diff --git a/Makefile.common b/Makefile.common
index dd45a2a332..85174c4f9e 100644
--- a/Makefile.common
+++ b/Makefile.common
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ ifneq ($(findstring Linux,$(OS)),)
    LIBS += -lrt
    OBJ += input/drivers/linuxraw_input.o \
 			 input/common/linux_common.o \
+			 input/common/epoll_common.o \
           input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.o \
           frontend/drivers/platform_linux.o
 endif
diff --git a/griffin/griffin.c b/griffin/griffin.c
index baa902c4f4..b230d4128f 100644
--- a/griffin/griffin.c
+++ b/griffin/griffin.c
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ INPUT
 
 #if defined(__linux__) && !defined(ANDROID)
 #include "../input/common/linux_common.c"
+#include "../input/common/epoll_common.c"
 #include "../input/drivers/linuxraw_input.c"
 #include "../input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.c"
 #endif
diff --git a/input/common/epoll_common.c b/input/common/epoll_common.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3362a5085e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/input/common/epoll_common.c
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "epoll_common.h"
+
+int g_epoll;
+static bool epoll_inited;
+static bool epoll_first_inited_is_joypad;
+
+bool epoll_new(bool is_joypad)
+{
+   if (epoll_inited)
+      return true;
+
+   g_epoll              = epoll_create(32);
+   if (g_epoll < 0)
+      return false;
+
+   epoll_first_inited_is_joypad = is_joypad;
+   epoll_inited = true;
+
+   return true;
+}
+
+void epoll_free(bool is_joypad)
+{
+   if (!epoll_inited || (is_joypad && !epoll_first_inited_is_joypad))
+      return;
+
+   if (g_epoll >= 0)
+      close(g_epoll);
+   g_epoll = -1;
+
+   epoll_inited                 = false;
+   epoll_first_inited_is_joypad = false;
+}
diff --git a/input/common/epoll_common.h b/input/common/epoll_common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..22a6db6a86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/input/common/epoll_common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*  RetroArch - A frontend for libretro.
+ *  Copyright (C) 2011-2015 - Daniel De Matteis
+ * 
+ *  RetroArch is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
+ *  of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Found-
+ *  ation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  RetroArch is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
+ *  without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+ *  PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with RetroArch.
+ *  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _EPOLL_COMMON_H
+#define _EPOLL_COMMON_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <sys/epoll.h>
+
+#include <boolean.h>
+
+extern int g_epoll;
+
+bool epoll_new(bool is_joypad);
+
+void epoll_free(bool is_joypad);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/input/drivers/udev_input.c b/input/drivers/udev_input.c
index 16ab9f6dc3..4ecb077a64 100644
--- a/input/drivers/udev_input.c
+++ b/input/drivers/udev_input.c
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
-#include <sys/epoll.h>
-
 #include <libudev.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
 #include <linux/input.h>
@@ -35,6 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "../drivers_keyboard/keyboard_event_udev.h"
 #include "../common/linux_common.h"
+#include "../common/epoll_common.h"
 #include "../common/udev_common.h"
 
 #include "../input_config.h"
@@ -81,7 +80,6 @@ struct udev_input
    bool blocked;
    const input_device_driver_t *joypad;
 
-   int epfd;
    udev_input_device_t **devices;
    unsigned num_devices;
 
@@ -264,7 +262,7 @@ static bool add_device(udev_input_t *udev,
    event.data.ptr           = device;
 
    /* Shouldn't happen, but just check it. */
-   if (epoll_ctl(udev->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &event) < 0)
+   if (epoll_ctl(g_epoll, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &event) < 0)
       RARCH_ERR("Failed to add FD (%d) to epoll list (%s).\n",
             fd, strerror(errno));
 
@@ -367,7 +365,7 @@ static void udev_input_poll(void *data)
    while (udev_mon_hotplug_available())
       udev_input_handle_hotplug(udev);
 
-   ret = epoll_wait(udev->epfd, events, ARRAY_SIZE(events), 0);
+   ret = epoll_wait(g_epoll, events, ARRAY_SIZE(events), 0);
 
    for (i = 0; i < ret; i++)
    {
@@ -559,8 +557,7 @@ static void udev_input_free(void *data)
    if (udev->joypad)
       udev->joypad->destroy();
 
-   if (udev->epfd >= 0)
-      close(udev->epfd);
+   epoll_free(false);
 
    for (i = 0; i < udev->num_devices; i++)
    {
@@ -629,8 +626,7 @@ static void *udev_input_init(void)
       goto error;
 #endif
 
-   udev->epfd = epoll_create(32);
-   if (udev->epfd < 0)
+   if (!epoll_new(false))
    {
       RARCH_ERR("Failed to create epoll FD.\n");
       goto error;
diff --git a/input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.c b/input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.c
index 20ecd4d802..d21447e12c 100644
--- a/input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.c
+++ b/input/drivers_joypad/linuxraw_joypad.c
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/inotify.h>
-#include <sys/epoll.h>
-#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <linux/joystick.h>
 
+#include "../common/epoll_common.h"
 #include "../input_autodetect.h"
 #include "../../general.h"
 #include "../../verbosity.h"
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ struct linuxraw_joypad
 
 static struct linuxraw_joypad linuxraw_pads[MAX_USERS];
 static int g_notify;
-static int g_epoll;
 static bool g_hotplug;
 
 static void linuxraw_poll_pad(struct linuxraw_joypad *pad)
@@ -220,8 +218,7 @@ static bool linuxraw_joypad_init(void *data)
    unsigned i;
    settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
 
-   g_epoll              = epoll_create(MAX_USERS + 1);
-   if (g_epoll < 0)
+   if (!epoll_new(true))
       return false;
 
    (void)data;
@@ -291,9 +288,7 @@ static void linuxraw_joypad_destroy(void)
       close(g_notify);
    g_notify = -1;
 
-   if (g_epoll >= 0)
-      close(g_epoll);
-   g_epoll = -1;
+   epoll_free(true);
 
    g_hotplug = false;
 }