diff --git a/src/RageInput.cpp b/src/RageInput.cpp
index 05d4d6e221..9eaa949ff6 100644
--- a/src/RageInput.cpp
+++ b/src/RageInput.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 #include "LuaManager.h"
 #include "LocalizedString.h"
 
+#if LINUX
+// FIXME: bit gross to include this here, see GH issue #73
+#include "arch/InputHandler/LinuxInputManager.h"
+#endif
+
 #include <vector>
 
 
@@ -60,6 +65,11 @@ void RageInput::LoadDrivers()
 	m_InputHandlers.clear();
 	g_mapDeviceToHandler.clear();
 
+#if LINUX
+	// Recreating this forces it to re-scan for devices.
+	LINUXINPUT = new LinuxInputManager;
+#endif
+
 	// Init optional devices.
 	std::vector<InputHandler *> apDevices;
 
diff --git a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.cpp b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.cpp
index 356bce5310..1f1607b817 100644
--- a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.cpp
+++ b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <linux/input.h>
+#include <libudev.h>
 
 REGISTER_INPUT_HANDLER_CLASS2( LinuxEvent, Linux_Event );
 
@@ -266,15 +267,33 @@ EventDevice::~EventDevice()
 }
 
 InputHandler_Linux_Event::InputHandler_Linux_Event()
-	: m_NextDevice(DEVICE_JOY10)
+	: m_InputMutex("InputHandler_Linux")
+	, m_NextDevice(DEVICE_JOY10)
 	, m_bShutdown(true)
 	, m_bDevicesChanged(false)
+	, m_udev_fd(-1)
 {
 	if(LINUXINPUT == nullptr) LINUXINPUT = new LinuxInputManager;
 	LINUXINPUT->InitDriver(this);
 
-	if( ! g_apEventDevices.empty() ) // LinuxInputManager found at least one valid device for us
-		StartThread();
+	m_udev = udev_new();
+	if( ! m_udev )
+		LOG->Warn( "Failed to create udev object" );
+
+	m_udev_monitor = udev_monitor_new_from_netlink(m_udev, "udev");
+	if( ! m_udev_monitor )
+	{
+		LOG->Warn( "Failed to create udev object" );
+		udev_unref(m_udev);
+	}
+
+	udev_monitor_filter_add_match_subsystem_devtype(m_udev_monitor, "input", NULL);
+	udev_monitor_enable_receiving(m_udev_monitor);
+
+	m_udev_fd = udev_monitor_get_fd(m_udev_monitor);
+
+	// Always start thread, if only to monitor udev events
+	StartThread();
 }
 
 InputHandler_Linux_Event::~InputHandler_Linux_Event()
@@ -284,6 +303,9 @@ InputHandler_Linux_Event::~InputHandler_Linux_Event()
 	for( int i = 0; i < (int) g_apEventDevices.size(); ++i )
 		delete g_apEventDevices[i];
 	g_apEventDevices.clear();
+
+	udev_monitor_unref(m_udev_monitor);
+	udev_unref(m_udev);
 }
 
 void InputHandler_Linux_Event::StartThread()
@@ -315,7 +337,11 @@ bool InputHandler_Linux_Event::TryDevice(RString devfile)
 		if( hotplug ) StartThread();
 
 		m_NextDevice = enum_add2(m_NextDevice, 1);
+
+		m_InputMutex.Lock();
 		m_bDevicesChanged = true;
+		m_InputMutex.Unlock();
+
 		return true;
 	}
 	else
@@ -343,6 +369,12 @@ void InputHandler_Linux_Event::InputThread()
 		FD_ZERO( &fdset );
 		int iMaxFD = -1;
 
+		if( m_udev_fd >= 0 )
+		{
+			FD_SET( m_udev_fd, &fdset );
+			iMaxFD = std::max( iMaxFD, m_udev_fd );
+		}
+
 		for( int i = 0; i < (int) g_apEventDevices.size(); ++i )
 		{
 			int iFD = g_apEventDevices[i]->m_iFD;
@@ -361,6 +393,31 @@ void InputHandler_Linux_Event::InputThread()
 			continue;
 		RageTimer now;
 
+		if( FD_ISSET(m_udev_fd, &fdset) )
+		{
+			struct udev_device* device = udev_monitor_receive_device(m_udev_monitor);
+			if( device )
+			{
+				const char *action = udev_device_get_action(device);
+				const char *devnode = udev_device_get_devnode(device);
+
+				if( action && devnode && strcmp(action, "add") == 0 )
+				{
+					// Check if the device is a joystick
+					const char *devtype = udev_device_get_property_value(device, "ID_INPUT_JOYSTICK");
+					if( devtype && strcmp(devtype, "1") == 0 )
+					{
+						m_InputMutex.Lock();
+						m_bDevicesChanged = true;
+						m_InputMutex.Unlock();
+						LOG->Info("LinuxEvent: New joystick detected: %s\n", devnode);
+					}
+				}
+
+				udev_device_unref(device);
+			}
+		}
+
 		for( int i = 0; i < (int) g_apEventDevices.size(); ++i )
 		{
 			if( !g_apEventDevices[i]->IsOpen() )
@@ -375,6 +432,9 @@ void InputHandler_Linux_Event::InputThread()
 			{
 				LOG->Warn( "Error reading from %s: %s; disabled", g_apEventDevices[i]->m_sPath.c_str(), strerror(errno) );
 				g_apEventDevices[i]->Close();
+				m_InputMutex.Lock();
+				m_bDevicesChanged = true;
+				m_InputMutex.Unlock();
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -382,6 +442,9 @@ void InputHandler_Linux_Event::InputThread()
 			{
 				LOG->Warn("Unexpected packet (size %i != %i) from joystick %i; disabled", ret, (int)sizeof(event), i);
 				g_apEventDevices[i]->Close();
+				m_InputMutex.Lock();
+				m_bDevicesChanged = true;
+				m_InputMutex.Unlock();
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -441,7 +504,9 @@ void InputHandler_Linux_Event::GetDevicesAndDescriptions( std::vector<InputDevic
                 vDevicesOut.push_back( InputDeviceInfo(pDev->m_Dev, pDev->m_sName) );
 	}
 
+	m_InputMutex.Lock();
 	m_bDevicesChanged = false;
+	m_InputMutex.Unlock();
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.h b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.h
index b73d32ff9b..0baf0e8af1 100644
--- a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.h
+++ b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_Linux_Event.h
@@ -25,8 +25,14 @@ private:
 	void InputThread();
 
 	RageThread m_InputThread;
+	// Currently only m_bDevicesChanged is guarded by this mutex
+	RageMutex m_InputMutex;
 	InputDevice m_NextDevice;
 	bool m_bShutdown, m_bDevicesChanged;
+	// Used to monitor for new devices
+	int m_udev_fd;
+	struct udev* m_udev;
+	struct udev_monitor* m_udev_monitor;
 };
 #define USE_INPUT_HANDLER_LINUX_JOYSTICK