diff --git a/panels/mouse/Makefile.am b/panels/mouse/Makefile.am
index bb24b4e97..e89954f07 100644
--- a/panels/mouse/Makefile.am
+++ b/panels/mouse/Makefile.am
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ libmouse_properties_la_SOURCES =	\
 	cc-mouse-panel.c		\
 	cc-mouse-panel.h		\
 	gnome-mouse-properties.c	\
-	gnome-mouse-properties.h
+	gnome-mouse-properties.h	\
+	gsd-input-helper.c		\
+	gsd-input-helper.h
 
 libmouse_properties_la_LIBADD = $(PANEL_LIBS) $(GSD_DBUS_LIBS) $(GNOMECC_CAPPLETS_LIBS)
 libmouse_properties_la_LDFLAGS = $(PANEL_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.c b/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee5643138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.c
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C; tab-width: 8; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 8 -*-
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2010 Bastien Nocera <hadess@hadess.net>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+#include <gdk/gdkx.h>
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <X11/Xatom.h>
+
+#include "gsd-input-helper.h"
+
+static gboolean
+supports_xinput_devices (void)
+{
+        gint op_code, event, error;
+
+        return XQueryExtension (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()),
+                                "XInputExtension",
+                                &op_code,
+                                &event,
+                                &error);
+}
+
+XDevice*
+device_is_touchpad (XDeviceInfo deviceinfo)
+{
+        XDevice *device;
+        Atom realtype, prop;
+        int realformat;
+        unsigned long nitems, bytes_after;
+        unsigned char *data;
+
+        if (deviceinfo.type != XInternAtom (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), XI_TOUCHPAD, False))
+                return NULL;
+
+        prop = XInternAtom (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), "Synaptics Off", False);
+        if (!prop)
+                return NULL;
+
+        gdk_error_trap_push ();
+        device = XOpenDevice (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), deviceinfo.id);
+        if (gdk_error_trap_pop () || (device == NULL))
+                return NULL;
+
+        gdk_error_trap_push ();
+        if ((XGetDeviceProperty (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), device, prop, 0, 1, False,
+                                XA_INTEGER, &realtype, &realformat, &nitems,
+                                &bytes_after, &data) == Success) && (realtype != None)) {
+                gdk_error_trap_pop ();
+                XFree (data);
+                return device;
+        }
+        gdk_error_trap_pop ();
+
+        XCloseDevice (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), device);
+        return NULL;
+}
+
+gboolean
+touchpad_is_present (void)
+{
+        XDeviceInfo *device_info;
+        gint n_devices;
+        guint i;
+        gboolean retval;
+
+        if (supports_xinput_devices () == FALSE)
+                return TRUE;
+
+        retval = FALSE;
+
+        device_info = XListInputDevices (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (gdk_display_get_default ()), &n_devices);
+        if (device_info == NULL)
+                return FALSE;
+
+        for (i = 0; i < n_devices; i++) {
+                XDevice *device;
+
+                device = device_is_touchpad (device_info[i]);
+                if (device != NULL) {
+                        retval = TRUE;
+                        break;
+                }
+        }
+        if (device_info != NULL)
+                XFreeDeviceList (device_info);
+
+        return retval;
+}
+
diff --git a/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.h b/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..90c731055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panels/mouse/gsd-input-helper.h
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C; tab-width: 8; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 8 -*-
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2010 Bastien Nocera <hadess@hadess.net>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __GSD_INPUT_HELPER_H
+#define __GSD_INPUT_HELPER_H
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+#include <X11/extensions/XInput.h>
+#include <X11/extensions/XIproto.h>
+
+XDevice * device_is_touchpad  (XDeviceInfo deviceinfo);
+gboolean  touchpad_is_present (void);
+
+G_END_DECLS
+
+#endif /* __GSD_INPUT_HELPER_H */