A retrofit Light Emitting Diode, LED, lighting device for connection to a ballast, wherein said ballast is arranged to provide for a ballast current, said retrofit LED lighting device comprising:
- at least one LED for emitting light;
- a rectifier arranged for rectifying said ballast current and for providing a lamp current to said at least one LED;
- a shunt switch for shunting said at least one LED thereby preventing said lamp current to flow through said at least one LED;
- a control unit for controlling said shunt switch, wherein said control unit is arranged to:
- detect a particular amplitude offset current level in said ballast current, said particular amplitude offset current level being a particular non-zero value of said ballast current;
- activate said shunt switch upon said detection, wherein the start for the shunt switch time is generated by the current offset level.