diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-sunxi/Kconfig b/arch/arm/mach-sunxi/Kconfig
index e979ee4a2cc..a60ebe1d964 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-sunxi/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-sunxi/Kconfig
@@ -1232,6 +1232,24 @@ config CHIP_DIP_SCAN
 	select W1_EEPROM_DS24XXX
 	select CMD_EXTENSION
 
+config SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS
+	bool "Control GPIO status LED within SPL"
+	depends on SPL_GPIO && SUNXI_GPIO
+
+if SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS
+
+config SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_BIT
+	int "GPIO number for GPIO status LED"
+	help
+	  GPIO number for the GPIO controlling the GPIO status LED in SPL.
+
+config SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_STATE
+	bool "GPIO status LED initial state is on"
+	help
+	  Whether the initial state of the status LED in SPL must be on or off.
+
+endif # SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS
+
 source "board/sunxi/Kconfig"
 
 endif
diff --git a/board/sunxi/board.c b/board/sunxi/board.c
index 954a8715075..d7722d1858a 100644
--- a/board/sunxi/board.c
+++ b/board/sunxi/board.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 #include <spl.h>
 #include <sy8106a.h>
 #include <asm/setup.h>
-#include <status_led.h>
 
 DECLARE_GLOBAL_DATA_PTR;
 
@@ -561,14 +560,23 @@ static void sunxi_spl_store_dram_size(phys_addr_t dram_size)
 	spl->dram_size = dram_size >> 20;
 }
 
+static void status_led_init(void)
+{
+#if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(SUNXI_LED_STATUS)
+	unsigned int state = CONFIG_SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_STATE;
+	unsigned int gpio = CONFIG_SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_BIT;
+
+	gpio_request(gpio, "gpio_led");
+	gpio_direction_output(gpio, state);
+#endif
+}
+
 void sunxi_board_init(void)
 {
 	int power_failed = 0;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_LED_STATUS
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SPL_DRIVERS_MISC))
+	if (CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(SUNXI_LED_STATUS))
 		status_led_init();
-#endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SY8106A_POWER
 	power_failed = sy8106a_set_vout1(CONFIG_SY8106A_VOUT1_VOLT);
diff --git a/configs/pinephone_defconfig b/configs/pinephone_defconfig
index 8a9916c7978..ed7dbc1852b 100644
--- a/configs/pinephone_defconfig
+++ b/configs/pinephone_defconfig
@@ -2,20 +2,17 @@ CONFIG_ARM=y
 CONFIG_ARCH_SUNXI=y
 CONFIG_DEFAULT_DEVICE_TREE="sun50i-a64-pinephone-1.2"
 CONFIG_DRAM_CLK=552
-CONFIG_SPL_DRIVERS_MISC=y
 CONFIG_SPL=y
 CONFIG_MACH_SUN50I=y
 CONFIG_SUNXI_DRAM_LPDDR3_STOCK=y
 CONFIG_DRAM_ZQ=3881949
 CONFIG_MMC_SUNXI_SLOT_EXTRA=2
 CONFIG_PINEPHONE_DT_SELECTION=y
+CONFIG_SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS=y
+CONFIG_SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_BIT=114
+CONFIG_SPL_SUNXI_LED_STATUS_STATE=y
 # CONFIG_SYS_MALLOC_CLEAR_ON_INIT is not set
 CONFIG_CMD_PSTORE=y
 CONFIG_CMD_PSTORE_MEM_ADDR=0x61000000
 CONFIG_OF_LIST="sun50i-a64-pinephone-1.1 sun50i-a64-pinephone-1.2"
 CONFIG_SYS_I2C_MVTWSI=y
-CONFIG_LED_STATUS=y
-CONFIG_LED_STATUS_GPIO=y
-CONFIG_LED_STATUS0=y
-CONFIG_LED_STATUS_BIT=114
-CONFIG_LED_STATUS_STATE=2