diff --git a/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate b/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
index c8b253da5b..df221cc26c 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
+++ b/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
@@ -366,11 +366,12 @@ generate_led() {
 		;;
 
 		switch)
-			local port_mask speed_mask
-			json_get_vars port_mask speed_mask
+			local port_mask speed_mask mode
+			json_get_vars port_mask speed_mask mode
 			uci -q batch <<-EOF
 				set system.$cfg.port_mask='$port_mask'
 				set system.$cfg.speed_mask='$speed_mask'
+				set system.$cfg.mode='$mode'
 			EOF
 		;;
 
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/led b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/led
index c790e3e181..a3f1224a1a 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/led
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/led
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ load_led() {
 	config_get trigger $1 trigger "none"
 	config_get dev $1 dev
 	config_get ports $1 port
-	config_get mode $1 mode "link"
+	config_get mode $1 mode
 	config_get_bool default $1 default "nil"
 	config_get delayon $1 delayon
 	config_get delayoff $1 delayoff
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ load_led() {
 		"netdev")
 			[ -n "$dev" ] && {
 				echo $dev > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/device_name
-				echo $mode > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/mode
+				echo "${mode:-link}" > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/mode
 				echo $interval > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/interval
 			}
 			;;
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ load_led() {
 			config_get speed_mask $1 speed_mask
 			[ -n "$speed_mask" ] && \
 				echo $speed_mask > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/speed_mask
+			[ -n "$mode" ] && \
+				echo "$mode" > /sys/class/leds/${sysfs}/mode
 			;;
 		esac
 	}
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/uci-defaults.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/uci-defaults.sh
index 7fa328ac20..315df7b708 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/uci-defaults.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/uci-defaults.sh
@@ -442,11 +442,13 @@ ucidef_set_led_switch() {
 	local trigger_name="$4"
 	local port_mask="$5"
 	local speed_mask="$6"
+	local mode="$7"
 
 	_ucidef_set_led_common "$1" "$2" "$3"
 
 	json_add_string trigger "$trigger_name"
 	json_add_string type switch
+	json_add_string mode "$mode"
 	json_add_string port_mask "$port_mask"
 	json_add_string speed_mask "$speed_mask"
 	json_select ..