diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb10.h b/lib/libusb/libusb10.h
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb10.h
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb10.h
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
 
 #ifndef LIBUSB_GLOBAL_INCLUDE_FILE
 #include <sys/queue.h>
+#include <netlink/netlink.h>
+#include <netlink/netlink_generic.h>
+#include <netlink/netlink_snl.h>
+#include <netlink/netlink_snl_generic.h>
+#include <netlink/netlink_sysevent.h>
+
 #endif
 
 #define	GET_CONTEXT(ctx) (((ctx) == NULL) ? usbi_default_context : (ctx))
@@ -90,12 +96,22 @@
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(libusb_device_head, libusb_device);
 
+typedef enum {
+	usb_event_none,
+	usb_event_scan,
+	usb_event_devd,
+	usb_event_netlink
+} usb_event_mode_t;
+
 struct libusb_context {
 	int	debug;
 	int	debug_fixed;
 	int	ctrl_pipe[2];
 	int	tr_done_ref;
 	int	tr_done_gen;
+	usb_event_mode_t usb_event_mode;
+	int	devd_pipe;
+	struct	snl_state ss;
 
 	pthread_mutex_t ctx_lock;
   	pthread_mutex_t hotplug_lock;
diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb10.c b/lib/libusb/libusb10.c
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb10.c
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb10.c
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@
 		return (LIBUSB_ERROR_INVALID_PARAM);
 
 	memset(ctx, 0, sizeof(*ctx));
+	ctx->devd_pipe = -1;
 
 	debug = getenv("LIBUSB_DEBUG");
 	if (debug != NULL) {
diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb10_hotplug.c b/lib/libusb/libusb10_hotplug.c
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb10_hotplug.c
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb10_hotplug.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include <netlink/netlink_snl_generic.h>
 #ifdef LIBUSB_GLOBAL_INCLUDE_FILE
 #include LIBUSB_GLOBAL_INCLUDE_FILE
 #else
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/queue.h>
 #include <sys/endian.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <sys/module.h>
+#include <sys/linker.h>
 #endif
 
 #define	libusb_device_handle libusb20_device
@@ -49,6 +54,61 @@
 #include "libusb.h"
 #include "libusb10.h"
 
+#define DEVDPIPE	"/var/run/devd.pipe"
+
+static bool
+netlink_init(libusb_context *ctx)
+{
+	struct _getfamily_attrs attrs;
+
+	if (modfind("nlsysevent") < 0)
+		kldload("nlsysevent");
+	if (modfind("nlsysevent") < 0)
+		return (false);
+	if (!snl_init(&ctx->ss, NETLINK_GENERIC))
+		return (false);
+
+	if (!snl_get_genl_family_info(&ctx->ss, "nlsysevent", &attrs))
+		return (false);
+
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < attrs.mcast_groups.num_groups; i++) {
+		if (strcmp(attrs.mcast_groups.groups[i]->mcast_grp_name,
+		    "USB") == 0) {
+			if (setsockopt(ctx->ss.fd, SOL_NETLINK,
+			    NETLINK_ADD_MEMBERSHIP,
+			    &attrs.mcast_groups.groups[i]->mcast_grp_id,
+			    sizeof(attrs.mcast_groups.groups[i]->mcast_grp_id))
+			    == -1) {
+				return (false);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	ctx->usb_event_mode = usb_event_netlink;
+	return (true);
+}
+
+static bool
+devd_init(libusb_context *ctx)
+{
+	struct sockaddr_un devd_addr;
+
+	bzero(&devd_addr, sizeof(devd_addr));
+	if ((ctx->devd_pipe = socket(PF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM|SOCK_NONBLOCK, 0)) < 0)
+		return (false);
+
+	devd_addr.sun_family = PF_LOCAL;
+	strlcpy(devd_addr.sun_path, DEVDPIPE, sizeof(devd_addr.sun_path));
+	if (connect(ctx->devd_pipe, (struct sockaddr *)&devd_addr,
+	    sizeof(devd_addr)) == -1) {
+		close(ctx->devd_pipe);
+		ctx->devd_pipe = -1;
+		return (false);
+	}
+
+	ctx->usb_event_mode = usb_event_devd;
+	return (true);
+}
+
 static int
 libusb_hotplug_equal(libusb_device *_adev, libusb_device *_bdev)
 {
@@ -112,12 +172,39 @@
 	libusb_device *temp;
 	libusb_device *adev;
 	libusb_device *bdev;
-	unsigned do_loop = 1;
+	struct pollfd pfd[1];
+	int timeout = 4000;
+	int nfds = 0;
 
-	while (do_loop) {
-		usleep(4000000);
+	if (ctx->usb_event_mode == usb_event_devd) {
+		pfd[0].fd = ctx->devd_pipe;
+		pfd[0].events = POLLIN;
+		pfd[0].revents = 0;
+		nfds = 1;
+	} else if (ctx->usb_event_mode == usb_event_netlink) {
+		pfd[0].fd = ctx->ss.fd;
+		pfd[0].events = POLLIN;
+		pfd[0].revents = 0;
+		nfds = 1;
+	} else {
+		nfds = 0;
+	}
+	for (;;) {
+		poll(pfd, nfds, timeout); /* ignore any error */
 
 		HOTPLUG_LOCK(ctx);
+		if (ctx->hotplug_handler == NO_THREAD) {
+			while ((adev = TAILQ_FIRST(&ctx->hotplug_devs)) != NULL) {
+				TAILQ_REMOVE(&ctx->hotplug_devs, adev, hotplug_entry);
+				libusb_unref_device(adev);
+			}
+			if (ctx->usb_event_mode == usb_event_devd)
+				close(ctx->devd_pipe);
+			else if (ctx->usb_event_mode == usb_event_netlink)
+				close(ctx->ss.fd);
+			HOTPLUG_UNLOCK(ctx);
+			break;
+		}
 
 		TAILQ_INIT(&hotplug_devs);
 
@@ -127,7 +214,7 @@
 				continue;
 			}
 		} else {
-			do_loop = 0;
+			break;
 		}
 
 		/* figure out which devices are gone */
@@ -189,6 +276,13 @@
 
 	ctx = GET_CONTEXT(ctx);
 
+	if (ctx->usb_event_mode == usb_event_none) {
+		HOTPLUG_LOCK(ctx);
+		if (!netlink_init(ctx) && !devd_init(ctx))
+			ctx->usb_event_mode = usb_event_scan;
+		HOTPLUG_UNLOCK(ctx);
+	}
+
 	if (ctx == NULL || cb_fn == NULL || events == 0 ||
 	    vendor_id < -1 || vendor_id > 0xffff ||
 	    product_id < -1 || product_id > 0xffff ||