diff --git a/test/litest-device-keyboard-all-codes.c b/test/litest-device-keyboard-all-codes.c
index 268cff79..3f5d0d4a 100644
--- a/test/litest-device-keyboard-all-codes.c
+++ b/test/litest-device-keyboard-all-codes.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 #define NAME "All event codes keyboard"
 
-static void all_codes_create(struct litest_device *d);
+static bool all_codes_create(struct litest_device *d);
 
 static struct input_id input_id = {
 	.bustype = 0x11,
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ TEST_DEVICE("keyboard-all-codes",
 	.absinfo = NULL,
 )
 
-static void
+static bool
 all_codes_create(struct litest_device *d)
 {
 	int events[KEY_MAX * 2 + 2];
@@ -70,4 +70,5 @@ all_codes_create(struct litest_device *d)
 								 &input_id,
 								 NULL,
 								 events);
+	return false;
 }
diff --git a/test/litest-int.h b/test/litest-int.h
index 4de4b21f..a0f92431 100644
--- a/test/litest-int.h
+++ b/test/litest-int.h
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ struct litest_test_device {
 	* For such devices, no overrides are possible. If create is NULL,
 	* the information in name, id, events, absinfo is used to
 	* create the device instead.
+	*
+	* @return true if the device needs to be created by litest, false if
+	*	the device creates itself
 	*/
-	void (*create)(struct litest_device *d);
+	bool (*create)(struct litest_device *d);
 
 	/**
 	 * The device name. Only used when create is NULL.
diff --git a/test/litest.c b/test/litest.c
index 06c1cbfc..6b44d45f 100644
--- a/test/litest.c
+++ b/test/litest.c
@@ -1395,6 +1395,7 @@ litest_create(enum litest_device_type which,
 	const char *path;
 	int fd, rc;
 	bool found = false;
+	bool create_device = true;
 
 	list_for_each(dev, &devices, node) {
 		if (dev->type == which) {
@@ -1411,16 +1412,18 @@ litest_create(enum litest_device_type which,
 
 	/* device has custom create method */
 	if (dev->create) {
-		dev->create(d);
+		create_device = dev->create(d);
 		if (abs_override || events_override) {
 			litest_abort_msg("Custom create cannot be overridden");
 		}
-	} else {
-		abs = merge_absinfo(dev->absinfo, abs_override);
-		events = merge_events(dev->events, events_override);
-		name = name_override ? name_override : dev->name;
-		id = id_override ? id_override : dev->id;
+	}
 
+	abs = merge_absinfo(dev->absinfo, abs_override);
+	events = merge_events(dev->events, events_override);
+	name = name_override ? name_override : dev->name;
+	id = id_override ? id_override : dev->id;
+
+	if (create_device) {
 		d->uinput = litest_create_uinput_device_from_description(name,
 									 id,
 									 abs,