Disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for operating a backlight unit of a display device in a redundant mode and a non-redundant mode in the event of a shorted LED failure condition. For instance, in a redundant mode, multiple LED strings arranged in an end-to-end configuration are each driven to provide a first quantity of light, such that the combined output from all LED strings is capable of providing a total light output corresponding to a maximum brightness setting for the display device. In the case that an LED on one of the strings fails due to a shorted LED failure condition, the remaining functional LEDs of the affected string may be driven to provide a second quantity of light, such that the combined output from the affected strings and the non-affected strings may still provide the same total light output for achieving the maximum brightness setting. The second quantity of light is greater than the first quantity.