diff --git a/libevdev/libevdev.c b/libevdev/libevdev.c
index daa59df..3e2c98a 100644
--- a/libevdev/libevdev.c
+++ b/libevdev/libevdev.c
@@ -530,6 +530,9 @@ int libevdev_next_event(struct libevdev *dev, unsigned int flags, struct input_e
 	if (dev->fd < 0)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	if (!(flags & (LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL|LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	if (flags & LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC) {
 		if (!dev->need_sync && dev->queue_nsync == 0)
 			return -EAGAIN;
diff --git a/libevdev/libevdev.h b/libevdev/libevdev.h
index 613d930..74c4723 100644
--- a/libevdev/libevdev.h
+++ b/libevdev/libevdev.h
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@
 struct libevdev;
 
 enum EvdevReadFlags {
-    LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC		= 1, /**< Process data in sync mode */
+	LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC		= 1, /**< Process data in sync mode */
+	LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL		= 2, /**< Process data in normal mode */
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/test-libevdev-events.c b/test/test-libevdev-events.c
index 5758d17..f23c2cc 100644
--- a/test/test-libevdev-events.c
+++ b/test/test-libevdev-events.c
@@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ START_TEST(test_next_event)
 	rc = libevdev_new_from_fd(fd, &dev);
 	ck_assert_msg(rc == 0, "Failed to init device: %s", strerror(-rc));;
 
-	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, 0, &ev);
+	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL, &ev);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, -EAGAIN);
 
 	uinput_device_event(uidev, EV_KEY, BTN_LEFT, 1);
 	uinput_device_event(uidev, EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
-	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, 0, &ev);
+	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL, &ev);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.type, EV_KEY);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.code, BTN_LEFT);
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ START_TEST(test_syn_event)
 	 */
 	uinput_device_event(uidev, EV_KEY, BTN_LEFT, 1);
 	uinput_device_event(uidev, EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
-	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, 0, &ev);
+	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL, &ev);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.type, EV_KEY);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.code, BTN_LEFT);
@@ -118,14 +118,14 @@ START_TEST(test_syn_event)
 	ev.value = 0;
 	rc = write(pipefd[1], &ev, sizeof(ev));
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, sizeof(ev));
-	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, 0, &ev);
+	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL, &ev);
 
 	libevdev_change_fd(dev, fd);
 
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.type, EV_SYN);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ev.code, SYN_REPORT);
-	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, 0, &ev);
+	rc = libevdev_next_event(dev, LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL, &ev);
 	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 1);
 
 	/* only check for the rc, nothing actually changed on the device */