diff --git a/src/input/DBusInputDriver.cc b/src/input/DBusInputDriver.cc
index 2bf58201..8ef5009c 100644
--- a/src/input/DBusInputDriver.cc
+++ b/src/input/DBusInputDriver.cc
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void DBusInputDriver::run()
 
 }
 
-DBusInputDriver::DBusInputDriver()
+DBusInputDriver::DBusInputDriver() : is_open(false)
 {
 
 }
@@ -44,8 +44,22 @@ DBusInputDriver::~DBusInputDriver()
 
 }
 
+bool DBusInputDriver::openOnce()
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool DBusInputDriver::isOpen()
+{
+
+}
+
 bool DBusInputDriver::open()
 {
+    if (is_open) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     if (!QDBusConnection::sessionBus().isConnected()) {
         return false;
     }
@@ -62,6 +76,7 @@ bool DBusInputDriver::open()
     connect(iface, SIGNAL(rotateTo(double, double, double)), this, SLOT(rotateTo(double, double, double)));
     connect(iface, SIGNAL(translate(double, double, double)), this, SLOT(translate(double, double, double)));
     connect(iface, SIGNAL(translateTo(double, double, double)), this, SLOT(translateTo(double, double, double)));
+    is_open = true;
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/input/DBusInputDriver.h b/src/input/DBusInputDriver.h
index 211adb60..f280d20a 100644
--- a/src/input/DBusInputDriver.h
+++ b/src/input/DBusInputDriver.h
@@ -31,12 +31,16 @@ class DBusInputDriver : public InputDriver
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
+    bool is_open;
+
 public:
     DBusInputDriver();
     virtual ~DBusInputDriver();
     virtual void run();
     virtual bool open();
     virtual void close();
+    virtual bool isOpen();
+    virtual bool openOnce();
 
     virtual const std::string & get_name() const;
 
diff --git a/src/input/InputDriver.cc b/src/input/InputDriver.cc
index a77b6139..4056fd73 100644
--- a/src/input/InputDriver.cc
+++ b/src/input/InputDriver.cc
@@ -36,3 +36,13 @@ InputDriver::~InputDriver()
 {
 
 }
+
+bool InputDriver::isOpen()
+{
+    return isRunning();
+}
+
+bool InputDriver::openOnce()
+{
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/input/InputDriver.h b/src/input/InputDriver.h
index 892030b0..d3aeed1b 100644
--- a/src/input/InputDriver.h
+++ b/src/input/InputDriver.h
@@ -123,4 +123,16 @@ public:
 
     virtual bool open() = 0;
     virtual void close() = 0;
+
+    /*
+     * Return if the driver is currently opened. The default implementation
+     * simply returns the {@link #isRunning()} status of the thread.
+     */
+    virtual bool isOpen();
+
+    /*
+     * Drivers that are not connected to a device and can be opened on
+     * application start. No attempt to re-open is made.
+     */
+    virtual bool openOnce();
 };
diff --git a/src/input/InputDriverManager.cc b/src/input/InputDriverManager.cc
index 15459506..34a91b3b 100644
--- a/src/input/InputDriverManager.cc
+++ b/src/input/InputDriverManager.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ InputDriverManager::InputDriverManager()
 {
     currentWindow = 0;
     connect(QApplication::instance(), SIGNAL(focusChanged(QWidget *, QWidget *)), this, SLOT(onFocusChanged(QWidget *, QWidget *)));
+    timer = new QTimer(this);
 }
 
 InputDriverManager::~InputDriverManager()
@@ -59,14 +60,46 @@ void InputDriverManager::unregisterDriver(InputDriver *driver)
 }
 
 void InputDriverManager::init()
+{
+    doOpen(true);
+    connect(timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(onTimeout()));
+    timer->start(10 * 1000);
+}
+
+void InputDriverManager::onTimeout()
+{
+    for (drivers_t::iterator it = drivers.begin(); it != drivers.end(); it++) {
+        InputDriver *driver = (*it);
+        if (driver->openOnce()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (driver->isOpen()) {
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    doOpen(false);
+}
+
+void InputDriverManager::doOpen(bool firstOpen)
 {
     for (drivers_t::iterator it = drivers.begin();it != drivers.end();it++) {
-        PRINTB("trying to open %s\n", (*it)->get_name().c_str());
-        if ((*it)->open()) {
-            PRINTB("using %s\n", (*it)->get_name().c_str());
+        InputDriver *driver = (*it);
+        if (driver->openOnce()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (driver->open()) {
             break;
         }
     }
+
+    if (firstOpen) {
+        for (drivers_t::iterator it = drivers.begin();it != drivers.end();it++) {
+            InputDriver *driver = (*it);
+            if (driver->openOnce()) {
+                driver->open();
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 std::string InputDriverManager::listDrivers()
@@ -74,7 +107,11 @@ std::string InputDriverManager::listDrivers()
     std::stringstream stream;
     const char *sep = "";
     for (drivers_t::iterator it = drivers.begin();it != drivers.end();it++) {
-        stream << sep << (*it)->get_name();
+        InputDriver *driver = (*it);
+        stream << sep << driver->get_name();
+        if (driver->isOpen()) {
+            stream << "*";
+        }
         sep = ", ";
     }
     return stream.str();
diff --git a/src/input/InputDriverManager.h b/src/input/InputDriverManager.h
index 5f1443ba..98cc922a 100644
--- a/src/input/InputDriverManager.h
+++ b/src/input/InputDriverManager.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include <QWidget>
 #include <QThread>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 #include "InputDriver.h"
 #include "MainWindow.h"
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ private:
 
     MainWindow *currentWindow;
 
+    QTimer *timer;
+
     static InputDriverManager *self;
 
 public:
@@ -57,5 +60,7 @@ public:
     static InputDriverManager * instance();
 
 private slots:
+    void onTimeout();
+    void doOpen(bool firstOpen);
     void onFocusChanged(QWidget *, QWidget *);
 };
diff --git a/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.cc b/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.cc
index ec302388..02c08084 100644
--- a/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.cc
+++ b/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.cc
@@ -47,11 +47,9 @@ SpaceNavInputDriver::~SpaceNavInputDriver()
 
 void SpaceNavInputDriver::run()
 {
-    while (true) {
+    while (spnav_input()) {
         QThread::msleep(20);
         spnav_remove_events(SPNAV_EVENT_MOTION);
-
-        spnav_input();
     }
 }
 
@@ -60,12 +58,12 @@ void SpaceNavInputDriver::run()
  * one event is available and then processes all events until the queue is
  * empty.
  */
-void SpaceNavInputDriver::spnav_input(void)
+bool SpaceNavInputDriver::spnav_input(void)
 {
     spnav_event ev;
 
     if (spnav_wait_event(&ev) == 0) {
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     do {
@@ -100,6 +98,7 @@ void SpaceNavInputDriver::spnav_input(void)
             InputDriverManager::instance()->postEvent(event);
         }
     } while (spnav_poll_event(&ev));
+    return true;
 }
 
 bool SpaceNavInputDriver::open()
diff --git a/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.h b/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.h
index 31d0c98a..3c90812f 100644
--- a/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.h
+++ b/src/input/SpaceNavInputDriver.h
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ public:
     virtual const std::string & get_name() const;
 
 private:
-    void spnav_input();
+    bool spnav_input();
 };