diff --git a/include/input/KeyCharacterMap.h b/include/input/KeyCharacterMap.h
index 7935927..33d2757 100644
--- a/include/input/KeyCharacterMap.h
+++ b/include/input/KeyCharacterMap.h
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
         KEYBOARD_TYPE_PREDICTIVE = 2,
         KEYBOARD_TYPE_ALPHA = 3,
         KEYBOARD_TYPE_FULL = 4,
+        /**
+         * Deprecated. Set 'keyboard.specialFunction' to '1' in the device's IDC file instead.
+         */
         KEYBOARD_TYPE_SPECIAL_FUNCTION = 5,
         KEYBOARD_TYPE_OVERLAY = 6,
     };
diff --git a/libs/input/KeyCharacterMap.cpp b/libs/input/KeyCharacterMap.cpp
index 0627ca6..cba1111 100644
--- a/libs/input/KeyCharacterMap.cpp
+++ b/libs/input/KeyCharacterMap.cpp
@@ -824,6 +824,9 @@
     } else if (typeToken == "FULL") {
         type = KEYBOARD_TYPE_FULL;
     } else if (typeToken == "SPECIAL_FUNCTION") {
+        ALOGW("The SPECIAL_FUNCTION type is now declared in the device's IDC file, please set "
+                "the property 'keyboard.specialFunction' to '1' there instead.");
+        // TODO: return BAD_VALUE here in Q
         type = KEYBOARD_TYPE_SPECIAL_FUNCTION;
     } else if (typeToken == "OVERLAY") {
         type = KEYBOARD_TYPE_OVERLAY;
diff --git a/libs/input/Keyboard.cpp b/libs/input/Keyboard.cpp
index 07f2289..11842ee 100644
--- a/libs/input/Keyboard.cpp
+++ b/libs/input/Keyboard.cpp
@@ -148,9 +148,19 @@
 
 // --- Global functions ---
 
+bool isKeyboardSpecialFunction(const PropertyMap* config) {
+    if (config == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    bool isSpecialFunction = false;
+    config->tryGetProperty(String8("keyboard.specialFunction"), isSpecialFunction);
+    return isSpecialFunction;
+}
+
 bool isEligibleBuiltInKeyboard(const InputDeviceIdentifier& deviceIdentifier,
         const PropertyMap* deviceConfiguration, const KeyMap* keyMap) {
-    if (!keyMap->haveKeyCharacterMap()
+    // TODO: remove the third OR statement (SPECIAL_FUNCTION) in Q
+    if (!keyMap->haveKeyCharacterMap() || isKeyboardSpecialFunction(deviceConfiguration)
             || keyMap->keyCharacterMap->getKeyboardType()
                     == KeyCharacterMap::KEYBOARD_TYPE_SPECIAL_FUNCTION) {
         return false;