diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,12 +26,19 @@
 # to monitor hotplugging events, since these are signaled as xinput events.
 #
 # Users can enable xcb-xinput by building xcb with the configuration flag --enable-xinput.
-if(XCB_XINPUT_FOUND)
-    message(STATUS "Using XCB_XINPUT.  Please note this is an unstable API.")
+option(USE_XCB_XINPUT "Use XCB_XINPUT" ON)
+
+if(!XCB_XINPUT_FOUND AND USE_XCB_XINPUT)
+    message(STATUS "XCB_XINPUT was not found. Falling back to X11_XINPUT")
+    set(USE_XCB_XINPUT OFF CACHE BOOL "Use XCB_XINPUT" FORCE)
+endif()
+
+if(USE_XCB_XINPUT)
+    message(STATUS "Using XCB_XINPUT. Please note this is an unstable API.")
     set(USING_X_LIBRARIES XCB::XINPUT XCB::RANDR ${X11_Xrandr_LIB} ${X11_Xinput_LIB})
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_XCB_XINPUT)
 else()
-    message(STATUS "Falling back to X11_XINPUT.  (Daemon will be unable to monitor hotplugging.)")
+    message(STATUS "Using X11_XINPUT.")
     set(USING_X_LIBRARIES XCB::RANDR ${X11_LIBRARIES} ${X11_Xinput_LIB} ${X11_Xrandr_LIB})
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/kded/x11eventnotifier-xlib.cpp b/src/kded/x11eventnotifier-xlib.cpp
--- a/src/kded/x11eventnotifier-xlib.cpp
+++ b/src/kded/x11eventnotifier-xlib.cpp
@@ -37,12 +37,25 @@
 #include <X11/extensions/XInput.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/XInput2.h>
 
+// Hack for missing xcb xinput, taken from from kcm_keyboard
+typedef struct xcb_input_device_presence_notify_event_t {
+    uint8_t         response_type;
+    uint8_t         pad0;
+    uint16_t        sequence;
+    xcb_timestamp_t time;
+    uint8_t         devchange;
+    uint8_t         device_id;
+    uint16_t        control;
+    uint8_t         pad1[20];
+} xcb_input_device_presence_notify_event_t;
+
 namespace Wacom
 {
     class X11EventNotifierPrivate
     {
         public:
             bool     isStarted = false;
+            int      xinputEventType = -1;
     };
 }
 
@@ -105,15 +118,23 @@
     Q_UNUSED(result);
 
     xcb_generic_event_t *event = static_cast<xcb_generic_event_t *>(message);
-    xcb_ge_generic_event_t *cookie = reinterpret_cast<xcb_ge_generic_event_t *>(message);
 
-    if (event->response_type == XCB_GE_GENERIC && cookie->event_type == XI_HierarchyChanged) {
-        // handleX11InputEvent(cookie);
-    } else {
-        // handleX11ScreenEvent(event);
+    Q_D (X11EventNotifier);
+    if (d->xinputEventType != -1 && event->response_type == d->xinputEventType) {
+        xcb_input_device_presence_notify_event_t *xdpne = reinterpret_cast<xcb_input_device_presence_notify_event_t*>(event);
+        if (xdpne->devchange == DeviceEnabled) {
+            dbgWacom << QString::fromLatin1("New device with id '%1' detected").arg(xdpne->device_id);
+            X11InputDevice device(xdpne->device_id, QLatin1String("Unknown X11 Device"));
+
+            if (device.isOpen() && device.isTabletDevice()) {
+                dbgWacom << QString::fromLatin1("Wacom tablet device with X11 id '%1' added.").arg(xdpne->device_id);
+                emit tabletAdded(xdpne->device_id);
+            }
+         } else if (xdpne->devchange == DeviceDisabled) {
+            dbgWacom << QString::fromLatin1("Device with id '%1' has been disabled").arg(xdpne->device_id);
+            emit tabletRemoved(xdpne->device_id);
+        }
     }
-
-    // return QWidget::x11Event(event);
     return false;
 }
 
@@ -123,24 +144,19 @@
 void X11EventNotifier::handleX11InputEvent(xcb_ge_generic_event_t* event)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(event)
-    // Sadly there does not seem to be a way to use this functionality :(
+    // TODO: this function only makes sense in xcb-xinput backend implementation. Split this in a smarter way.
 }
 
 
 
 int X11EventNotifier::registerForNewDeviceEvent(xcb_connection_t* conn)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(conn)
-    // This is already done by xcb plugin with more flags, doing this ourselves
-    // will break Qt's xrandr functionality because connection is shared with Qt.
-    // TODO: uncomment this again when we use our private connection.
-#if 0
-    //register RandR events
-    int rrmask = XCB_RANDR_NOTIFY_MASK_SCREEN_CHANGE;
-
-    xcb_randr_select_input(conn, QX11Info::appRootWindow(), 0);
-    xcb_randr_select_input(conn, QX11Info::appRootWindow(), rrmask);
-#endif
+    Q_D (X11EventNotifier);
 
+    auto display = QX11Info::display();
+    XEventClass xiclass;
+    DevicePresence(display, d->xinputEventType, xiclass);
+    XSelectExtensionEvent(display, DefaultRootWindow(display), &xiclass, 1);
     return 0;
 }