diff --git a/dix/devices.c b/dix/devices.c
index 6b0505028..bf790247f 100644
--- a/dix/devices.c
+++ b/dix/devices.c
@@ -528,7 +528,6 @@ CoreKeyboardProc(DeviceIntPtr pDev, int what)
 #ifdef XKB
         if (!noXkbExtension) {
             bzero(&names, sizeof(names));
-            XkbSetRulesDflts("base", "pc105", "us", NULL, NULL);
             XkbInitKeyboardDeviceStruct(pDev, &names, &keySyms, modMap,
                                         CoreKeyboardBell, CoreKeyboardCtl);
         }
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
index f530ec4be..ad72b160d 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
@@ -1032,6 +1032,12 @@ configServerFlags(XF86ConfFlagsPtr flagsconf, XF86OptionPtr layoutopts)
     xf86Info.allowEmptyInput = (xf86Info.autoAddDevices && xf86Info.autoEnableDevices);
     xf86GetOptValBool(FlagOptions, FLAG_ALLOW_EMPTY_INPUT, &xf86Info.allowEmptyInput);
 
+    /* AEI on? Then we're not using kbd, so use the evdev rules set. */
+#ifdef XKB
+    XkbSetRulesDflts(((xf86Info.allowEmptyInput) ? "evdev" : "base"),
+                     "pc105", "us", NULL, NULL);
+#endif
+
     xf86Info.useDefaultFontPath = TRUE;
     xf86Info.useDefaultFontPathFrom = X_DEFAULT;
     if (xf86GetOptValBool(FlagOptions, FLAG_USE_DEFAULT_FONT_PATH, &value)) {