diff --git a/libevdev/libevdev.c b/libevdev/libevdev.c
index 3e2c98a..5dd6bdb 100644
--- a/libevdev/libevdev.c
+++ b/libevdev/libevdev.c
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ 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)))
+	if (!(flags & (LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL|LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC|LIBEVDEV_FORCE_SYNC)))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (flags & LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC) {
@@ -558,6 +558,13 @@ int libevdev_next_event(struct libevdev *dev, unsigned int flags, struct input_e
 	if (rc < 0 && rc != -EAGAIN)
 		goto out;
 
+	if (flags & LIBEVDEV_FORCE_SYNC) {
+		dev->need_sync = 1;
+		rc = 1;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+
 	if (queue_shift(dev, ev) != 0)
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
diff --git a/libevdev/libevdev.h b/libevdev/libevdev.h
index 0cf6295..d9f1daa 100644
--- a/libevdev/libevdev.h
+++ b/libevdev/libevdev.h
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ struct libevdev;
 enum EvdevReadFlags {
 	LIBEVDEV_READ_SYNC		= 1, /**< Process data in sync mode */
 	LIBEVDEV_READ_NORMAL		= 2, /**< Process data in normal mode */
+	LIBEVDEV_FORCE_SYNC		= 4, /**< Pretend the next event is a SYN_DROPPED. There is
+					          no reason to ever use this except for
+						  automated tests, so don't. */
 };
 
 /**