diff --git a/ffi/glfw-input.c b/ffi/glfw-input.c
index 60852d7..b11cc15 100644
--- a/ffi/glfw-input.c
+++ b/ffi/glfw-input.c
@@ -45,9 +45,12 @@ GLFWgamepadstate state;
 float* axes;
 int axesCount = -1;
 
-void getGamepadState(int joystickID) {
-  if (glfwGetGamepadState(joystickID, &state)) {
+int getGamepadState(int joystickID) {
+  if (glfwJoystickIsGamepad(joystickID) && glfwGetGamepadState(joystickID, &state)) {
     axes = glfwGetJoystickAxes(joystickID, &axesCount);
+    return 1;
+  } else {
+    return 0;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ffi/glfw-input.sml b/ffi/glfw-input.sml
index 27320c0..df66cbd 100644
--- a/ffi/glfw-input.sml
+++ b/ffi/glfw-input.sml
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct
 
   (* gamepad bindings below *)
   val getGamepadState =
-    _import "getGamepadState" public : int -> unit;
+    _import "getGamepadState" public : int -> int;
 
   val getLeftJoystickXAxisState =
     _import "getLeftJoystickXAxisState" public : unit -> Real32.real;
diff --git a/shell/gl-draw.sml b/shell/gl-draw.sml
index 1d30760..3d6565f 100644
--- a/shell/gl-draw.sml
+++ b/shell/gl-draw.sml
@@ -145,28 +145,6 @@ struct
       updateLoop (0, InputMailbox.getMessagesAndClear (), app)
   end
 
-fun getGamepadState () =
-  let
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 0
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 1
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 2
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 3
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 4
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 5
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 6
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 7
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 8
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 9
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 10
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 11
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 12
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 13
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 14
-    val () = Input.getGamepadState 15
-  in
-    ()
-  end
-
   fun helpLoop (app, shellState as {window, ...}: t) =
     case Glfw.windowShouldClose window of
       false =>
@@ -176,13 +154,7 @@ fun getGamepadState () =
           val _ = Gles3.clearColor (0.89, 0.89, 0.89, 1.0)
           val _ = Gles3.clear ()
 
-          val () = getGamepadState ()
-          val xAxis = Input.getLeftJoystickXAxisState ()
-          val yAxis = Input.getLeftJoystickYAxisState ()
-          val () = print ("x axis = " ^ Real32.toString xAxis ^ "\n")
-          val () = print ("y axis = " ^ Real32.toString yAxis ^ "\n")
-          val () = print "\n"
-
+          val () = GlfwGamepad.query ()
           val app = update app
           val _ = draw shellState
 
diff --git a/shell/glfw-gamepad.sml b/shell/glfw-gamepad.sml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2cbbf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/glfw-gamepad.sml
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+structure GlfwGamepad =
+struct
+  datatype joystick_dir = UP | LEFT | DOWN | RIGHT | CENTRE | L2 | R2
+
+  fun isInDeadZone (x, y) =
+    x < 0.1 andalso x > ~0.1 andalso y < 0.1 andalso y > ~0.1
+
+  (* todo: query L2 and R2, and handle them *)
+  fun axisToDir (x, y) =
+    if isInDeadZone (x, y) then CENTRE
+    else if abs x > abs y then if x > 0.0 then RIGHT else LEFT
+    else if y > 0.0 then DOWN
+    else UP
+
+  fun getGamepadState () =
+    Input.getGamepadState 0 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 1 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 2 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 3 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 4 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 5 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 6 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 7 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 8 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 9 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 10 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 11 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 12 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 13 <> 0
+    orelse Input.getGamepadState 14 <> 0 orelse Input.getGamepadState 15 <> 0
+
+  local open InputMsg
+  in
+    fun handleTrianglePressed (x, y) =
+      let
+        val chr =
+          case axisToDir (x, y) of
+            CENTRE => #"a"
+          | UP => #"e"
+          | RIGHT => #"i"
+          | DOWN => #"m"
+          | LEFT => #"q"
+          | L2 => #"u"
+          | R2 => #"y"
+      in
+        InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT chr)
+      end
+
+    fun handleCirclePressed (x, y) =
+      let
+        val chr =
+          case axisToDir (x, y) of
+            CENTRE => #"b"
+          | UP => #"f"
+          | RIGHT => #"j"
+          | DOWN => #"n"
+          | LEFT => #"r"
+          | L2 => #"v"
+          | R2 => #"z"
+      in
+        InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT chr)
+      end
+
+    fun handleCrossPressed (x, y) =
+      case axisToDir (x, y) of
+        CENTRE => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"c")
+      | UP => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"g")
+      | RIGHT => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"k")
+      | DOWN => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"o")
+      | LEFT => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"s")
+      | L2 => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"w")
+      | R2 =>
+          (* todo: either shift or enter *)
+          raise Fail "glfw-gamepad.sml: 77\n"
+
+    fun handleSquarePressed (x, y) =
+      case axisToDir (x, y) of
+        CENTRE => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"d")
+      | UP => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"h")
+      | RIGHT => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"l")
+      | DOWN => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"p")
+      | LEFT => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"t")
+      | L2 => InputMailbox.append (CHAR_EVENT #"x")
+      | R2 =>
+          (* todo: either shift or enter *)
+          raise Fail "glfw-gamepad.sml: 87\n"
+  end
+
+  fun handleIfJoystickIsPresent () =
+    let
+      open InputMsg
+
+      val xAxis = Input.getLeftJoystickXAxisState ()
+      val yAxis = Input.getLeftJoystickYAxisState ()
+
+      val crossPrressed = Input.isCrossButtonPressed ()
+      val circlePressed = Input.isCircleButtonPressed ()
+      val squarePressed = Input.isSquareButtonPressed ()
+      val trianglePressed = Input.isTriangleButtonPressed ()
+
+      val r1Pressed = Input.isR1ButtonPressed ()
+      val l1Pressed = Input.isL1ButtonPressed ()
+    in
+      if crossPrressed <> 0 then
+        (* pressing two buttons at the same time is a no-op *)
+        if
+          circlePressed <> 0 orelse squarePressed <> 0
+          orelse trianglePressed <> 0 orelse r1Pressed <> 0
+          orelse l1Pressed <> 0
+        then ()
+        else handleCrossPressed (xAxis, yAxis)
+      else if circlePressed <> 0 then
+        if
+          squarePressed <> 0 orelse trianglePressed <> 0 orelse r1Pressed <> 0
+          orelse l1Pressed <> 0
+        then ()
+        else handleCirclePressed (xAxis, yAxis)
+      else
+        ()
+    end
+
+  fun query () =
+    if getGamepadState () then handleIfJoystickIsPresent ()
+    else (* nothing to do if no gamepad is present *) ()
+end
diff --git a/shf.mlb b/shf.mlb
index 55fc81b..044e9f0 100644
--- a/shf.mlb
+++ b/shf.mlb
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ shell/draw-mailbox.sml
 
 shell/exception-logger.sml
 shell/updater.sml
+shell/glfw-gamepad.sml
 shell/gl-shaders.sml
 shell/gl-draw.sml
 shell/shell.sml