diff --git a/epicardium/epicardium.h b/epicardium/epicardium.h
index 74b0c814653b0ad0193d2ffd11dc50f0d7fae8d7..ff910c3934a747472fc15a267430e219d84bf2f3 100644
--- a/epicardium/epicardium.h
+++ b/epicardium/epicardium.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ typedef _Bool bool;
 #define API_LIGHT_SENSOR_RUN       0x80
 #define API_LIGHT_SENSOR_GET       0x81
 #define API_LIGHT_SENSOR_STOP      0x82
+#define API_LIGHT_SENSOR_READ	   0x83
 
 #define API_BUTTONS_READ           0x90
 
@@ -1399,6 +1400,14 @@ API(API_LIGHT_SENSOR_GET, int epic_light_sensor_get(uint16_t* value));
  */
 API(API_LIGHT_SENSOR_STOP, int epic_light_sensor_stop());
 
+/**
+ * Get the light level directly. Each call has an intrinsic delay of about 240us, I recommend another 100-300us delay via utime.sleep_ms() between calls. Whether or not the IR LED is fast enough is another issue.
+ *
+ * :return: Light level
+ */
+API(API_LIGHT_SENSOR_READ, uint16_t epic_light_sensor_read(void));
+
+
 /**
  * File
  * ====
diff --git a/epicardium/modules/light_sensor.c b/epicardium/modules/light_sensor.c
index ff2cd81c15b0984ba91239076dc11c418e254fd2..3f3573f17564928d18f523c3093fff43681f2d54 100644
--- a/epicardium/modules/light_sensor.c
+++ b/epicardium/modules/light_sensor.c
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ static int light_sensor_init()
 	return 0;
 }
 
+uint16_t epic_light_sensor_read()
+{
+	ADC_StartConvert(ADC_CH_7, 0, 0);
+	ADC_GetData(&last_value);
+	return last_value;
+}
+
 static void readAdcCallback()
 {
 	if (hwlock_acquire(HWLOCK_ADC, 0) != 0) {
diff --git a/pycardium/modules/light_sensor.c b/pycardium/modules/light_sensor.c
index ce8343aa72c0a0a5e02ee28cba9b764dcad8ef7d..a27791de1a98fef59e6964631eca81ff932e222f 100644
--- a/pycardium/modules/light_sensor.c
+++ b/pycardium/modules/light_sensor.c
@@ -42,11 +42,18 @@ static mp_obj_t mp_light_sensor_stop()
 }
 static MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(light_sensor_stop_obj, mp_light_sensor_stop);
 
+static mp_obj_t mp_light_sensor_read()
+{
+	return mp_obj_new_int_from_uint(epic_light_sensor_read());
+}
+static MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(light_sensor_read_obj, mp_light_sensor_read);
+
 static const mp_rom_map_elem_t light_sensor_module_globals_table[] = {
 	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_light_sensor) },
 	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_start), MP_ROM_PTR(&light_sensor_start_obj) },
 	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_stop), MP_ROM_PTR(&light_sensor_stop_obj) },
-	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_get_reading), MP_ROM_PTR(&light_sensor_get_obj) }
+	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_get_reading), MP_ROM_PTR(&light_sensor_get_obj) },
+	{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_read), MP_ROM_PTR(&light_sensor_read_obj) },
 };
 static MP_DEFINE_CONST_DICT(
 	light_sensor_module_globals, light_sensor_module_globals_table
diff --git a/pycardium/modules/qstrdefs.h b/pycardium/modules/qstrdefs.h
index 095f989871cbc0c84ee7941a6e21946278928453..a02bcbd87b08641181690f91720438a02583b5b2 100644
--- a/pycardium/modules/qstrdefs.h
+++ b/pycardium/modules/qstrdefs.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ Q(light_sensor)
 Q(start)
 Q(get_reading)
 Q(stop)
+Q(read)
 
 /* bme680 */
 Q(bme680)