diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f08fc28..c8fb41d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/). Version
 
 ---
 
-## [Unreleased]
+## [0.6.12-oled-edition] — 2026-06-07
+
+> **Supersedes the withdrawn v0.6.11.** v0.6.11 bundled the two OLED quality-of-life features below with two regressions (constant haptics, issue #11; an audio retiming change, issue #12) and is not recommended. v0.6.12 is built on the verified-working native-trigger firmware and folds in **only** the two separable good features — `CtrlWake` and brightness persistence — leaving the trigger and audio code paths byte-identical to the tested build. The v0.6.11 regression changes (the `state_mgr.cpp` trigger-FFB allow-bit mirror and the `audio.cpp` resampler retiming) are intentionally **not** carried over.
 
 Headline: **native DualSense adaptive triggers now fire in real PC games on Linux/Proton — through the dongle, 1:1 with a wired controller.** For weeks the triggers only ever worked in the on-dongle OLED self-test, never in a game: the dongle was *recognised*, but games fell back to a generic/Xbox pad and never sent trigger effects. The root cause was three ways the dongle's USB presentation differed from genuine Sony hardware — each one accepted by Linux's `hid_playstation` (which only checks size + CRC) but **rejected by a game's native DualSense detection, which validates the actual content**. Closing all three makes the dongle byte-for-byte indistinguishable from a real DS5 to the game.
 
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ Headline: **native DualSense adaptive triggers now fire in real PC games on Linu
 ### Added
 
 - **Native adaptive triggers & haptics in games on Linux/Proton, through the dongle.** Games with native DualSense support (Cyberpunk 2077, etc.) now drive the controller's adaptive triggers via the dongle, identical to a directly-wired DualSense — verified 1:1 by A/B against the same controller plugged in over USB-C. No Steam Input, no per-game hacks beyond the host recipe above. The firmware already proxies the host's trigger output reports to the controller (unchanged); the missing piece was getting games to *recognise* the dongle as a genuine DS5 in the first place (below).
+- **`CtrlWake` setting — let the OLED sleep while you play.** New Settings toggle (default **on**, preserving the old behaviour). With it **off**, controller input no longer keeps the panel awake — only the OLED's own KEY0/KEY1 do — so the auto-dim / auto-off timers actually count down during gameplay and the screen can sleep while the controller is in active use. (folded from v0.6.11; issues #8/#9)
+- **OLED brightness now persists across a power cycle.** The KEY1-long-press brightness choice is saved to config and restored on boot, instead of resetting to full every power-on. (folded from v0.6.11; issue #9)
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index e7e1349..049810d 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ void config_valid() {
         body->bt_mic_enable = 1;
         printf("[Config] bt_mic_enable invalid, defaulting to 1 (on)\n");
     }
+    if (body->screen_brightness > 3) {    // kBrightLevels has 4 entries (0..3)
+        body->screen_brightness = 0;      // full brightness
+        printf("[Config] screen_brightness invalid, defaulting to 0 (full)\n");
+    }
+    if (body->controller_wakes_display > 1) { // 0xFF erased / upgrade → default ON
+        body->controller_wakes_display = 1;
+        printf("[Config] controller_wakes_display invalid, defaulting to 1 (on)\n");
+    }
     if (body->config_version != CONFIG_VERSION) {
         body->config_version = CONFIG_VERSION;
         printf("[Config] Warning: Config may breaking change\n");
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index bb25967..69f665b 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ struct __attribute__((packed)) Config_body {
     // over BT and the dongle decodes it to the USB capture endpoint. Costs extra
     // DS5 battery (keeps its audio subsystem awake), hence the toggle.
     uint8_t bt_mic_enable;
+    // OLED brightness, as an index into kBrightLevels[] (src/oled.cpp). Persisted
+    // so the KEY1-long-press brightness choice survives a power cycle. Erased
+    // flash (0xFF) → clamped to 0 (full brightness) by config_valid. Issue #9.
+    uint8_t screen_brightness;
+    // When 0, controller input no longer keeps the OLED awake — only the OLED's
+    // own KEY0/KEY1 do — so the dim/off timers actually count down during
+    // gameplay and the panel can sleep while the controller is in use. Default 1
+    // preserves the original "any controller activity wakes the screen"
+    // behavior. Issues #8 (dim timeout never fired during play) and #9.
+    uint8_t controller_wakes_display;
 };
 
 struct __attribute__((packed)) Config {
diff --git a/src/oled.cpp b/src/oled.cpp
index e01794b..5b866b4 100644
--- a/src/oled.cpp
+++ b/src/oled.cpp
@@ -126,15 +126,16 @@ constexpr int kLbModeHost = 8;
 constexpr int kNumLbModes = 9;
 
 // Settings screen state
-constexpr int kNumSettingsItems = 16; // 8 fields + 3 auto-haptic + 2 screen-timeout + BT mic + Reset + Wipe
+constexpr int kNumSettingsItems = 17; // 8 fields + 3 auto-haptic + 2 screen-timeout + BT mic + Ctrl-wake + Reset + Wipe
 constexpr int kSettingsAutoHapEnaIdx  = 8;
 constexpr int kSettingsAutoHapGainIdx = 9;
 constexpr int kSettingsAutoHapLpIdx   = 10;
 constexpr int kSettingsScrDimIdx      = 11;
 constexpr int kSettingsScrOffIdx      = 12;
 constexpr int kSettingsBtMicIdx       = 13;
-constexpr int kSettingsResetIdx       = 14;
-constexpr int kSettingsWipeSlotsIdx   = 15;
+constexpr int kSettingsCtrlWakeIdx    = 14;
+constexpr int kSettingsResetIdx       = 15;
+constexpr int kSettingsWipeSlotsIdx   = 16;
 Config_body settings_local{};
 int settings_sel = 0;
 bool settings_dirty = false;
@@ -521,6 +522,14 @@ void handle_buttons() {
         last_activity_us = time_us_64();
         if (held > kLongPressUs) {
             bright_idx = (bright_idx + 1) % kNumBrightLevels;
+            // Persist so the choice survives a power cycle (issue #9). Keep
+            // settings_local in sync too, so a later Settings-screen save can't
+            // clobber screen_brightness with its stale snapshot.
+            Config_body b = get_config();
+            b.screen_brightness = (uint8_t)bright_idx;
+            set_config(b);
+            config_save();
+            settings_local.screen_brightness = (uint8_t)bright_idx;
         } else {
             current_screen = (current_screen - 1 + kNumScreens) % kNumScreens;
             last_render_us = 0;
@@ -1547,6 +1556,7 @@ void settings_adjust(int delta) {
             break;
         }
         case 13: c.bt_mic_enable ^= 1; break; // BT mic on/off
+        case 14: c.controller_wakes_display ^= 1; break; // controller activity wakes OLED on/off
     }
 }
 
@@ -1649,8 +1659,9 @@ __attribute__((noinline)) void format_settings_item(int idx, char* line, size_t
             else snprintf(line, n, "%s ScrOff %umin", cur, c.screen_off_timeout);
             break;
         case 13: snprintf(line, n, "%s BT Mic %s", cur, c.bt_mic_enable ? "on" : "off"); break;
-        case 14: snprintf(line, n, "%s Reset to defaults", cur); break;
-        case 15: snprintf(line, n, "%s Wipe all slots", cur); break;
+        case 14: snprintf(line, n, "%s CtrlWake %s", cur, c.controller_wakes_display ? "on" : "off"); break;
+        case 15: snprintf(line, n, "%s Reset to defaults", cur); break;
+        case 16: snprintf(line, n, "%s Wipe all slots", cur); break;
     }
 }
 
@@ -1822,6 +1833,11 @@ void oled_init() {
     // Restore the persisted lightbar mode + favorites (config_load() already ran
     // in main() before this). Defaults to HOST passthrough on a fresh flash.
     lightbar_load_config();
+
+    // Restore the persisted OLED brightness (KEY1-long-press choice). config_valid
+    // clamps screen_brightness to a legal kBrightLevels index, so this is safe to
+    // use directly. Fresh flash → 0 (full brightness). Issue #9.
+    bright_idx = get_config().screen_brightness;
 }
 
 // Dim-tier renderer: blank the panel and draw a tiny "I'm alive" dot that
@@ -1885,7 +1901,12 @@ void oled_loop() {
     }
     if (hash != last_input_hash) {
         last_input_hash = hash;
-        last_activity_us = time_us_64();
+        // Controller input only keeps the panel awake when the user has left
+        // "CtrlWake" on (the default). With it off, the dim/off timers count
+        // down during gameplay and only KEY0/KEY1 wake the screen — see
+        // handle_buttons(), which bumps last_activity_us unconditionally.
+        // Issues #8 / #9.
+        if (get_config().controller_wakes_display) last_activity_us = time_us_64();
     }
     // Rising-edge: BT-connect itself counts as activity, so the screen wakes
     // the moment a controller pairs rather than waiting for the first input.