diff --git a/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c b/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
index 5960c84..8ed70d0 100644
--- a/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
+++ b/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 /* This is the system specific header for the SDL joystick API */
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -1133,6 +1134,12 @@ static __inline__ void EV_HandleEvents(SDL_Joystick *joystick)
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if (ENODEV == errno || EBADF == errno)
+	{
+		// try reopening:
+		joystick->hwdata->fd = open(SDL_joylist[joystick->index].fname, O_RDONLY, 0);
+		fcntl(joystick->hwdata->fd, F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
+	}
 }
 #endif /* SDL_INPUT_LINUXEV */