diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb.h b/lib/libusb/libusb.h
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb.h
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb.h
@@ -575,6 +575,7 @@
 int	libusb_handle_events_timeout(libusb_context * ctx, struct timeval *tv);
 int	libusb_handle_events(libusb_context * ctx);
 int	libusb_handle_events_locked(libusb_context * ctx, struct timeval *tv);
+int	libusb_pollfds_handle_timeouts(libusb_context *ctx);
 int	libusb_get_next_timeout(libusb_context * ctx, struct timeval *tv);
 void	libusb_set_pollfd_notifiers(libusb_context * ctx, libusb_pollfd_added_cb added_cb, libusb_pollfd_removed_cb removed_cb, void *user_data);
 const struct libusb_pollfd **libusb_get_pollfds(libusb_context *ctx);
diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb.3 b/lib/libusb/libusb.3
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb.3
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb.3
@@ -734,6 +734,13 @@
 Must be called with the event lock held.
 .Pp
 .Ft int
+.Fn libusb_pollfds_handle_timeouts "libusb_context *ctx"
+This function judge that if applications maintaining libusb events using
+libusb_get_pollfds are responsible for handling timeout events themselves.
+Returns 1 if libusb handles the timeout internally, 0 if the application
+needs to set a dedicated timer to handle it.
+.Pp
+.Ft int
 .Fn libusb_get_next_timeout "libusb_context *ctx" "struct timeval *tv"
 Determine the next internal timeout that libusb needs to handle.
 Returns 0
diff --git a/lib/libusb/libusb10_io.c b/lib/libusb/libusb10_io.c
--- a/lib/libusb/libusb10_io.c
+++ b/lib/libusb/libusb10_io.c
@@ -422,6 +422,12 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+int
+libusb_pollfds_handle_timeouts(libusb_context *ctx)
+{
+	return (1);
+}
+
 void
 libusb_set_pollfd_notifiers(libusb_context *ctx,
     libusb_pollfd_added_cb added_cb, libusb_pollfd_removed_cb removed_cb,