diff --git a/tools/event-debug.c b/tools/event-debug.c
index becde168..77133851 100644
--- a/tools/event-debug.c
+++ b/tools/event-debug.c
@@ -45,24 +45,6 @@ static const uint32_t screen_height = 100;
 struct tools_options options;
 static unsigned int stop = 0;
 
-static int
-open_restricted(const char *path, int flags, void *user_data)
-{
-	int fd = open(path, flags);
-	return fd < 0 ? -errno : fd;
-}
-
-static void
-close_restricted(int fd, void *user_data)
-{
-	close(fd);
-}
-
-static const struct libinput_interface interface = {
-	.open_restricted = open_restricted,
-	.close_restricted = close_restricted,
-};
-
 static void
 print_event_header(struct libinput_event *ev)
 {
@@ -403,7 +385,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (tools_parse_args(argc, argv, &options))
 		return 1;
 
-	li = tools_open_backend(&options, NULL, &interface);
+	li = tools_open_backend(&options, NULL);
 	if (!li)
 		return 1;
 
diff --git a/tools/event-gui.c b/tools/event-gui.c
index 9d291956..7af2a303 100644
--- a/tools/event-gui.c
+++ b/tools/event-gui.c
@@ -489,24 +489,6 @@ sockets_init(struct libinput *li)
 	g_io_add_watch(c, G_IO_IN, handle_event_libinput, li);
 }
 
-static int
-open_restricted(const char *path, int flags, void *user_data)
-{
-	int fd = open(path, flags);
-	return fd < 0 ? -errno : fd;
-}
-
-static void
-close_restricted(int fd, void *user_data)
-{
-	close(fd);
-}
-
-static const struct libinput_interface interface = {
-	.open_restricted = open_restricted,
-	.close_restricted = close_restricted,
-};
-
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -525,7 +507,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!udev)
 		error("Failed to initialize udev\n");
 
-	li = tools_open_backend(&options, &w, &interface);
+	li = tools_open_backend(&options, &w);
 	if (!li)
 		return 1;
 
diff --git a/tools/libinput-list-devices.c b/tools/libinput-list-devices.c
index b3f7e2f9..e66aa3c9 100644
--- a/tools/libinput-list-devices.c
+++ b/tools/libinput-list-devices.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -36,27 +35,6 @@
 
 #include "shared.h"
 
-static int
-open_restricted(const char *path, int flags, void *user_data)
-{
-	int fd = open(path, flags);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to open %s (%s)\n",
-			path, strerror(errno));
-	return fd < 0 ? -errno : fd;
-}
-
-static void
-close_restricted(int fd, void *user_data)
-{
-	close(fd);
-}
-
-static const struct libinput_interface interface = {
-	.open_restricted = open_restricted,
-	.close_restricted = close_restricted,
-};
-
 static inline const char*
 bool_to_str(bool b)
 {
@@ -308,7 +286,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	tools_init_options(&options);
 
-	li = tools_open_backend(&options, NULL, &interface);
+	li = tools_open_backend(&options, NULL);
 	if (!li)
 		return 1;
 
diff --git a/tools/shared.c b/tools/shared.c
index a0ff779c..7b032080 100644
--- a/tools/shared.c
+++ b/tools/shared.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -344,17 +345,37 @@ open_device(const struct libinput_interface *interface,
 	return li;
 }
 
+static int
+open_restricted(const char *path, int flags, void *user_data)
+{
+	int fd = open(path, flags);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to open %s (%s)\n",
+			path, strerror(errno));
+	return fd < 0 ? -errno : fd;
+}
+
+static void
+close_restricted(int fd, void *user_data)
+{
+	close(fd);
+}
+
+static const struct libinput_interface interface = {
+	.open_restricted = open_restricted,
+	.close_restricted = close_restricted,
+};
+
 struct libinput *
 tools_open_backend(struct tools_options *options,
-		   void *userdata,
-		   const struct libinput_interface *interface)
+		   void *userdata)
 {
 	struct libinput *li = NULL;
 
 	if (options->backend == BACKEND_UDEV) {
-		li = open_udev(interface, userdata, options->seat, options->verbose);
+		li = open_udev(&interface, userdata, options->seat, options->verbose);
 	} else if (options->backend == BACKEND_DEVICE) {
-		li = open_device(interface, userdata, options->device, options->verbose);
+		li = open_device(&interface, userdata, options->device, options->verbose);
 	} else
 		abort();
 
diff --git a/tools/shared.h b/tools/shared.h
index da752d59..dad33a16 100644
--- a/tools/shared.h
+++ b/tools/shared.h
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ struct tools_options {
 void tools_init_options(struct tools_options *options);
 int tools_parse_args(int argc, char **argv, struct tools_options *options);
 struct libinput* tools_open_backend(struct tools_options *options,
-				    void *userdata,
-				    const struct libinput_interface *interface);
+				    void *userdata);
 void tools_device_apply_config(struct libinput_device *device,
 			       struct tools_options *options);
 void tools_usage();