diff --git a/frontend/ui/device.lua b/frontend/ui/device.lua
index 2c81231e3..208d1c2b7 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/device.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/device.lua
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ Device = {
 	frontlight = nil,
 }
 
-BaseFrontLight = {}
+BaseFrontLight = {
+	min = 1, max = 10,
+	intensity = nil,
+}
 
 KindleFrontLight = {
 	min = 0, max = 24,
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@ KoboFrontLight = {
 
 function Device:getModel()
 	if self.model then return self.model end
-	if util.isEmulated()==1 then
+	if util.isEmulated() then
 		self.model = "Emulator"
 		return self.model
 	end
@@ -184,18 +187,23 @@ function Device:getFrontlight()
 			self.frontlight = KindleFrontLight
 		elseif self:isKobo() then
 			self.frontlight = KoboFrontLight
+		else -- emulated FrontLight
+			self.frontlight = BaseFrontLight
 		end
-		if self.frontlight ~= nil then
-			self.frontlight:init()
-		end
+		self.frontlight:init()
 	end
 	return self.frontlight
 end
 
-function BaseFrontLight:intensityCheckBounds(intensity)
+function BaseFrontLight:init() end
+function BaseFrontLight:toggle() end
+function BaseFrontLight:setIntensityHW() end
+
+function BaseFrontLight:setIntensity(intensity)
 	intensity = intensity < self.min and self.min or intensity
 	intensity = intensity > self.max and self.max or intensity
 	self.intensity = intensity
+	self:setIntensityHW()
 end
 
 function KindleFrontLight:init()
@@ -217,11 +225,10 @@ function KindleFrontLight:toggle()
 	end
 end
 
-KindleFrontLight.intensityCheckBounds = BaseFrontLight.intensityCheckBounds
+KindleFrontLight.setIntensity = BaseFrontLight.setIntensity
 
-function KindleFrontLight:setIntensity(intensity)
+function KindleFrontLight:setIntensityHW()
 	if self.lipc_handle ~= nil then
-		self:intensityCheckBounds(intensity)
 		self.lipc_handle:set_int_property("com.lab126.powerd", "flIntensity", self.intensity)
 	end
 end
@@ -236,11 +243,10 @@ function KoboFrontLight:toggle()
 	end
 end
 
-KoboFrontLight.intensityCheckBounds = BaseFrontLight.intensityCheckBounds
+KoboFrontLight.setIntensity = BaseFrontLight.setIntensity
 
-function KoboFrontLight:setIntensity(intensity)
+function KoboFrontLight:setIntensityHW()
 	if self.fl ~= nil then
-		self:intensityCheckBounds(intensity)
 		self.fl:setBrightness(self.intensity)
 	end
 end
diff --git a/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua b/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
index eb003e594..5ffb56269 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/inputevent.lua
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ function Input:init()
 	self.event_map[10020] = "Charging"
 	self.event_map[10021] = "NotCharging"
 
-	if util.isEmulated() == 1 then
+	if util.isEmulated() then
 		self:initKeyMap()
 		os.remove("/tmp/emu_event")
 		os.execute("mkfifo /tmp/emu_event")
diff --git a/koreader-base b/koreader-base
index cc5b399fb..bc556f656 160000
--- a/koreader-base
+++ b/koreader-base
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit cc5b399fb29e2a08105dcad38c5e6833225fcf9c
+Subproject commit bc556f656b0a0f3ca211d7000ea99ec04d947494
diff --git a/reader.lua b/reader.lua
index 88817a98a..f430e7cb2 100755
--- a/reader.lua
+++ b/reader.lua
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function exitReader()
 
 	input.closeAll()
 
-	if util.isEmulated() == 0 then
+	if not util.isEmulated() then
 		if Device:isKindle3() or (Device:getModel() == "KindleDXG") then
 			-- send double menu key press events to trigger screen refresh
 			os.execute("echo 'send 139' > /proc/keypad;echo 'send 139' > /proc/keypad")