diff --git a/src/devices/IKeyboard.cpp b/src/devices/IKeyboard.cpp
index 284a8295b95..09a18477fc4 100644
--- a/src/devices/IKeyboard.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/IKeyboard.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ void IKeyboard::clearManuallyAllocd() {
 }
 
 void IKeyboard::setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules) {
+    if (keymapOverridden) {
+        Debug::log(LOG, "Ignoring setKeymap: keymap is overridden");
+        return;
+    }
+
     currentRules            = rules;
     xkb_rule_names XKBRULES = {
         .rules   = rules.rules.c_str(),
@@ -103,10 +108,6 @@ void IKeyboard::setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules) {
         xkbKeymap = xkb_keymap_new_from_names(CONTEXT, &XKBRULES, XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
     }
 
-    // set internal translation state
-    // demo sunao ni ienai
-    xkbStaticState = xkb_state_new(xkbKeymap);
-
     updateXKBTranslationState(xkbKeymap);
 
     const auto NUMLOCKON = g_pConfigManager->getDeviceInt(hlName, "numlock_by_default", "input:numlock_by_default");
@@ -131,6 +132,20 @@ void IKeyboard::setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules) {
         Debug::log(LOG, "xkb: Mod index {} (name {}) got index {}", i, MODNAMES.at(i), modIndexes.at(i));
     }
 
+    updateKeymapFD();
+
+    xkb_context_unref(CONTEXT);
+
+    g_pSeatManager->updateActiveKeyboardData();
+}
+
+void IKeyboard::updateKeymapFD() {
+    Debug::log(LOG, "Updating keymap fd for keyboard {}", deviceName);
+
+    if (xkbKeymapFD >= 0)
+        close(xkbKeymapFD);
+    xkbKeymapFD = -1;
+
     auto cKeymapStr = xkb_keymap_get_as_string(xkbKeymap, XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1);
     xkbKeymapString = cKeymapStr;
     free(cKeymapStr);
@@ -151,21 +166,24 @@ void IKeyboard::setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules) {
         }
     }
 
-    xkb_context_unref(CONTEXT);
-
-    g_pSeatManager->updateActiveKeyboardData();
+    Debug::log(LOG, "Updated keymap fd to {}", xkbKeymapFD);
 }
 
 void IKeyboard::updateXKBTranslationState(xkb_keymap* const keymap) {
 
+    if (xkbStaticState)
+        xkb_state_unref(xkbStaticState);
+
     if (xkbState)
         xkb_state_unref(xkbState);
 
-    xkbState = nullptr;
+    xkbState       = nullptr;
+    xkbStaticState = nullptr;
 
     if (keymap) {
         Debug::log(LOG, "Updating keyboard {:x}'s translation state from a provided keymap", (uintptr_t)this);
-        xkbState = xkb_state_new(keymap);
+        xkbStaticState = xkb_state_new(keymap);
+        xkbState       = xkb_state_new(keymap);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -209,7 +227,8 @@ void IKeyboard::updateXKBTranslationState(xkb_keymap* const keymap) {
                 KEYMAP       = xkb_keymap_new_from_names(PCONTEXT, &rules, XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
             }
 
-            xkbState = xkb_state_new(KEYMAP);
+            xkbState       = xkb_state_new(KEYMAP);
+            xkbStaticState = xkb_state_new(KEYMAP);
 
             xkb_keymap_unref(KEYMAP);
             xkb_context_unref(PCONTEXT);
@@ -230,7 +249,8 @@ void IKeyboard::updateXKBTranslationState(xkb_keymap* const keymap) {
 
     const auto NEWKEYMAP = xkb_keymap_new_from_names(PCONTEXT, &rules, XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
 
-    xkbState = xkb_state_new(NEWKEYMAP);
+    xkbState       = xkb_state_new(NEWKEYMAP);
+    xkbStaticState = xkb_state_new(NEWKEYMAP);
 
     xkb_keymap_unref(NEWKEYMAP);
     xkb_context_unref(PCONTEXT);
diff --git a/src/devices/IKeyboard.hpp b/src/devices/IKeyboard.hpp
index 1ae6c7bc521..2ff8a190bd1 100644
--- a/src/devices/IKeyboard.hpp
+++ b/src/devices/IKeyboard.hpp
@@ -61,18 +61,24 @@ class IKeyboard : public IHID {
         std::string rules   = "";
     };
 
-    void               setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules);
-    void               updateXKBTranslationState(xkb_keymap* const keymap = nullptr);
-    std::string        getActiveLayout();
-    void               updateLEDs();
-    void               updateLEDs(uint32_t leds);
-    uint32_t           getModifiers();
-    void               updateModifiers(uint32_t depressed, uint32_t latched, uint32_t locked, uint32_t group);
-    bool               updateModifiersState(); // rets whether changed
-    void               updateXkbStateWithKey(uint32_t xkbKey, bool pressed);
-
-    bool               active  = false;
-    bool               enabled = true;
+    void        setKeymap(const SStringRuleNames& rules);
+    void        updateXKBTranslationState(xkb_keymap* const keymap = nullptr);
+    std::string getActiveLayout();
+    void        updateLEDs();
+    void        updateLEDs(uint32_t leds);
+    uint32_t    getModifiers();
+    void        updateModifiers(uint32_t depressed, uint32_t latched, uint32_t locked, uint32_t group);
+    bool        updateModifiersState(); // rets whether changed
+    void        updateXkbStateWithKey(uint32_t xkbKey, bool pressed);
+    void        updateKeymapFD();
+
+    bool        active  = false;
+    bool        enabled = true;
+
+    // if the keymap is overridden by the implementation,
+    // don't try to set keyboard rules anymore, to avoid overwriting the requested one.
+    // e.g. Virtual keyboards with custom maps.
+    bool               keymapOverridden = false;
 
     xkb_layout_index_t activeLayout = 0;
     xkb_state *        xkbState = nullptr, *xkbStaticState /* Static state: never gets modifiers or layout changes sent, used for keybinds. */ = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/devices/VirtualKeyboard.cpp b/src/devices/VirtualKeyboard.cpp
index 654ca9f5cbd..548711c259b 100644
--- a/src/devices/VirtualKeyboard.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/VirtualKeyboard.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,13 @@ CVirtualKeyboard::CVirtualKeyboard(SP<CVirtualKeyboardV1Resource> keeb_) : keybo
         });
     });
     listeners.keymap    = keeb_->events.keymap.registerListener([this](std::any d) {
-        auto E    = std::any_cast<SKeymapEvent>(d);
-        xkbKeymap = xkb_keymap_ref(E.keymap);
+        auto E = std::any_cast<SKeymapEvent>(d);
+        if (xkbKeymap)
+            xkb_keymap_unref(xkbKeymap);
+        xkbKeymap        = xkb_keymap_ref(E.keymap);
+        keymapOverridden = true;
+        updateXKBTranslationState(xkbKeymap);
+        updateKeymapFD();
         keyboardEvents.keymap.emit(d);
     });