diff --git a/include/hw/misc/led.h b/include/hw/misc/led.h
index 286d37c75c1..aa359b87c20 100644
--- a/include/hw/misc/led.h
+++ b/include/hw/misc/led.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #define HW_MISC_LED_H
 
 #include "qom/object.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-core.h"
 
 #define TYPE_LED "led"
 
@@ -37,10 +38,17 @@ struct LEDState {
     /* Public */
 
     uint8_t intensity_percent;
+    qemu_irq irq;
 
     /* Properties */
     char *description;
     char *color;
+    /*
+     * Determines whether a GPIO is using a positive (active-high)
+     * logic (when used with GPIO, the intensity at reset is related
+     * to the GPIO polarity).
+     */
+    bool gpio_active_high;
 };
 typedef struct LEDState LEDState;
 DECLARE_INSTANCE_CHECKER(LEDState, LED, TYPE_LED)
@@ -72,6 +80,7 @@ void led_set_state(LEDState *s, bool is_emitting);
 /**
  * led_create_simple: Create and realize a LED device
  * @parentobj: the parent object
+ * @gpio_polarity: GPIO polarity
  * @color: color of the LED
  * @description: description of the LED (optional)
  *
@@ -81,6 +90,7 @@ void led_set_state(LEDState *s, bool is_emitting);
  * Returns: The newly allocated and instantiated LED object.
  */
 LEDState *led_create_simple(Object *parentobj,
+                            GpioPolarity gpio_polarity,
                             LEDColor color,
                             const char *description);
 
diff --git a/include/hw/qdev-core.h b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
index 868973319ee..a653295d6fc 100644
--- a/include/hw/qdev-core.h
+++ b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
@@ -443,6 +443,22 @@ void qdev_simple_device_unplug_cb(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
 void qdev_machine_creation_done(void);
 bool qdev_machine_modified(void);
 
+/**
+ * GpioPolarity: Polarity of a GPIO line
+ *
+ * GPIO lines use either positive (active-high) logic,
+ * or negative (active-low) logic.
+ *
+ * In active-high logic (%GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_HIGH), a pin is
+ * active when the voltage on the pin is high (relative to ground);
+ * whereas in active-low logic (%GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_LOW), a pin
+ * is active when the voltage on the pin is low (or grounded).
+ */
+typedef enum {
+    GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_LOW,
+    GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_HIGH
+} GpioPolarity;
+
 /**
  * qdev_get_gpio_in: Get one of a device's anonymous input GPIO lines
  * @dev: Device whose GPIO we want
diff --git a/hw/misc/led.c b/hw/misc/led.c
index 1e2f49c5710..c5fa09a613a 100644
--- a/hw/misc/led.c
+++ b/hw/misc/led.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/misc/led.h"
+#include "hw/irq.h"
 #include "trace.h"
 
 #define LED_INTENSITY_PERCENT_MAX   100
@@ -53,11 +54,19 @@ void led_set_state(LEDState *s, bool is_emitting)
     led_set_intensity(s, is_emitting ? LED_INTENSITY_PERCENT_MAX : 0);
 }
 
+static void led_set_state_gpio_handler(void *opaque, int line, int new_state)
+{
+    LEDState *s = LED(opaque);
+
+    assert(line == 0);
+    led_set_state(s, !!new_state != s->gpio_active_high);
+}
+
 static void led_reset(DeviceState *dev)
 {
     LEDState *s = LED(dev);
 
-    led_set_state(s, false);
+    led_set_state(s, s->gpio_active_high);
 }
 
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_led = {
@@ -84,11 +93,14 @@ static void led_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     if (s->description == NULL) {
         s->description = g_strdup("n/a");
     }
+
+    qdev_init_gpio_in(DEVICE(s), led_set_state_gpio_handler, 1);
 }
 
 static Property led_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("color", LEDState, color),
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("description", LEDState, description),
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("gpio-active-high", LEDState, gpio_active_high, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
@@ -119,6 +131,7 @@ static void led_register_types(void)
 type_init(led_register_types)
 
 LEDState *led_create_simple(Object *parentobj,
+                            GpioPolarity gpio_polarity,
                             LEDColor color,
                             const char *description)
 {
@@ -126,6 +139,8 @@ LEDState *led_create_simple(Object *parentobj,
     DeviceState *dev;
 
     dev = qdev_new(TYPE_LED);
+    qdev_prop_set_bit(dev, "gpio-active-high",
+                      gpio_polarity == GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_HIGH);
     qdev_prop_set_string(dev, "color", led_color_name[color]);
     if (!description) {
         static unsigned undescribed_led_id;
