diff --git a/keymapper/dev/ev_abs_mapper.py b/keymapper/dev/ev_abs_mapper.py
index ebcaae8e..00342985 100644
--- a/keymapper/dev/ev_abs_mapper.py
+++ b/keymapper/dev/ev_abs_mapper.py
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ async def ev_abs_mapper(abs_state, input_device, keymapper_device):
     input_device : evdev.InputDevice
     keymapper_device : evdev.UInput
     """
+    max_value = input_device.absinfo(EV_ABS).max
+
+    if max_value == 0:
+        return
+
+    max_speed = ((max_value ** 2) * 2) ** 0.5
+
     # events only take ints, so a movement of 0.3 needs to add
     # up to 1.2 to affect the cursor.
     #
@@ -81,13 +88,11 @@ async def ev_abs_mapper(abs_state, input_device, keymapper_device):
     pending_rx_rel = 0
     pending_ry_rel = 0
 
-    logger.info('Mapping gamepad to mouse movements')
-    max_value = input_device.absinfo(EV_ABS).max
-    max_speed = ((max_value ** 2) * 2) ** 0.5
-
     pointer_speed = config.get('gamepad.joystick.pointer_speed')
     non_linearity = config.get('gamepad.joystick.non_linearity')
 
+    logger.info('Mapping gamepad to mouse movements')
+
     while True:
         start = time.time()
         abs_x, abs_y, abs_rx, abs_ry = abs_state
diff --git a/keymapper/dev/keycode_mapper.py b/keymapper/dev/keycode_mapper.py
index 20c039d7..24801645 100644
--- a/keymapper/dev/keycode_mapper.py
+++ b/keymapper/dev/keycode_mapper.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import asyncio
 
 import evdev
+from evdev.ecodes import EV_KEY, EV_ABS, ABS_MISC
 
 from keymapper.logger import logger
 from keymapper.dev.ev_abs_mapper import JOYSTICK
@@ -48,15 +49,32 @@ def should_map_event_as_btn(ev_type, code):
     code : int
         linux keycode
     """
-    if ev_type == evdev.events.EV_KEY:
+    if ev_type == EV_KEY:
         return True
 
-    if ev_type == evdev.events.EV_ABS and code not in JOYSTICK:
+    if ev_type == EV_ABS and code not in JOYSTICK + [ABS_MISC]:
+        # wacom intuos 5 reports ABS_MISC for every event right after the
+        # actual event
         return True
 
     return False
 
 
+def is_key_down(event):
+    """Is this event a key press."""
+    if event.type == EV_KEY:
+        # might be 2 for hold
+        return event.value == 1
+
+    # for all other event types, just fire for anything that is not 0
+    return event.value != 0
+
+
+def is_key_up(event):
+    """Is this event a key release."""
+    return event.value == 0
+
+
 def handle_keycode(code_to_code, macros, event, uinput):
     """Write the mapped keycode or forward unmapped ones.
 
@@ -77,16 +95,14 @@ def handle_keycode(code_to_code, macros, event, uinput):
     input_type = event.type
 
     if input_keycode in macros:
-        if event.value == 0:
-            # key-release event. Tell the macro for that keycode
-            # that the key is released and let it decide what to with that
-            # information.
+        if is_key_up(event):
+            # Tell the macro for that keycode that the key is released and
+            # let it decide what to with that information.
             macro = active_macros.get(input_keycode)
             if macro is not None and macro.holding:
                 macro.release_key()
 
-        if event.value != 1:
-            # only key-down events trigger macros
+        if not is_key_down(event):
             return
 
         existing_macro = active_macros.get(input_keycode)
@@ -94,6 +110,8 @@ def handle_keycode(code_to_code, macros, event, uinput):
             # make sure that a duplicate key-down event won't make a
             # macro with a hold function run forever. there should always
             # be only one active.
+            # Furthermore, don't stop and rerun the macro because gamepad
+            # triggers report events all the time just by releasing the key.
             if existing_macro.running:
                 return
 
@@ -111,7 +129,7 @@ def handle_keycode(code_to_code, macros, event, uinput):
 
     if input_keycode in code_to_code:
         target_keycode = code_to_code[input_keycode]
-        target_type = evdev.events.EV_KEY
+        target_type = EV_KEY
         logger.spam(
             'got code:%s value:%s event:%s, maps to EV_KEY:%s',
             input_keycode,
diff --git a/keymapper/dev/reader.py b/keymapper/dev/reader.py
index b80acef6..c394e217 100644
--- a/keymapper/dev/reader.py
+++ b/keymapper/dev/reader.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class _KeycodeReader:
                 event.value,
                 evdev.ecodes.EV[event.type]
             )
-            self._pipe[1].send((event.type, event.code))
+            self._pipe[1].send(event)
 
     def _read_worker(self):
         """Process that reads keycodes and buffers them into a pipe."""
@@ -149,7 +149,11 @@ class _KeycodeReader:
                     del rlist[fd]
 
     def read(self):
-        """Get the newest tuple of event type, keycode or None."""
+        """Get the newest tuple of event type, keycode or None.
+
+        If the timing of two recent events is very close, prioritize
+        key events over abs events.
+        """
         if self._pipe is None:
             self.fail_counter += 1
             if self.fail_counter % 10 == 0:
@@ -157,11 +161,14 @@ class _KeycodeReader:
                 logger.debug('No pipe available to read from')
             return None, None
 
-        newest_event = (None, None)
+        newest_event = None
         while self._pipe[0].poll():
             newest_event = self._pipe[0].recv()
 
-        return newest_event
+        return (
+            (None, None) if newest_event is None
+            else (newest_event.type, newest_event.code)
+        )
 
 
 keycode_reader = _KeycodeReader()
diff --git a/tests/testcases/test_integration.py b/tests/testcases/test_integration.py
index 619e5e19..cf65bae9 100644
--- a/tests/testcases/test_integration.py
+++ b/tests/testcases/test_integration.py
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ class TestIntegration(unittest.TestCase):
         if code:
             # modifies the keycode in the row not by writing into the input,
             # but by sending an event
-            keycode_reader._pipe[1].send((EV_KEY, code))
+            keycode_reader._pipe[1].send(InputEvent(EV_KEY, code, 1))
             time.sleep(0.1)
             gtk_iteration()
             if success: