diff --git a/src/system/setting_helpers.cpp b/src/system/setting_helpers.cpp
index 14eb437de..fb5cb0ff9 100644
--- a/src/system/setting_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/system/setting_helpers.cpp
@@ -456,8 +456,23 @@ bool CKeySetupNotifier::changeNotify(const neutrino_locale_t, void *)
 	g_RCInput->repeat_block_generic = xdelay * 1000;
 
 	int fd = g_RCInput->getFileHandle();
+#ifdef HAVE_COOL_HARDWARE
 	ioctl(fd, IOC_IR_SET_F_DELAY, fdelay);
 	ioctl(fd, IOC_IR_SET_X_DELAY, xdelay);
+#else
+	/* if we have a good input device, we don't need the private ioctl above */
+	struct my_repeat {
+		unsigned int delay;	/* in ms */
+		unsigned int period;	/* in ms */
+	};
+	struct my_repeat n;
+	/* increase by 10 ms to trick the repeat checker code in the
+	 * rcinput loop into accepting the key event... */
+	n.delay =  fdelay + 10;
+	n.period = xdelay + 10;
+	if (ioctl(fd, EVIOCSREP, &n))
+		perror("CKeySetupNotifier::changeNotify EVIOCSREP");
+#endif
 	return false;
 }