diff --git a/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.h b/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.h
--- a/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.h
+++ b/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     bool loadAction(const KConfigGroup& config) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
 private:
-    void setBrightnessHelper(int screen, int keyboard);
+    void setBrightnessHelper(int screen, int keyboard, bool force = false);
 
     int m_dimOnIdleTime = 0;
 
diff --git a/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.cpp b/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.cpp
--- a/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.cpp
+++ b/daemon/actions/bundled/dimdisplay.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@
     if (!m_dimmed) {
         return;
     }
-    setBrightnessHelper(m_oldScreenBrightness, m_oldKeyboardBrightness);
+    // An active inhibition may not let us restore the brightness.
+    // Let's override it so that we don't leave the user with a dimmed screen.
+    setBrightnessHelper(m_oldScreenBrightness, m_oldKeyboardBrightness, true);
     m_dimmed = false;
 }
 
@@ -80,11 +82,12 @@
     //
 }
 
-void DimDisplay::setBrightnessHelper(int screen, int keyboard)
+void DimDisplay::setBrightnessHelper(int screen, int keyboard, bool force)
 {
     trigger({
         {QStringLiteral("_ScreenBrightness"), QVariant::fromValue(screen)},
-        {QStringLiteral("_KeyboardBrightness"), QVariant::fromValue(keyboard)}
+        {QStringLiteral("_KeyboardBrightness"), QVariant::fromValue(keyboard)},
+        {QStringLiteral("Explicit"), QVariant::fromValue(force)}
     });
 }