diff --git a/Android.mk b/Android.mk
index a116c9d..6e1bdc5 100644
--- a/Android.mk
+++ b/Android.mk
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@
 	core/java/android/hardware/ISensorService.aidl \
 	core/java/android/net/IConnectivityManager.aidl \
 	core/java/android/net/INetworkManagementEventObserver.aidl \
-        core/java/android/net/IThrottleManager.aidl \
+	core/java/android/net/IThrottleManager.aidl \
+	core/java/android/os/IHardwareService.aidl \
 	core/java/android/os/IMessenger.aidl \
 	core/java/android/os/storage/IMountService.aidl \
 	core/java/android/os/storage/IMountServiceListener.aidl \
diff --git a/core/java/android/os/IHardwareService.aidl b/core/java/android/os/IHardwareService.aidl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..38abfc00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/java/android/os/IHardwareService.aidl
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2007, The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package android.os;
+
+/** {@hide} */
+interface IHardwareService
+{
+    // obsolete flashlight support
+    boolean getFlashlightEnabled();
+    void setFlashlightEnabled(boolean on);
+}
+
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/LightsService.java b/services/java/com/android/server/LightsService.java
index c056eef..9b57735 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/LightsService.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/LightsService.java
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@
 package com.android.server;
 
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.os.Handler;
+import android.os.IHardwareService;
+import android.os.ServiceManager;
 import android.os.Message;
 import android.util.Slog;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
+
 public class LightsService {
     private static final String TAG = "LightsService";
 
@@ -124,11 +131,53 @@
         private boolean mFlashing;
     }
 
+    /* This class implements an obsolete API that was removed after eclair and re-added during the
+     * final moments of the froyo release to support flashlight apps that had been using the private
+     * IHardwareService API. This is expected to go away in the next release.
+     */
+    private final IHardwareService.Stub mLegacyFlashlightHack = new IHardwareService.Stub() {
+
+        private static final String FLASHLIGHT_FILE = "/sys/class/leds/spotlight/brightness";
+
+        public boolean getFlashlightEnabled() {
+            try {
+                FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(FLASHLIGHT_FILE);
+                int result = fis.read();
+                fis.close();
+                return (result != '0');
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                Slog.e(TAG, "getFlashlightEnabled failed", e);
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void setFlashlightEnabled(boolean on) {
+            if (mContext.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(android.Manifest.permission.FLASHLIGHT)
+                    != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED &&
+                    mContext.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(android.Manifest.permission.HARDWARE_TEST)
+                    != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+                throw new SecurityException("Requires FLASHLIGHT or HARDWARE_TEST permission");
+            }
+            try {
+                FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(FLASHLIGHT_FILE);
+                byte[] bytes = new byte[2];
+                bytes[0] = (byte)(on ? '1' : '0');
+                bytes[1] = '\n';
+                fos.write(bytes);
+                fos.close();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                Slog.e(TAG, "setFlashlightEnabled failed", e);
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
     LightsService(Context context) {
 
         mNativePointer = init_native();
         mContext = context;
 
+        ServiceManager.addService("hardware", mLegacyFlashlightHack);
+
         for (int i = 0; i < LIGHT_ID_COUNT; i++) {
             mLights[i] = new Light(i);
         }