diff --git a/include/SDL_hints.h b/include/SDL_hints.h
index 00beef51e..8a1c433e0 100644
--- a/include/SDL_hints.h
+++ b/include/SDL_hints.h
@@ -965,6 +965,24 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #define SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI_XBOX_ONE_HOME_LED "SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI_XBOX_ONE_HOME_LED"
 
+/**
+  *  A variable controlling whether IOKit should be used for controller handling.
+  *
+  *  This variable can be set to the following values:
+  *    "0"       - IOKit is not used
+  *    "1"       - IOKit is used (the default)
+  */
+#define SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_IOKIT "SDL_JOYSTICK_IOKIT"
+
+/**
+  *  A variable controlling whether GCController should be used for controller handling.
+  *
+  *  This variable can be set to the following values:
+  *    "0"       - GCController is not used
+  *    "1"       - GCController is used (the default)
+  */
+#define SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_MFI "SDL_JOYSTICK_MFI"
+
 /**
   *  \brief  A variable controlling whether the RAWINPUT joystick drivers should be used for better handling XInput-capable devices.
   *
diff --git a/src/joystick/darwin/SDL_iokitjoystick.c b/src/joystick/darwin/SDL_iokitjoystick.c
index f5cd7151e..e68adc720 100644
--- a/src/joystick/darwin/SDL_iokitjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/darwin/SDL_iokitjoystick.c
@@ -657,8 +657,8 @@ static SDL_bool CreateHIDManager(void)
 
 static int DARWIN_JoystickInit(void)
 {
-    if (gpDeviceList) {
-        return SDL_SetError("Joystick: Device list already inited.");
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_IOKIT, SDL_TRUE)) {
+        return 0;
     }
 
     if (!CreateHIDManager()) {
@@ -694,10 +694,12 @@ static void DARWIN_JoystickDetect(void)
         }
     }
 
-    /* run this after the checks above so we don't set device->removed and delete the device before
-       DARWIN_JoystickUpdate can run to clean up the SDL_Joystick object that owns this device */
-    while (CFRunLoopRunInMode(SDL_JOYSTICK_RUNLOOP_MODE, 0, TRUE) == kCFRunLoopRunHandledSource) {
-        /* no-op. Pending callbacks will fire in CFRunLoopRunInMode(). */
+    if (hidman) {
+        /* run this after the checks above so we don't set device->removed and delete the device before
+           DARWIN_JoystickUpdate can run to clean up the SDL_Joystick object that owns this device */
+        while (CFRunLoopRunInMode(SDL_JOYSTICK_RUNLOOP_MODE, 0, TRUE) == kCFRunLoopRunHandledSource) {
+            /* no-op. Pending callbacks will fire in CFRunLoopRunInMode(). */
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/joystick/iphoneos/SDL_mfijoystick.m b/src/joystick/iphoneos/SDL_mfijoystick.m
index b9aeed703..9e5c98975 100644
--- a/src/joystick/iphoneos/SDL_mfijoystick.m
+++ b/src/joystick/iphoneos/SDL_mfijoystick.m
@@ -663,6 +663,10 @@ static void SDLCALL SDL_AppleTVRemoteRotationHintChanged(void *udata, const char
 
 static int IOS_JoystickInit(void)
 {
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_MFI, SDL_TRUE)) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
 #if defined(__MACOSX__)
 #if _SDL_HAS_BUILTIN(__builtin_available)
     if (@available(macOS 10.16, *)) {
@@ -1680,6 +1684,10 @@ static SDL_bool IOS_JoystickGetGamepadMapping(int device_index, SDL_GamepadMappi
 #if defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_MFI) && defined(__MACOSX__)
 SDL_bool IOS_SupportedHIDDevice(IOHIDDeviceRef device)
 {
+    if (!connectObserver) {
+        return SDL_FALSE;
+    }
+
     if (@available(macOS 10.16, *)) {
         const int MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
         for (int attempt = 0; attempt < MAX_ATTEMPTS; ++attempt) {