diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a7dd4813..e4dad695 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - `internal/pulseaudio`: `reverse-scroll` option ([`#2664`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2664))
 - `custom/script`: Repeat interval for script failure (`interval-fail`) and `exec-if` (`interval-if`) ([`#943`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/943), [`#2606`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2606), [`#2630`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2630))
 - `custom/text`: Loads the `format` setting, which supports the `<label>` tag, if the deprecated `content` is not defined ([`#1331`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/1331), [`#2673`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2673), [`#2676`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2676))
-- `internal/backlight`: `scroll-interval` option ([`#2696`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2696), [`#2700`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2700))
+- `internal/backlight`:
+  - `scroll-interval` option ([`#2696`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2696), [`#2700`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2700))
+  - `poll-interval` setting controls how often the module is updated (in case it does not happen when the brightness changes) ([`#2835`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2835), [`#3028`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/3028))
 - `internal/temperature`: Added `zone-type` setting ([`#2572`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2572), [`#2752`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2752)) by [@xphoniex](https://github.com/xphoniex)
 - `internal/xwindow`: `%class%` and `%instance%` tokens, which show the contents of the `WM_CLASS` property of the active window ([`#2830`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2830))
 - Added `enable-struts` option in bar section to enable/disable struts ([`#2769`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2769), [`#2844`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2844)) by [@VanillaViking](https://github.com/VanillaViking).
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - `internal/fs`: Use `/` as a fallback if no mountpoints are specified ([`#2572`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2572), [`#2705`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2705))
 - `internal/backlight`:
   - Detect backlight if none specified ([`#2572`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2572), [`#2728`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2728))
-  - `use-actual-brightness` defaults to `true` for `amdgpu` backlights ([`#2835`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2835), [`2839`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2839))
+  - `use-actual-brightness` now always defaults to `true` (even for `amdgpu` backlights) ([`#2835`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2835), [`2839`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2839))
 - Providing a negative min-width to a token adds right-padding ([`#2789`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2789), [`#2801`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2801)) by [@VanillaViking](https://github.com/VanillaViking).
 - Changed fuzzy match option on i3 and bspwm modules to find longest match instead of the first match ([`#2831`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2831), [`#2829`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2829)) by [@Ron0Studios](https://github.com/ron0studios/).
 - `wm-restack`
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   - Also monitor include-files for changes when --reload is set ([`#675`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/675), [`#2759`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2759))
 - `internal/xwindow`: module does not crash when a tag is not provided in format ([`#2826`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2826), [`#2833`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2833)) by [@VanillaViking](https://github.com/VanillaViking)
 - `internal/i3`: module errors when i3 has negative gaps ([`#2888`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2888), [`#2889`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2889))
+- `internal/backlight`: Fix module being one step behind every update ([`#2835`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2835), [`#3028`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/3028))
 - `wm-restack = bspwm`: bar may become unclickable if there are overlapping monitors ([`#2873`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2873), [`#2961`](https://github.com/polybar/polybar/pull/2961))
 
 ## [3.6.3] - 2022-05-04
diff --git a/include/modules/backlight.hpp b/include/modules/backlight.hpp
index 02542505..685814dd 100644
--- a/include/modules/backlight.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/backlight.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,19 @@
 POLYBAR_NS
 
 namespace modules {
+  /**
+   * Reads value from `/sys/class/backlight/` to get a brightness value for some device.
+   *
+   * There are two file providing brightness values: `brightness` and `actual_brightness`.
+   * The `actual_brightness` file is usually more reliable, but in some cases does not work (provides completely wrong
+   * values, doesn't update) depending on kernel version, graphics driver, and/or graphics card.
+   * Which file is used is controlled by the use-actual-brightness setting.
+   *
+   * The general issue with the `brightness` file seems to be that, while it does receive inotify events, the events it
+   * receives are not for modification of the file and arrive just before the file is updated with a new value. The module
+   * thus reads and displays an outdated brightness value. To compensate for this, the module periodically (controlled by
+   * `poll-interval`) forces an update. By default, this is only enabled if the `backlight` file is used.
+   */
   class backlight_module : public inotify_module<backlight_module> {
    public:
     struct brightness_handle {
@@ -20,7 +33,6 @@ namespace modules {
 
     string get_output();
 
-   public:
     explicit backlight_module(const bar_settings&, string, const config&);
 
     void idle();
@@ -47,7 +59,7 @@ namespace modules {
     label_t m_label;
     progressbar_t m_progressbar;
     string m_path_backlight;
-    float m_max_brightness;
+    float m_max_brightness{};
     bool m_scroll{false};
     int m_scroll_interval{5};
     bool m_use_actual_brightness{true};
@@ -56,6 +68,9 @@ namespace modules {
     brightness_handle m_max;
 
     int m_percentage = 0;
+
+    chrono::duration<double> m_interval{};
+    chrono::steady_clock::time_point m_lastpoll;
   };
 } // namespace modules
 
diff --git a/src/modules/backlight.cpp b/src/modules/backlight.cpp
index e65e061b..fa0554f4 100644
--- a/src/modules/backlight.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/backlight.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ namespace modules {
 
     m_use_actual_brightness = m_conf.get(name(), "use-actual-brightness", m_use_actual_brightness);
 
+    m_interval = m_conf.get<decltype(m_interval)>(name(), "poll-interval", m_use_actual_brightness? 0s : 5s);
+    m_lastpoll = chrono::steady_clock::now();
+
     std::string brightness_type = (m_use_actual_brightness ? "actual_brightness" : "brightness");
     auto path_backlight_val = m_path_backlight + "/" + brightness_type;
 
@@ -83,23 +86,48 @@ namespace modules {
   }
 
   void backlight_module::idle() {
-    sleep(75ms);
+    if (m_interval.count() > 0) {
+      /*
+       * Update module after interval (if any).
+       * We don't always receive inotify events for the backlight files.
+       * Mainly, the `backlight` file never receive an event on modification.
+       * In that case, updating at an interval is the only way to get the new value.
+       */
+      auto now = chrono::steady_clock::now();
+      if (chrono::duration_cast<decltype(m_interval)>(now - m_lastpoll) > m_interval) {
+        m_lastpoll = now;
+        if (on_event({})) {
+          broadcast();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    this->inotify_module::idle();
   }
 
   bool backlight_module::on_event(const inotify_event& event) {
     if (event.is_valid) {
-      m_log.trace("%s: %s", name(), event.filename);
+      m_log.trace("%s: on_event{filename: %s, is_dir: %s, wd: %d, cookie: %d, mask: 0x%x}", name(), event.filename,
+          event.is_dir? "true" : "false", event.wd, event.cookie, event.mask);
     }
 
     m_max_brightness = m_max.read();
-    m_percentage = static_cast<int>(m_val.read() / m_max_brightness * 100.0f + 0.5f);
+    float val = m_val.read();
+    int percentage = math_util::percentage(val, m_max_brightness);
 
-    if (m_label) {
-      m_label->reset_tokens();
-      m_label->replace_token("%percentage%", to_string(m_percentage));
+    if (m_percentage != percentage) {
+      m_log.trace("%s: %d%% -> %d%% (val: %f, max: %f)", name(), m_percentage, percentage, val, m_max_brightness);
+      m_percentage = percentage;
+
+      if (m_label) {
+        m_label->reset_tokens();
+        m_label->replace_token("%percentage%", to_string(m_percentage));
+      }
+
+      return true;
     }
 
-    return true;
+    return false;
   }
 
   string backlight_module::get_output() {