diff --git a/target/linux/atheros/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/leds b/target/linux/atheros/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/leds
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..076a04bfdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/target/linux/atheros/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/leds
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Copyright 2012 OpenWrt.org
+#
+
+. /lib/functions/uci-defaults.sh
+
+ucidef_set_led_netdev "wlan" "wlan" "wlan" "wlan0"
+
+ucidef_commit_leds
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/target/linux/atheros/config-3.3 b/target/linux/atheros/config-3.3
index be0c74ab7c..c3713b3dac 100644
--- a/target/linux/atheros/config-3.3
+++ b/target/linux/atheros/config-3.3
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE=""
 CONFIG_IP17XX_PHY=y
 CONFIG_IRQ_CPU=y
 CONFIG_IRQ_FORCED_THREADING=y
+CONFIG_LEDS_GPIO=y
 CONFIG_MDIO_BOARDINFO=y
 CONFIG_MIPS=y
 CONFIG_MIPS_L1_CACHE_SHIFT=5