diff --git a/components/motor/gpio/basic.go b/components/motor/gpio/basic.go
index 178fdd07c25..66951e504f0 100644
--- a/components/motor/gpio/basic.go
+++ b/components/motor/gpio/basic.go
@@ -177,8 +177,13 @@ func (m *Motor) setPWM(ctx context.Context, powerPct float64, extra map[string]i
 	var errs error
 	powerPct = math.Min(powerPct, m.maxPowerPct)
 	powerPct = math.Max(powerPct, -1*m.maxPowerPct)
+	if math.Abs(powerPct) < m.minPowerPct {
+		powerPct = sign(powerPct) * m.minPowerPct
+	}
+	m.powerPct = powerPct
 
 	m.on = true
+
 	if m.EnablePinLow != nil {
 		errs = multierr.Combine(errs, m.EnablePinLow.Set(ctx, false, extra))
 	}
@@ -214,7 +219,6 @@ func (m *Motor) setPWM(ctx context.Context, powerPct float64, extra map[string]i
 	}
 
 	powerPct = math.Max(math.Abs(powerPct), m.minPowerPct)
-	m.powerPct = powerPct
 	return multierr.Combine(
 		errs,
 		pwmPin.SetPWMFreq(ctx, m.pwmFreq, extra),
diff --git a/components/motor/gpio/basic_test.go b/components/motor/gpio/basic_test.go
index 6abb4b83b6c..d523cde0765 100644
--- a/components/motor/gpio/basic_test.go
+++ b/components/motor/gpio/basic_test.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func TestMotorABPWM(t *testing.T) {
 		on, powerPct, err = m.IsPowered(ctx, nil)
 		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
 		test.That(t, on, test.ShouldBeTrue)
-		test.That(t, powerPct, test.ShouldEqual, 0.44)
+		test.That(t, powerPct, test.ShouldEqual, -0.44)
 
 		test.That(t, m.SetPower(ctx, 0, nil), test.ShouldBeNil)
 		test.That(t, mustGetGPIOPinByName(b, "1").Get(context.Background()), test.ShouldEqual, false)