diff --git a/cmd/joyful/main.go b/cmd/joyful/main.go
index 41eaae5..17482bf 100644
--- a/cmd/joyful/main.go
+++ b/cmd/joyful/main.go
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ func getVirtualDevices(buffers map[string]*virtualdevice.EventBuffer) map[string
 	return devices
 }
 
-func initPhysicalDevices(config *config.ConfigParser, lock bool) map[string]*evdev.InputDevice {
-	pDeviceMap := config.ConnectPhysicalDevices(lock)
+func initPhysicalDevices(config *config.ConfigParser) map[string]*evdev.InputDevice {
+	pDeviceMap := config.ConnectPhysicalDevices()
 	if len(pDeviceMap) == 0 {
 		logger.Log("Warning: no physical devices found in configuration. No rules will work.")
 	}
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ func initPhysicalDevices(config *config.ConfigParser, lock bool) map[string]*evd
 func main() {
 	// parse command-line
 	var configFlag string
-	var noLockFlag bool
 	flag.BoolVarP(&logger.IsDebugMode, "debug", "d", false, "Output very verbose debug messages.")
-	flag.BoolVar(&noLockFlag, "no-lock", false, "Disable locking the physical devices for exclusive reading.")
 	flag.StringVarP(&configFlag, "config", "c", "~/.config/joyful", "Directory to read configuration from.")
 	ttsOps := addTTSFlags()
 	flag.Parse()
@@ -82,7 +80,7 @@ func main() {
 	vBuffersByName, vBuffersByDevice := initVirtualBuffers(config)
 
 	// Initialize physical devices
-	pDevices := initPhysicalDevices(config, !noLockFlag)
+	pDevices := initPhysicalDevices(config)
 
 	// Load the rules
 	rules, eventChannel, cancel, wg := loadRules(config, pDevices, getVirtualDevices(vBuffersByName))
diff --git a/internal/config/devices.go b/internal/config/devices.go
index 5bf5e77..f878fde 100644
--- a/internal/config/devices.go
+++ b/internal/config/devices.go
@@ -75,13 +75,12 @@ func (parser *ConfigParser) CreateVirtualDevices() map[string]*evdev.InputDevice
 }
 
 // ConnectPhysicalDevices will create InputDevices corresponding to any registered
-// devices with type = physical. It will also attempt to acquire exclusive access
-// to those devices, to prevent the same inputs from being read on multiple devices.
+// devices with type = physical.
 //
 // This function assumes you have already called Parse() on the config directory.
 //
 // This function should only be called once.
-func (parser *ConfigParser) ConnectPhysicalDevices(lock bool) map[string]*evdev.InputDevice {
+func (parser *ConfigParser) ConnectPhysicalDevices() map[string]*evdev.InputDevice {
 	deviceMap := make(map[string]*evdev.InputDevice)
 
 	for _, deviceConfig := range parser.config.Devices {
@@ -95,7 +94,8 @@ func (parser *ConfigParser) ConnectPhysicalDevices(lock bool) map[string]*evdev.
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if lock {
+		if deviceConfig.Lock {
+			logger.LogDebugf("Locking device '%s'", deviceConfig.DeviceName)
 			err := device.Grab()
 			if err != nil {
 				logger.LogError(err, "Failed to grab device for exclusive access")
diff --git a/internal/config/schema.go b/internal/config/schema.go
index d4e5e0d..9915d08 100644
--- a/internal/config/schema.go
+++ b/internal/config/schema.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 package config
 
+import "git.annabunches.net/annabunches/joyful/internal/logger"
+
 type Config struct {
 	Devices []DeviceConfig `yaml:"devices"`
 	Modes   []string       `yaml:"modes,omitempty"`
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ type DeviceConfig struct {
 	Buttons         []string `yaml:"buttons,omitempty"`
 	Axes            []string `yaml:"axes,omitempty"`
 	RelativeAxes    []string `yaml:"rel_axes,omitempty"`
+	Lock            bool     `yaml:"lock,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type RuleConfig struct {
@@ -55,3 +58,42 @@ type RuleTargetConfig struct {
 	Inverted            bool     `yaml:"inverted,omitempty"`
 	Modes               []string `yaml:"modes,omitempty"`
 }
+
+func (dc *DeviceConfig) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(data interface{}) error) error {
+	var raw struct {
+		Name            string   `yaml:"name"`
+		Type            string   `yaml:"type"`
+		DeviceName      string   `yaml:"device_name,omitempty"`
+		Uuid            string   `yaml:"uuid,omitempty"`
+		Preset          string   `yaml:"preset,omitempty"`
+		NumButtons      int      `yaml:"num_buttons,omitempty"`
+		NumAxes         int      `yaml:"num_axes,omitempty"`
+		NumRelativeAxes int      `yaml:"num_rel_axes"`
+		Buttons         []string `yaml:"buttons,omitempty"`
+		Axes            []string `yaml:"axes,omitempty"`
+		RelativeAxes    []string `yaml:"rel_axes,omitempty"`
+		Lock            bool     `yaml:"lock,omitempty"`
+	}
+	raw.Lock = true
+
+	err := unmarshal(&raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	logger.LogDebugf("%v", raw)
+	*dc = DeviceConfig{
+		Name:            raw.Name,
+		Type:            raw.Type,
+		DeviceName:      raw.DeviceName,
+		Uuid:            raw.Uuid,
+		Preset:          raw.Preset,
+		NumButtons:      raw.NumButtons,
+		NumAxes:         raw.NumAxes,
+		NumRelativeAxes: raw.NumRelativeAxes,
+		Buttons:         raw.Buttons,
+		Axes:            raw.Axes,
+		RelativeAxes:    raw.RelativeAxes,
+		Lock:            raw.Lock,
+	}
+	return nil
+}