diff --git a/src/lib/gpm.c b/src/lib/gpm.c
index 71a161203..f2deff74a 100644
--- a/src/lib/gpm.c
+++ b/src/lib/gpm.c
@@ -6,6 +6,22 @@
 
 static Gpm_Connect gpmconn;    // gpm server handle
 
+static void*
+gpmwatcher(void* vti){
+  tinfo* ti = vti;
+  (void)ti; // FIXME
+  Gpm_Event gev;
+  while(true){
+    if(Gpm_GetEvent(&gev)){
+      logerror("error reading from gpm daemon\n");
+      break;
+    }
+    loginfo("got gpm event\n");
+    // FIXME
+  }
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 int gpm_connect(tinfo* ti){
   (void)ti;
   gpm_zerobased = 1;
@@ -15,7 +31,13 @@ int gpm_connect(tinfo* ti){
   gpmconn.minMod = 0;
   gpmconn.maxMod = 0; // allow shift+drag to be used for direct copy+paste
   if(Gpm_Open(&gpmconn, 0) == -1){
-    logerror("couldn't connect to gpm");
+    logerror("couldn't connect to gpm\n");
+    return -1;
+  }
+  if(pthread_create(&ti->gpmthread, NULL, gpmwatcher, ti)){
+    logerror("couldn't spawn gpm thread\n");
+    Gpm_Close();
+    memset(&gpmconn, 0, sizeof(gpmconn));
     return -1;
   }
   loginfo("connected to gpm on %d\n", gpm_fd);
@@ -29,11 +51,21 @@ int gpm_read(tinfo* ti, ncinput* ni){
 }
 
 int gpm_close(tinfo* ti){
-  (void)ti;
+  if(pthread_cancel(ti->gpmthread)){
+    logerror("couldn't cancel gpm thread\n"); // daemon might have died
+  }
+  void* thrres;
+  if(pthread_join(ti->gpmthread, &thrres)){
+    logerror("error joining gpm thread\n");
+  }
   Gpm_Close();
   memset(&gpmconn, 0, sizeof(gpmconn));
   return 0;
 }
+
+const char* gpm_version(void){
+  return Gpm_GetLibVersion(NULL);
+}
 #else
 int gpm_connect(tinfo* ti){
   (void)ti;
@@ -50,4 +82,8 @@ int gpm_close(tinfo* ti){
   (void)ti;
   return -1;
 }
+
+const char* gpm_version(void){
+  return "n/a";
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lib/gpm.h b/src/lib/gpm.h
index 175cef712..bd64909e2 100644
--- a/src/lib/gpm.h
+++ b/src/lib/gpm.h
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ int gpm_read(struct tinfo* ti, struct ncinput* ni);
 
 int gpm_close(struct tinfo* ti);
 
+// Returns a library-owned pointer to the libgpm client version.
+const char* gpm_version(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 43b934815..0f23f3256 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ init_banner(const notcurses* nc, fbuf* f){
                        14 % nc->tcache.caps.colors : 0x2080e0);
       fbuf_putc(f, '+');
     }
-    fbuf_printf(f, "%u colors\n%s%s (%s)\nterminfo from %s zlib %s\n",
+    fbuf_printf(f, "%u colors\n%s%s (%s)\nterminfo from %s zlib %s GPM %s\n",
                 nc->tcache.caps.colors,
 #ifdef __clang__
             "", // name is contained in __VERSION__
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ init_banner(const notcurses* nc, fbuf* f){
 #else
 #error "No __BYTE_ORDER__ definition"
 #endif
-            curses_version(), zlibVersion());
+            curses_version(), zlibVersion(), gpm_version());
     ncvisual_printbanner(f);
     init_banner_warnings(nc, f);
     const char* esc;
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.h b/src/lib/termdesc.h
index 4c7d3c34e..372f18e7e 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.h
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.h
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ typedef struct tinfo {
   int default_cols;          // COLUMNS environment var / cols terminfo / 80
 
   int gpmfd;                 // connection to GPM daemon
+  pthread_t gpmthread;       // thread handle for GPM watcher
 #ifdef __linux__
   int linux_fb_fd;           // linux framebuffer device fd
   char* linux_fb_dev;        // device corresponding to linux_fb_dev