A dimming circuit for a lighting device, comprising: a first current path configured to be connected to a light emitting diode driver, wherein the LED driver is configured to develop a driving current to power at least one LED; a second current path connected to the first current path, wherein the second current path includes a shunt load (210, 310, 410) that is switchable between an off condition and an on condition; and a dimming control circuit that outputs a dimming command signal to control the LED driver, characterized in that the dimming control circuit further comprises: a shunt control circuit controlling the shunt load (210, 310, 410) so that the shunt switches between the off condition and the on condition depending on the level of an INPUT signal derived from the dimming command signal received from the dimming control circuit wherein the shunt control circuit maintains the off condition of the shunt load (210, 310, 410) when the level of the INPUT signal is above a threshold level so that all the driving current developed by the LED driver is delivered to the at least one LED, and wherein the shunt control circuit switches the shunt load on and controls the current magnitude through the second current path when the level of the INPUT signal is less than the threshold level, so that a portion of the driving current developed by the driver is conducted through the shunt while the other portion of the driving current powers the at least one LED. a first current path configured to be connected to a light emitting diode driver, wherein the LED driver is configured to develop a driving current to power at least one LED; a second current path connected to the first current path, wherein the second current path includes a shunt load (210, 310, 410) that is switchable between an off condition and an on condition; and a dimming control circuit that outputs a dimming command signal to control the LED driver, characterized in that the dimming control circuit further comprises: a shunt control circuit controlling the shunt load (210, 310, 410) so that the shunt switches between the off condition and the on condition depending on the level of an INPUT signal derived from the dimming command signal received from the dimming control circuit wherein the shunt control circuit maintains the off condition of the shunt load (210, 310, 410) when the level of the INPUT signal is above a threshold level so that all the driving current developed by the LED driver is delivered to the at least one LED, and wherein the shunt control circuit switches the shunt load on and controls the current magnitude through the second current path when the level of the INPUT signal is less than the threshold level, so that a portion of the driving current developed by the driver is conducted through the shunt while the other portion of the driving current powers the at least one LED. a shunt control circuit controlling the shunt load (210, 310, 410) so that the shunt switches between the off condition and the on condition depending on the level of an INPUT signal derived from the dimming command signal received from the dimming control circuit wherein the shunt control circuit maintains the off condition of the shunt load (210, 310, 410) when the level of the INPUT signal is above a threshold level so that all the driving current developed by the LED driver is delivered to the at least one LED, and wherein the shunt control circuit switches the shunt load on and controls the current magnitude through the second current path when the level of the INPUT signal is less than the threshold level, so that a portion of the driving current developed by the driver is conducted through the shunt while the other portion of the driving current powers the at least one LED.