/fb_ssd1351.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/fbtft/fb_ssd1351.c
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ static struct fbtft_display display = {
 	},
 };
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT
 static int update_onboard_backlight(struct backlight_device *bd)
 {
 	struct fbtft_par *par = bl_get_data(bd);
@@ -231,9 +230,6 @@ static void register_onboard_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par)
 	if (!par->fbtftops.unregister_backlight)
 		par->fbtftops.unregister_backlight = fbtft_unregister_backlight;
 }
-#else
-static void register_onboard_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par) { };
-#endif
 
 FBTFT_REGISTER_DRIVER(DRVNAME, "solomon,ssd1351", &display);
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/fbtft/fbtft-core.c b/drivers/staging/fbtft/fbtft-core.c
index ecb5f75f6dd5..f2684d2d6851 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/fbtft/fbtft-core.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/fbtft/fbtft-core.c
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ static int fbtft_request_gpios(struct fbtft_par *par)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT
 static int fbtft_backlight_update_status(struct backlight_device *bd)
 {
 	struct fbtft_par *par = bl_get_data(bd);
@@ -161,6 +160,7 @@ void fbtft_unregister_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par)
 		par->info->bl_dev = NULL;
 	}
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(fbtft_unregister_backlight);
 
 static const struct backlight_ops fbtft_bl_ops = {
 	.get_brightness	= fbtft_backlight_get_brightness,
@@ -198,12 +198,7 @@ void fbtft_register_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par)
 	if (!par->fbtftops.unregister_backlight)
 		par->fbtftops.unregister_backlight = fbtft_unregister_backlight;
 }
-#else
-void fbtft_register_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par) { };
-void fbtft_unregister_backlight(struct fbtft_par *par) { };
-#endif
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(fbtft_register_backlight);
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(fbtft_unregister_backlight);
 
 static void fbtft_set_addr_win(struct fbtft_par *par, int xs, int ys, int xe,
 			       int ye)
@@ -853,13 +848,11 @@ int fbtft_register_framebuffer(struct fb_info *fb_info)
 		 fb_info->fix.smem_len >> 10, text1,
 		 HZ / fb_info->fbdefio->delay, text2);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT
 	/* Turn on backlight if available */
 	if (fb_info->bl_dev) {
 		fb_info->bl_dev->props.power = FB_BLANK_UNBLANK;
 		fb_info->bl_dev->ops->update_status(fb_info->bl_dev);
 	}
-#endif
 
 	return 0;