diff --git a/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.cxx b/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.cxx
index 057d9b14ff..b137888d6d 100644
--- a/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.cxx
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ enum QuirkBits {
   QB_rudder_from_throttle = 16,
 
   // Special handling for Steam Controller, which has many peculiarities.
+  // We only connect it if it is reporting any events, because when Steam is
+  // running, the Steam controller is muted in favour of a dummy Xbox device.
   QB_steam_controller = 32,
 };
 
@@ -119,7 +121,8 @@ EvdevInputDevice(LinuxInputDeviceManager *manager, size_t index) :
   _dpad_left_button(-1),
   _dpad_up_button(-1),
   _ltrigger_code(-1),
-  _rtrigger_code(-1) {
+  _rtrigger_code(-1),
+  _quirks(0) {
 
   char path[64];
   sprintf(path, "/dev/input/event%zd", index);
@@ -217,6 +220,26 @@ do_set_vibration(double strong, double weak) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Special case for Steam controllers; called if a Steam virtual device has
+ * just been disconnected, and this is currently an inactive Steam Controller
+ * previously blocked by Steam, waiting to be reactivated.
+ * Returns true if the device has just been reconnected.
+ */
+bool EvdevInputDevice::
+reactivate_steam_controller() {
+  LightMutexHolder holder(_lock);
+  if (!_is_connected && (_quirks & QB_steam_controller) != 0) {
+    // Just check to make sure the device is still readable.
+    process_events();
+    if (_fd != -1) {
+      _is_connected = true;
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Polls the input device for new activity, to ensure it contains the latest
  * events.  This will only have any effect for some types of input devices;
@@ -228,7 +251,7 @@ do_poll() {
     while (process_events()) {}
 
     // If we got events, we are obviously connected.  Mark us so.
-    if (!_is_connected) {
+    if (!_is_connected && _fd != -1) {
       _is_connected = true;
       if (_manager != nullptr) {
         _manager->add_device(this);
@@ -310,8 +333,19 @@ init_device() {
   if (quirks & QB_steam_controller) {
     if (test_bit(BTN_GAMEPAD, keys)) {
       _device_class = DeviceClass::gamepad;
+
+      // If we have a virtual gamepad on the system, then careful: if Steam is
+      // running, it may disable its own gamepad in favour of the virtual
+      // device it registers.  If the virtual device is present, we will only
+      // register this gamepad as connected when it registers input.
+      if (_manager->has_virtual_device(0x28de, 0x11ff)) {
+        device_cat.debug()
+          << "Detected Steam virtual gamepad, disabling Steam Controller\n";
+        quirks |= QB_connect_if_nonzero;
+      }
     }
   }
+  _quirks = quirks;
 
   // Try to detect which type of device we have here
   if (_device_class == DeviceClass::unknown) {
diff --git a/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.h b/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.h
index 994915e40b..ffc3503ff0 100644
--- a/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.h
+++ b/panda/src/device/evdevInputDevice.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public:
   EvdevInputDevice(LinuxInputDeviceManager *manager, size_t index);
   virtual ~EvdevInputDevice();
 
+  bool reactivate_steam_controller();
+
 private:
   virtual void do_set_vibration(double strong, double weak);
   virtual void do_poll();
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ private:
   LinuxInputDeviceManager *_manager;
 
   int _fd;
+  int _quirks;
   size_t _index;
 
   bool _can_write;
@@ -77,6 +80,10 @@ public:
     register_type(_type_handle, "EvdevInputDevice",
                   InputDevice::get_class_type());
   }
+  virtual TypeHandle get_type() const {
+    return get_class_type();
+  }
+  virtual TypeHandle force_init_type() {init_type(); return get_class_type();}
 
 private:
   static TypeHandle _type_handle;
diff --git a/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.cxx b/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.cxx
index 45a83bfdb3..8eed3e1cc3 100644
--- a/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.cxx
@@ -200,6 +200,55 @@ consider_add_js_device(size_t js_index) {
   return nullptr;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Scans the "virtual" input devices on the system to check whether one with
+ * the given vendor and product ID exists.
+ */
+bool LinuxInputDeviceManager::
+has_virtual_device(unsigned short vendor_id, unsigned short product_id) const {
+  char path[294];
+  sprintf(path, "/sys/devices/virtual/input");
+
+  DIR *dir = opendir(path);
+  if (dir != nullptr) {
+    dirent *entry = readdir(dir);
+    while (entry != nullptr) {
+      if (entry->d_name[0] != 'i') {
+        entry = readdir(dir);
+        continue;
+      }
+      FILE *f;
+
+      char vendor[5] = {0};
+      sprintf(path, "/sys/devices/virtual/input/%s/id/vendor", entry->d_name);
+      f = fopen(path, "r");
+      if (f) {
+        fgets(vendor, sizeof(vendor), f);
+        fclose(f);
+      }
+
+      char product[5] = {0};
+      sprintf(path, "/sys/devices/virtual/input/%s/id/product", entry->d_name);
+      f = fopen(path, "r");
+      if (f) {
+        fgets(product, sizeof(product), f);
+        fclose(f);
+      }
+
+      if (vendor[0] && std::stoi(std::string(vendor), nullptr, 16) == (int)vendor_id &&
+          product[0] && std::stoi(std::string(product), nullptr, 16) == (int)product_id) {
+        closedir(dir);
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      entry = readdir(dir);
+    }
+    closedir(dir);
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Polls the system to see if there are any new devices.  In some
  * implementations this is a no-op.
@@ -243,6 +292,7 @@ update() {
   LightMutexHolder holder(_lock);
 
   // Iterate over the events in the buffer.
+  bool removed_steam_virtual_device = false;
   char *ptr = buffer;
   char *end = buffer + avail;
   while (ptr < end) {
@@ -270,6 +320,12 @@ update() {
               device_cat.debug()
                 << "Removed input device " << *device << "\n";
             }
+
+            // Check for Steam virtual device; see comment below.
+            if (device->get_vendor_id() == 0x28de &&
+                device->get_product_id() == 0x11ff) {
+              removed_steam_virtual_device = true;
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -290,6 +346,25 @@ update() {
 
     ptr += sizeof(inotify_event) + event->len;
   }
+
+  // If the Steam virtual device was just disconnected, the user may have just
+  // shut down Steam, and we need to reactivate the real Steam Controller
+  // device that was previously suppressed by Steam.
+  if (removed_steam_virtual_device) {
+    inactive_devices = _inactive_devices;
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < inactive_devices.size(); ++i) {
+      InputDevice *device = inactive_devices[i];
+      if (device != nullptr && device->is_of_type(EvdevInputDevice::get_class_type())) {
+        PT(EvdevInputDevice) evdev_device = (EvdevInputDevice *)device;
+        if (evdev_device->reactivate_steam_controller()) {
+          _inactive_devices.remove_device(device);
+          _connected_devices.add_device(device);
+          throw_event("connect-device", device);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 #endif  // PHAVE_LINUX_INPUT_H
diff --git a/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.h b/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.h
index c5ad6a013f..36fce94842 100644
--- a/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.h
+++ b/panda/src/device/linuxInputDeviceManager.h
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ private:
   InputDevice *consider_add_evdev_device(size_t index);
   InputDevice *consider_add_js_device(size_t index);
 
+public:
+  bool has_virtual_device(unsigned short vendor_id, unsigned short product_id) const;
+
   virtual void update();
 
 protected: