diff --git b/configure a/configure
index cbbe98197..68425f01c 100755
--- b/configure
+++ a/configure
@@ -22712,35 +22724,9 @@ $as_echo "#define SDL_VIDEO_VULKAN 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 CheckInputEvents()
 {
-        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Linux 2.4 unified input interface" >&5
+            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Linux 2.4 unified input interface" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for Linux 2.4 unified input interface... " >&6; }
-    use_input_events=no
-
-        cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-      #include <dev/evdev/input.h>
-
-int
-main ()
-{
-
-      #ifndef EVIOCGNAME
-      #error EVIOCGNAME() ioctl not available
-      #endif
-
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
-
-      use_input_events=yes
-
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
-
-        if test x$use_input_events = xno; then
+        use_input_events=no
         cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 
@@ -22764,16 +22750,14 @@ if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
 
 fi
 rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
-    fi
-
-    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $use_input_events" >&5
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $use_input_events" >&5
 $as_echo "$use_input_events" >&6; }
-    if test x$use_input_events = xyes; then
+        if test x$use_input_events = xyes; then
 
 $as_echo "#define SDL_INPUT_LINUXEV 1" >>confdefs.h
 
-      SUMMARY_input="${SUMMARY_input} linuxev"
-    fi
+            SUMMARY_input="${SUMMARY_input} linuxev"
+        fi
 }
 
 CheckInputKD()
diff --git b/configure.ac a/configure.ac
index d9b1e3eed..2c83fd4e0 100644
--- b/configure.ac
+++ a/configure.ac
@@ -2603,22 +2603,8 @@ dnl See if we can use the new unified event interface in Linux 2.4
 CheckInputEvents()
 {
     dnl Check for Linux 2.4 unified input event interface support
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Linux 2.4 unified input interface)
-    use_input_events=no
-
-    dnl FreeBSD puts this in /usr/include/dev/evdev/input.h ...
-    AC_TRY_COMPILE([
-      #include <dev/evdev/input.h>
-    ],[
-      #ifndef EVIOCGNAME
-      #error EVIOCGNAME() ioctl not available
-      #endif
-    ],[
-      use_input_events=yes
-    ])
-
-    dnl And Linux of course puts it in linux/input.h ...
-    if test x$use_input_events = xno; then
+        AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Linux 2.4 unified input interface)
+        use_input_events=no
         AC_TRY_COMPILE([
           #include <linux/input.h>
         ],[
@@ -2628,13 +2614,11 @@ CheckInputEvents()
         ],[
         use_input_events=yes
         ])
-    fi
-
-    AC_MSG_RESULT($use_input_events)
-    if test x$use_input_events = xyes; then
-      AC_DEFINE(SDL_INPUT_LINUXEV, 1, [ ])
-      SUMMARY_input="${SUMMARY_input} linuxev"
-    fi
+        AC_MSG_RESULT($use_input_events)
+        if test x$use_input_events = xyes; then
+            AC_DEFINE(SDL_INPUT_LINUXEV, 1, [ ])
+            SUMMARY_input="${SUMMARY_input} linuxev"
+        fi
 }
 
 dnl See if we can use the kernel kd.h header
diff --git b/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick_c.h a/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick_c.h
index 897c925ba..bcbc2550d 100644
--- b/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick_c.h
+++ a/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick_c.h
@@ -22,11 +22,7 @@
 #ifndef SDL_sysjoystick_c_h_
 #define SDL_sysjoystick_c_h_
 
-#ifdef __linux__
 #include <linux/input.h>
-#else  /* FreeBSD (and maybe others) */
-#include <dev/evdev/input.h>
-#endif
 
 struct SDL_joylist_item;