diff --git a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.cpp b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.cpp
index 39ae5a46a..0bf24cabc 100644
--- a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.cpp
+++ b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.cpp
@@ -560,8 +560,9 @@ MSIMotherboard185Controller::MSIMotherboard185Controller(hid_device* handle, con
     zone_based_per_led_data.j_rgb_2.colorFlags                      = BITSET(zone_based_per_led_data.j_rgb_2.colorFlags, true, 7u);
     zone_based_per_led_data.save_data                               = 0;
 
-    direct_mode         = false;
-    sync_direct_mode    = true;
+    direct_mode             = false;
+    direct_mode_configured  = false;
+    sync_direct_mode        = true;
 }
 
 MSIMotherboard185Controller::~MSIMotherboard185Controller()
@@ -667,7 +668,7 @@ bool MSIMotherboard185Controller::ReadSettings()
     /*-----------------------------------------------------*\
     | Read packet from hardware, return true if successful  |
     \*-----------------------------------------------------*/
-    return (hid_get_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&data, sizeof(data)) == sizeof data);
+    return(hid_get_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&data, sizeof(data)) == sizeof data);
 }
 
 bool MSIMotherboard185Controller::Update
@@ -682,33 +683,73 @@ bool MSIMotherboard185Controller::Update
     {
         if(per_led_mode == DIRECT_MODE_PER_LED)
         {
+            /*---------------------------------------------*\
+            | Skip sending update if there are no LEDs      |
+            | configured                                    |
+            \*---------------------------------------------*/
+            bool has_active_per_led_data = false;
+
+            if(!no_onboards)
+            {
+                has_active_per_led_data = true;
+            }
+            if(!no_jrainbow1)
+            {
+                has_active_per_led_data = true;
+            }
+            if(!no_jrainbow2)
+            {
+                has_active_per_led_data = true;
+            }
+            if(!no_jcorsair)
+            {
+                has_active_per_led_data = true;
+            }
+
+            if(!has_active_per_led_data)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            /*---------------------------------------------*\
+            | Ensure the enable per-LED mode message has    |
+            | been sent before sending the per-LED data     |
+            \*---------------------------------------------*/
+            if(!direct_mode_configured)
+            {
+                if(!SelectPerLedProtocol())
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
             if(sync_direct_mode)
             {
-                return (hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_onboard_and_sync, sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync)) == sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync));
+                return(hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_onboard_and_sync, sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync)) == sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync));
             }
             else
             {
                 if(!no_jrainbow1)
                 {
-                    (void)hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jrainbow1, sizeof(per_led_data_jrainbow1));
+                    hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jrainbow1, sizeof(per_led_data_jrainbow1));
                     std::this_thread::sleep_for(13ms);
                 }
                 if(!no_jrainbow2)
                 {
-                    (void)hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jrainbow2, sizeof(per_led_data_jrainbow2));
+                    hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jrainbow2, sizeof(per_led_data_jrainbow2));
                     std::this_thread::sleep_for(13ms);
                 }
                 if(!no_jcorsair)
                 {
-                    (void)hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jcorsair, sizeof(per_led_data_jcorsair));
+                    hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_jcorsair, sizeof(per_led_data_jcorsair));
                     std::this_thread::sleep_for(13ms);
                 }
-                return (hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_onboard_and_sync, sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync)) == sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync));
+                return(hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&per_led_data_onboard_and_sync, sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync)) == sizeof(per_led_data_onboard_and_sync));
             }
         }
         else
         {
-            return (hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&zone_based_per_led_data, sizeof(zone_based_per_led_data)) == sizeof(zone_based_per_led_data));
+            return(hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&zone_based_per_led_data, sizeof(zone_based_per_led_data)) == sizeof(zone_based_per_led_data));
         }
     }
     else
@@ -728,7 +769,7 @@ bool MSIMotherboard185Controller::Update
 
         memcpy((unsigned char*)&data, (unsigned char*)&new_data, sizeof(data));
         data.save_data = save;
-        return (hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&data, sizeof(data)) == sizeof(data));
+        return(hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&data, sizeof(data)) == sizeof(data));
     }
 }
 
@@ -1153,7 +1194,8 @@ void MSIMotherboard185Controller::SetDirectMode
     bool mode
     )
 {
-    direct_mode = mode;
+    direct_mode             = mode;
+    direct_mode_configured  = false;
     SelectPerLedProtocol();
 }
 
@@ -1212,9 +1254,8 @@ size_t MSIMotherboard185Controller::GetMaxDirectLeds
     }
 }
 
-void MSIMotherboard185Controller::SelectPerLedProtocol()
+bool MSIMotherboard185Controller::SelectPerLedProtocol()
 {
-
     unsigned char jrainbow1_size = 0;
     unsigned char jrainbow2_size = 0;
     unsigned char jrainbow3_size = 0;
@@ -1283,7 +1324,17 @@ void MSIMotherboard185Controller::SelectPerLedProtocol()
     {
         if(per_led_mode == DIRECT_MODE_PER_LED)
         {
-            hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&enable_per_led_msg, sizeof(enable_per_led_msg));
+            if(hid_send_feature_report(dev, (unsigned char*)&enable_per_led_msg, sizeof(enable_per_led_msg)) != sizeof(enable_per_led_msg))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+            direct_mode_configured = true;
         }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return false;
     }
 }
diff --git a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.h b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.h
index 1f509463f..14f1719ef 100644
--- a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.h
+++ b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/MSIMotherboard185Controller.h
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ private:
     FeaturePacket_PerLED_185        per_led_data_jcorsair;
     FeaturePacket_185               zone_based_per_led_data;
     bool                            direct_mode;
+    bool                            direct_mode_configured;
     bool                            sync_direct_mode;
     bool                            no_onboards;
     bool                            no_jrainbow1;
@@ -153,5 +154,5 @@ private:
                         (
                         MSI_ZONE zone
                         );
-    void            SelectPerLedProtocol();
+    bool            SelectPerLedProtocol();
 };
diff --git a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/RGBController_MSIMotherboard185.cpp b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/RGBController_MSIMotherboard185.cpp
index ecc4aecef..ae3b6facf 100644
--- a/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/RGBController_MSIMotherboard185.cpp
+++ b/Controllers/MSIMotherboardController/MSIMotherboard185Controller/RGBController_MSIMotherboard185.cpp
@@ -267,6 +267,11 @@ void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceConfigureZone(int zone_idx)
 
 void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceUpdateLEDs()
 {
+    if((modes[active_mode].value == MSI_MODE_DIRECT_DUMMY) && !controller->IsDirectModeActive())
+    {
+        controller->SetDirectMode(true);
+    }
+
     for(std::size_t zone_idx = 0; zone_idx < zones.size(); ++zone_idx)
     {
         for(int led_idx = zones[zone_idx].leds_count - 1; led_idx >= 0; led_idx--)
@@ -279,6 +284,11 @@ void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceUpdateLEDs()
 
 void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceUpdateZoneLEDs(int zone)
 {
+    if((modes[active_mode].value == MSI_MODE_DIRECT_DUMMY) && !controller->IsDirectModeActive())
+    {
+        controller->SetDirectMode(true);
+    }
+
     for(int led_idx = zones[zone].leds_count - 1; led_idx >= 0; led_idx--)
     {
         UpdateLed(zone, led_idx);
@@ -291,6 +301,11 @@ void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceUpdateSingleLED
     int led
     )
 {
+    if((modes[active_mode].value == MSI_MODE_DIRECT_DUMMY) && !controller->IsDirectModeActive())
+    {
+        controller->SetDirectMode(true);
+    }
+
     int zone_index = IndexOfZoneForType((MSI_ZONE)leds[led].value);
 
     if(zone_index == -1)
@@ -319,7 +334,7 @@ void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceUpdateMode()
 
 void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::DeviceSaveMode()
 {
-     controller->Update(true);
+    controller->Update(true);
 }
 
 void RGBController_MSIMotherboard185::SetupModes()