Defect annealing under intense pulsed optical excitation has been observed in a II–VI laser diode structure at room temperature. More than one order of magnitude increase in photoluminescence intensity has been obtained when the annealed area is probed at low excitation intensity. High-resolution confocal photoluminescence images of the annealed region do not show any sign of degradation. Together, these results suggest that an initial density of intrinsic point defects present within the active region can be removed by the optical annealing. Recombination-enhanced defect reactions in the vicinity of the point defects are responsible for this nonthermal annealing effect. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.