diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h b/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
index 45159323d..6fba1af49 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ Window	*wkeyboard;	/* window of simulated keyboard */
 int		nwindow;
 int		snarffd;
 int		gotscreen;
+int		servekbd;
 Window	*input;
 QLock	all;			/* BUG */
 Filsys	*filsys;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/fsys.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/fsys.c
index b0ae83b5e..94a35442f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/fsys.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/fsys.c
@@ -365,6 +365,8 @@ skipdir(char *name)
 		return 1;
 	if(gotscreen && strcmp(name, "screen")==0)
 		return 1;
+	if(!servekbd && strcmp(name, "kbd")==0)
+		return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
index 26b9b227d..5d7fe2e91 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
@@ -1340,6 +1340,9 @@ kbdproc(void *arg)
 	if((kfd = open("/dev/kbd", OREAD)) >= 0){
 		close(fd);
 
+		/* only serve a kbd file per window when we got one */
+		servekbd = 1;
+
 		/* read kbd state */
 		while((n = read(kfd, buf, sizeof(buf))) > 0)
 			chanprint(c, "%.*s", n, buf);