Various embodiments relate to an light-emitting diode (LED) driver and related method that drives various LEDs in an LED string beyond their isolated nominal luminance. Individual LEDs in an LED string may be thermally dependent so that specific LEDs may operate at higher temperatures without degradation. This may include driving specific LEDs beyond isolated nominal luminance when associated LEDs dim below their isolated nominal luminance. Such operation allows the LED to receive higher amounts of current and therefore exhibit higher luminous intensity. A control circuit may monitor the forward voltage and temperature in a feedback loop to ensure that the LEDs in the string are operating below a defined maximum junction temperature. The control circuit may signal a processing unit to adjust adjacent circuits to compensate when the controlled LEDs cannot produce a requested luminance without operating beyond a maximum junction temperature.