diff --git a/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.c b/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.c
index d96b9edb60a2d..82b11188f0d40 100644
--- a/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "SDL_evdev_capabilities.h"
 
-#if HAVE_LIBUDEV_H
+#if HAVE_LIBUDEV_H || defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_LINUX)
 
 extern int
 SDL_EVDEV_GuessDeviceClass(unsigned long bitmask_ev[NBITS(EV_MAX)],
diff --git a/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.h b/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.h
index cef151331aa09..10bceb5a2304f 100644
--- a/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.h
+++ b/src/core/linux/SDL_evdev_capabilities.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #ifndef SDL_evdev_capabilities_h_
 #define SDL_evdev_capabilities_h_
 
-#if HAVE_LIBUDEV_H
+#if HAVE_LIBUDEV_H || defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_LINUX)
 
 #include <linux/input.h>
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ extern int SDL_EVDEV_GuessDeviceClass(unsigned long bitmask_ev[NBITS(EV_MAX)],
                                       unsigned long bitmask_key[NBITS(KEY_MAX)],
                                       unsigned long bitmask_rel[NBITS(REL_MAX)]);
 
-#endif /* HAVE_LIBUDEV_H */
+#endif /* HAVE_LIBUDEV_H || defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_LINUX) */
 
 #endif /* SDL_evdev_capabilities_h_ */
 
diff --git a/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c b/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
index a94bfe39f0cb1..fc145e9ca4727 100644
--- a/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/linux/SDL_sysjoystick.c
@@ -160,19 +160,23 @@ GuessIsJoystick(int fd)
     unsigned long evbit[NBITS(EV_MAX)] = { 0 };
     unsigned long keybit[NBITS(KEY_MAX)] = { 0 };
     unsigned long absbit[NBITS(ABS_MAX)] = { 0 };
+    unsigned long relbit[NBITS(REL_MAX)] = { 0 };
+    int devclass;
 
     if ((ioctl(fd, EVIOCGBIT(0, sizeof(evbit)), evbit) < 0) ||
         (ioctl(fd, EVIOCGBIT(EV_KEY, sizeof(keybit)), keybit) < 0) ||
+        (ioctl(fd, EVIOCGBIT(EV_REL, sizeof(relbit)), relbit) < 0) ||
         (ioctl(fd, EVIOCGBIT(EV_ABS, sizeof(absbit)), absbit) < 0)) {
         return (0);
     }
 
-    if (!(test_bit(EV_KEY, evbit) && test_bit(EV_ABS, evbit) &&
-          test_bit(ABS_X, absbit) && test_bit(ABS_Y, absbit))) {
-        return 0;
+    devclass = SDL_EVDEV_GuessDeviceClass(evbit, absbit, keybit, relbit);
+
+    if (devclass & SDL_UDEV_DEVICE_JOYSTICK) {
+        return 1;
     }
 
-    return 1;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int