diff --git a/include/ui/EventHub.h b/include/ui/EventHub.h
index d9c0af2..d62fd7d 100644
--- a/include/ui/EventHub.h
+++ b/include/ui/EventHub.h
@@ -75,7 +75,11 @@
     
     status_t scancodeToKeycode(int32_t deviceId, int scancode,
             int32_t* outKeycode, uint32_t* outFlags) const;
-    
+
+    // exclude a particular device from opening
+    // this can be used to ignore input devices for sensors
+    void addExcludedDevice(const char* deviceName);
+
     // special type codes when devices are added/removed.
     enum {
         DEVICE_ADDED = 0x10000000,
@@ -88,10 +92,9 @@
     virtual bool getEvent(int32_t* outDeviceId, int32_t* outType,
             int32_t* outScancode, int32_t* outKeycode, uint32_t *outFlags,
             int32_t* outValue, nsecs_t* outWhen);
-    
+
 protected:
     virtual ~EventHub();
-    virtual void onFirstRef();
     
 private:
     bool openPlatformInput(void);
@@ -139,7 +142,10 @@
     device_t        **mDevices;
     struct pollfd   *mFDs;
     int             mFDCount;
-    
+
+    bool            mOpened;
+    List<String8>   mExcludedDevices;
+
     // device ids that report particular switches.
 #ifdef EV_SW
     int32_t         mSwitches[SW_MAX+1];
diff --git a/libs/ui/EventHub.cpp b/libs/ui/EventHub.cpp
index a72f055..402bce2 100644
--- a/libs/ui/EventHub.cpp
+++ b/libs/ui/EventHub.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <utils/Log.h>
 #include <utils/Timers.h>
 #include <utils/threads.h>
-#include <utils/List.h>
 #include <utils/Errors.h>
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@
     : mError(NO_INIT), mHaveFirstKeyboard(false), mFirstKeyboardId(0)
     , mDevicesById(0), mNumDevicesById(0)
     , mOpeningDevices(0), mClosingDevices(0)
-    , mDevices(0), mFDs(0), mFDCount(0)
+    , mDevices(0), mFDs(0), mFDCount(0), mOpened(false)
 {
     acquire_wake_lock(PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK, WAKE_LOCK_ID);
 #ifdef EV_SW
@@ -101,11 +100,6 @@
     // we should free stuff here...
 }
 
-void EventHub::onFirstRef()
-{
-    mError = openPlatformInput() ? NO_ERROR : UNKNOWN_ERROR;
-}
-
 status_t EventHub::errorCheck() const
 {
     return mError;
@@ -269,6 +263,12 @@
     return NAME_NOT_FOUND;
 }
 
+void EventHub::addExcludedDevice(const char* deviceName)
+{
+    String8 name(deviceName);
+    mExcludedDevices.push_back(name);
+}
+
 EventHub::device_t* EventHub::getDevice(int32_t deviceId) const
 {
     if (deviceId == 0) deviceId = mFirstKeyboardId;
@@ -306,7 +306,12 @@
 
     // Note that we only allow one caller to getEvent(), so don't need
     // to do locking here...  only when adding/removing devices.
-    
+
+    if (!mOpened) {
+        mError = openPlatformInput() ? NO_ERROR : UNKNOWN_ERROR;
+        mOpened = true;
+    }
+
     while(1) {
 
         // First, report any devices that had last been added/removed.
@@ -513,6 +518,19 @@
         idstr[0] = '\0';
     }
 
+    // check to see if the device is on our excluded list
+    List<String8>::iterator iter = mExcludedDevices.begin();
+    List<String8>::iterator end = mExcludedDevices.end();
+    for ( ; iter != end; iter++) {
+        const char* name = *iter;
+        if (strcmp(name, idstr) == 0) {
+            LOGD("ignoring event id %s driver %s\n", deviceName, name);
+            close(fd);
+            fd = -1;
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     int devid = 0;
     while (devid < mNumDevicesById) {
         if (mDevicesById[devid].device == NULL) {
@@ -763,6 +781,7 @@
     int event_pos = 0;
     struct inotify_event *event;
 
+LOGD("EventHub::read_notify nfd: %d\n", nfd);
     res = read(nfd, event_buf, sizeof(event_buf));
     if(res < (int)sizeof(*event)) {
         if(errno == EINTR)