diff --git a/interfaces/internal_interface.cpp b/interfaces/internal_interface.cpp
index 95a61e9..917b8ec 100644
--- a/interfaces/internal_interface.cpp
+++ b/interfaces/internal_interface.cpp
@@ -31,36 +31,21 @@
     bus(bus), serverInterface(bus, path, internalInterface, vtable.data(), this)
 {}
 
-void InternalInterface::getLedDescr(const std::string& name, LedDescr& ledDescr)
-{
-    std::vector<std::string> words;
-    boost::split(words, name, boost::is_any_of(":"));
-    try
-    {
-        ledDescr.devicename = words.at(0);
-        ledDescr.color = words.at(1);
-        ledDescr.function = words.at(2);
-    }
-    catch (const std::out_of_range& e)
-    {
-        lg2::warning("LED description {DESC} not well formed, error {ERR}",
-                     "DESC", name, "ERR", e.what());
-        throw e;
-    }
-}
-
 std::string InternalInterface::getDbusName(const LedDescr& ledDescr)
 {
     std::vector<std::string> words;
-    words.emplace_back(ledDescr.devicename);
-    if (!ledDescr.function.empty())
+    if (ledDescr.devicename.has_value())
     {
-        words.emplace_back(ledDescr.function);
+        words.emplace_back(ledDescr.devicename.value());
+    }
+    if (ledDescr.function.has_value())
+    {
+        words.emplace_back(ledDescr.function.value());
     }
 
-    if (!ledDescr.color.empty())
+    if (ledDescr.color.has_value())
     {
-        words.emplace_back(ledDescr.color);
+        words.emplace_back(ledDescr.color.value());
     }
 
     std::string s = boost::join(words, "_");
@@ -81,17 +66,11 @@
         return;
     }
 
+    auto sled = std::make_unique<phosphor::led::SysfsLed>(fs::path(path));
+
     // Convert LED name in sysfs into DBus name
-    LedDescr ledDescr;
-    try
-    {
-        getLedDescr(ledName, ledDescr);
-    }
-    catch (...)
-    {
-        // Ignore the error, for simple LED which was not added in 3-part form.
-        // The simple LED can appear with it's plain name
-    }
+    const LedDescr ledDescr = sled->getLedDescr();
+
     name = getDbusName(ledDescr);
 
     lg2::debug("LED {NAME} receives dbus name {DBUSNAME}", "NAME", ledName,
@@ -106,10 +85,9 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    auto sled = std::make_unique<phosphor::led::SysfsLed>(fs::path(path));
-
     leds.emplace(objPath, std::make_unique<phosphor::led::Physical>(
-                              bus, objPath, std::move(sled), ledDescr.color));
+                              bus, objPath, std::move(sled),
+                              ledDescr.color.value_or("")));
 }
 
 void InternalInterface::addLED(const std::string& name)
diff --git a/interfaces/internal_interface.hpp b/interfaces/internal_interface.hpp
index 25d530d..a588226 100644
--- a/interfaces/internal_interface.hpp
+++ b/interfaces/internal_interface.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 static constexpr auto busName = "xyz.openbmc_project.LED.Controller";
 static constexpr auto ledPath = "/xyz/openbmc_project/led";
 static constexpr auto physParent = "/xyz/openbmc_project/led/physical";
-static constexpr auto devParent = "/sys/class/leds/";
 static constexpr auto internalInterface =
     "xyz.openbmc_project.Led.Sysfs.Internal";
 static constexpr auto ledAddMethod = "AddLED";
@@ -73,17 +72,6 @@
         leds;
 
     /**
-     *  @brief Structure to define the LED sysfs name
-     */
-
-    struct LedDescr
-    {
-        std::string devicename;
-        std::string color;
-        std::string function;
-    };
-
-    /**
      *  @brief sdbusplus D-Bus connection.
      */
 
@@ -125,18 +113,6 @@
 
     void createLEDPath(const std::string& ledName);
 
-    /** @brief Parse LED name in sysfs
-     *
-     *  Parse sysfs LED name in format "devicename:colour:function"
-     *  or "devicename:colour" or "devicename" and sets corresponding
-     *  fields in LedDescr struct.
-     *
-     *  @param[in] name      - LED name in sysfs
-     *  @param[out] ledDescr - LED description
-     */
-
-    static void getLedDescr(const std::string& name, LedDescr& ledDescr);
-
     /** @brief Generates LED DBus name from LED description
      *
      *  @param[in] name      - LED description
diff --git a/sysfs.cpp b/sysfs.cpp
index b1ea456..137218d 100644
--- a/sysfs.cpp
+++ b/sysfs.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,14 @@
 
 #include "sysfs.hpp"
 
+#include "phosphor-logging/lg2.hpp"
+
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+
 #include <fstream>
-#include <iostream>
+#include <optional>
 #include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
@@ -119,5 +124,83 @@
 {
     setSysfsAttr<unsigned long>(root / attrDelayOff, ms);
 }
+
+/* LED sysfs name can be any of
+ *
+ * - devicename:color:function
+ * - devicename::function
+ * - color:function (e.g. "red:fault")
+ * - label (e.g. "identify")
+ * - :function (e.g. ":boot")
+ * - color: (e.g. "green:")
+ *
+ * but no one prevents us from making all of this up and creating
+ * a label with colons inside, e.g. "mylabel:mynoncolorstring:lala".
+ *
+ * Reference: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/leds/leds-class.html
+ *
+ * Summary: It's bonkers (not my words, but describes it well)
+ */
+LedDescr SysfsLed::getLedDescr()
+{
+    std::string name = std::string(root).substr(strlen(devParent));
+    LedDescr ledDescr;
+
+    std::vector<std::optional<std::string>> words;
+    std::stringstream ss(name);
+    std::string item;
+
+    while (std::getline(ss, item, ':'))
+    {
+        if (item.empty())
+        {
+            words.emplace_back(std::nullopt);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            words.emplace_back(item);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (name.ends_with(":"))
+    {
+        words.emplace_back(std::nullopt);
+    }
+
+    if (name.empty())
+    {
+        lg2::warning("LED description '{DESC}' was empty", "DESC", name);
+        throw std::out_of_range("expected non-empty LED name");
+    }
+
+    if (words.size() != 3)
+    {
+        lg2::warning(
+            "LED description '{DESC}' not well formed, expected 3 parts but got {NPARTS}",
+            "DESC", name, "NPARTS", words.size());
+    }
+
+    switch (words.size())
+    {
+        default:
+        case 3:
+            ledDescr.function = words.at(2);
+            ledDescr.color = words.at(1);
+            ledDescr.devicename = words.at(0);
+            break;
+        case 2:
+            ledDescr.color = words.at(0);
+            ledDescr.function = words.at(1);
+            break;
+        case 1:
+            ledDescr.devicename = words.at(0);
+            break;
+        case 0:
+            throw std::out_of_range("expected non-empty LED name");
+    }
+
+    // if there is more than 3 parts we ignore the rest
+    return ledDescr;
+}
 } // namespace led
 } // namespace phosphor
diff --git a/sysfs.hpp b/sysfs.hpp
index 57c6769..2e078b2 100644
--- a/sysfs.hpp
+++ b/sysfs.hpp
@@ -16,11 +16,25 @@
 
 #pragma once
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <optional>
+
+static constexpr auto devParent = "/sys/class/leds/";
 
 namespace phosphor
 {
 namespace led
 {
+
+struct LedDescr
+{
+    // at least one of the members shall be non-empty
+    // after initialization
+
+    std::optional<std::string> devicename;
+    std::optional<std::string> color;
+    std::optional<std::string> function;
+};
+
 class SysfsLed
 {
   public:
@@ -43,6 +57,12 @@
     virtual unsigned long getDelayOff();
     virtual void setDelayOff(unsigned long ms);
 
+    /** @brief parse LED name in sysfs
+     *  Parse sysfs LED name and sets corresponding
+     *  fields in LedDescr struct.
+     */
+    LedDescr getLedDescr();
+
   protected:
     static constexpr const char* attrBrightness = "brightness";
     static constexpr const char* attrMaxBrightness = "max_brightness";
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 574c136..eb82249 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 tests = [
   'physical.cpp',
   'sysfs.cpp',
+  'test_led_description.cpp',
 ]
 
 foreach t : tests
@@ -43,4 +44,4 @@
          ]
        )
       )
-endforeach
\ No newline at end of file
+endforeach
diff --git a/test/test_led_description.cpp b/test/test_led_description.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..708794b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_led_description.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright © 2024 9elements
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#include "interfaces/internal_interface.hpp"
+#include "sysfs.hpp"
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+using namespace phosphor::led;
+
+static LedDescr runtest(const std::string& name)
+{
+    std::string path = devParent + name;
+    SysfsLed led(path);
+    return led.getLedDescr();
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has4PartsInvalid)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("devicename:color:function:part4");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ("devicename", d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ("color", d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ("function", d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has3Parts)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("devicename:color:function");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ("devicename", d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ("color", d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ("function", d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has2PartsColorFunction)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("red:fault");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ("red", d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ("fault", d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has2PartsDevicenameFunction)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("input9::capslock");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ("input9", d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ("capslock", d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has1PartColor)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("green:");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ("green", d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has1PartFunction)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest(":boot");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ("boot", d.function);
+}
+
+TEST(LEDDescr, Has1PartLabel)
+{
+    LedDescr d = runtest("identify");
+
+    ASSERT_EQ("identify", d.devicename);
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.color);
+    ASSERT_EQ(std::nullopt, d.function);
+}