diff --git a/firmware/src/brightness.cpp b/firmware/src/brightness.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03f26db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firmware/src/brightness.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#include "brightness.h"
+#include "idle.h"
+#include <Preferences.h>
+#include <Arduino.h>
+
+// Four-step ramp. The default (index 2) is 200 — identical to the prior
+// hard-coded DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS, so cycling is purely additive.
+static const uint8_t LEVELS[] = {64, 128, 200, 255};
+#define LEVELS_COUNT (sizeof(LEVELS) / sizeof(LEVELS[0]))
+#define DEFAULT_IDX  2
+
+static uint8_t cur_idx = DEFAULT_IDX;
+
+void brightness_init(void) {
+    Preferences prefs;
+    prefs.begin("clawdmeter", true);
+    uint8_t saved_idx = prefs.getUChar("brt_idx", 0xFF);
+    prefs.end();
+
+    if (saved_idx < LEVELS_COUNT) cur_idx = saved_idx;
+    idle_set_awake_brightness(LEVELS[cur_idx]);
+    Serial.printf("Brightness init: level=%u (idx=%u)\n", LEVELS[cur_idx], cur_idx);
+}
+
+void brightness_cycle(void) {
+    cur_idx = (cur_idx + 1) % LEVELS_COUNT;
+
+    Preferences prefs;
+    prefs.begin("clawdmeter", false);
+    prefs.putUChar("brt_idx", cur_idx);
+    prefs.end();
+
+    idle_set_awake_brightness(LEVELS[cur_idx]);
+    Serial.printf("Brightness cycled: level=%u (idx=%u)\n", LEVELS[cur_idx], cur_idx);
+}
+
+uint8_t brightness_get(void) {
+    return LEVELS[cur_idx];
+}
diff --git a/firmware/src/brightness.h b/firmware/src/brightness.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c956507
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firmware/src/brightness.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+// User-controlled display brightness, persisted to NVS. The middle (PWR)
+// button short-press cycles through the levels via brightness_cycle().
+// idle owns the actual panel brightness, so this routes the chosen level
+// through idle_set_awake_brightness().
+void    brightness_init(void);    // load saved level from NVS and apply
+void    brightness_cycle(void);   // advance to next level, save, apply
+uint8_t brightness_get(void);     // current PWM level (0..255)
diff --git a/firmware/src/idle.cpp b/firmware/src/idle.cpp
index 9552e67..b491655 100644
--- a/firmware/src/idle.cpp
+++ b/firmware/src/idle.cpp
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ static uint32_t fade_started_ms  = 0;
 static uint32_t fade_last_step_ms = 0;
 static uint8_t  fade_from = DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS;
 static uint8_t  fade_to   = 0;
+static uint8_t  awake_brightness = DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS;  // user-set "full" level (brightness.cpp)
 
 static void apply_brightness(uint8_t b) {
     display_hal_set_brightness(b);
 }
 
 static void begin_fade(uint8_t to, uint32_t now) {
-    fade_from = (to == 0) ? DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS : 0;
+    fade_from = (to == 0) ? awake_brightness : 0;
     fade_to   = to;
     fade_started_ms = now;
     fade_last_step_ms = now;
@@ -32,7 +33,14 @@ static void begin_fade(uint8_t to, uint32_t now) {
 void idle_init(void) {
     state = STATE_AWAKE;
     last_activity_ms = millis();
-    apply_brightness(DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS);
+    apply_brightness(awake_brightness);
+}
+
+void idle_set_awake_brightness(uint8_t level) {
+    awake_brightness = level;
+    // Apply now if fully awake so a button press is visible immediately;
+    // during fades/sleep the next fade-in picks it up.
+    if (state == STATE_AWAKE) apply_brightness(level);
 }
 
 void idle_note_activity(void) {
@@ -41,7 +49,7 @@ void idle_note_activity(void) {
     if (state == STATE_AWAKE) return;
     // Asleep/fading-out shouldn't reach here in normal flow (callers gate via
     // idle_consume_wake_press first), but if it does: trigger a wake.
-    begin_fade(DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS, last_activity_ms);
+    begin_fade(awake_brightness, last_activity_ms);
     state = STATE_FADING_IN;
 }
 
@@ -49,7 +57,7 @@ bool idle_consume_wake_press(void) {
     if (state == STATE_ASLEEP || state == STATE_FADING_OUT) {
         uint32_t now = millis();
         last_activity_ms = now;
-        begin_fade(DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS, now);
+        begin_fade(awake_brightness, now);
         state = STATE_FADING_IN;
         return true;
     }
@@ -75,7 +83,7 @@ void idle_tick(void) {
     if (!IDLE_SLEEP_WHEN_CHARGING && power_hal_is_vbus_in()) {
         last_activity_ms = now;
         if (state == STATE_ASLEEP || state == STATE_FADING_OUT) {
-            begin_fade(DISPLAY_DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS, now);
+            begin_fade(awake_brightness, now);
             state = STATE_FADING_IN;
         }
     }
diff --git a/firmware/src/idle.h b/firmware/src/idle.h
index 0ce424c..4dd9c00 100644
--- a/firmware/src/idle.h
+++ b/firmware/src/idle.h
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ void idle_init(void);
 void idle_tick(void);
 void idle_note_activity(void);
 
+// Set the "awake" brightness target (0..255). idle owns display brightness
+// (it fades between this and 0), so user brightness control routes through
+// here. Applied immediately if the screen is currently fully awake; otherwise
+// picked up by the next fade-in. See brightness.{h,cpp}.
+void idle_set_awake_brightness(uint8_t level);
+
 // Returns true if this press was consumed as a wake-up (caller MUST skip the
 // button's normal action). Returns false when already awake — also notes the
 // activity, so callers don't need a separate idle_note_activity() call.