diff --git a/drivers/input/input.c b/drivers/input/input.c
index 47886a394c6b..c9f480629099 100644
--- a/drivers/input/input.c
+++ b/drivers/input/input.c
@@ -610,6 +610,33 @@ static void input_dev_toggle(struct input_dev *dev, bool activate)
 	}
 }
 
+static int input_start_device(struct input_dev *dev)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	lockdep_assert_held(&dev->mutex);
+
+	if (dev->users++ == 0 && !dev->inhibited) {
+		if (dev->open) {
+			error = dev->open(dev);
+			if (error) {
+				dev->users--;
+				return error;
+			}
+		}
+
+		scoped_guard(spinlock_irq, &dev->event_lock) {
+			dev->ready = true;
+			input_dev_toggle(dev, true);
+		}
+
+		if (dev->poller)
+			input_dev_poller_start(dev->poller);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * input_open_device - open input device
  * @handle: handle through which device is being accessed
@@ -628,21 +655,9 @@ int input_open_device(struct input_handle *handle)
 
 		handle->open++;
 
-		if (handle->handler->passive_observer)
-			return 0;
-
-		if (dev->users++ || dev->inhibited) {
-			/*
-			 * Device is already opened and/or inhibited,
-			 * so we can exit immediately and report success.
-			 */
-			return 0;
-		}
-
-		if (dev->open) {
-			error = dev->open(dev);
+		if (!handle->handler->passive_observer) {
+			error = input_start_device(dev);
 			if (error) {
-				dev->users--;
 				handle->open--;
 				/*
 				 * Make sure we are not delivering any more
@@ -653,13 +668,8 @@ int input_open_device(struct input_handle *handle)
 			}
 		}
 
-		scoped_guard(spinlock_irq, &dev->event_lock) {
-			dev->ready = true;
-			input_dev_toggle(dev, true);
-		}
-
-		if (dev->poller)
-			input_dev_poller_start(dev->poller);
+		if (handle->open == 1 && handle->handler->start)
+			handle->handler->start(handle);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -2692,9 +2702,6 @@ int input_register_handle(struct input_handle *handle)
 	 */
 	list_add_tail_rcu(&handle->h_node, &handler->h_list);
 
-	if (handler->start)
-		handler->start(handle);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(input_register_handle);
diff --git a/include/linux/input.h b/include/linux/input.h
index f147d27e6d1d..0ee5f32de08a 100644
--- a/include/linux/input.h
+++ b/include/linux/input.h
@@ -288,8 +288,9 @@ struct input_handle;
  * @connect: called when attaching a handler to an input device
  * @disconnect: disconnects a handler from input device
  * @start: starts handler for given handle. This function is called by
- *	input core right after connect() method and also when a process
- *	that "grabbed" a device releases it
+ *	input core when device is open and ready to process events,
+ *	and also when device is uninhibited or when a process that "grabbed"
+ *	a device releases it
  * @passive_observer: set to %true by drivers only interested in observing
  *	data stream from devices if there are other users present. Such
  *	drivers will not result in starting underlying hardware device