diff --git a/minui/events.c b/minui/events.c
index 8458b2d..c533a48 100644
--- a/minui/events.c
+++ b/minui/events.c
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #define MAX_DEVICES 16
 #define MAX_MISC_FDS 16
 
+#define test_bit(bit, array)   ((array)[(bit)/8] & (1<<((bit)%8)))
+
 struct fd_info {
     ev_callback cb;
     void *data;
@@ -48,11 +50,26 @@
     dir = opendir("/dev/input");
     if(dir != 0) {
         while((de = readdir(dir))) {
+            uint8_t ev_bits[(EV_MAX + 1) / 8];
+
 //            fprintf(stderr,"/dev/input/%s\n", de->d_name);
             if(strncmp(de->d_name,"event",5)) continue;
             fd = openat(dirfd(dir), de->d_name, O_RDONLY);
             if(fd < 0) continue;
 
+            /* read the evbits of the input device */
+            if (ioctl(fd, EVIOCGBIT(0, sizeof(ev_bits)), ev_bits) < 0) {
+                close(fd);
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            /* TODO: add ability to specify event masks. For now, just assume
+             * that only EV_KEY and EV_REL event types are ever needed. */
+            if (!test_bit(EV_KEY, ev_bits) && !test_bit(EV_REL, ev_bits)) {
+                close(fd);
+                continue;
+            }
+
             ev_fds[ev_count].fd = fd;
             ev_fds[ev_count].events = POLLIN;
             ev_fdinfo[ev_count].cb = input_cb;