A driver circuit configured to generate a drive signal for an optical source comprises an overshoot controller that provides an amount of overshoot for a given logic state of the drive signal as a function of a duration of at least one previous logic state of the drive signal. The drive signal may alternate between a first logic state associated with a first operating mode of the optical source and a second logic state associated with a second operating mode of the optical source. The overshoot controller may be configured to provide amounts of overshoot for respective instances of the first logic state that are proportional to the durations of their respective immediately preceding second logic states. The driver circuit may be implemented in a heat-assisted magnetic recording system in which the optical source alternates between on and off states associated with respective magnetic write and magnetic read modes.