diff --git a/app/src/scrcpy.c b/app/src/scrcpy.c
index d79020f8..f68541cf 100644
--- a/app/src/scrcpy.c
+++ b/app/src/scrcpy.c
@@ -367,11 +367,6 @@ scrcpy(struct scrcpy_options *options) {
 
     sdl_configure(options->display, options->disable_screensaver);
 
-    if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_GAMECONTROLLER)) {
-        LOGE("Could not initialize SDL: %s", SDL_GetError());
-        return false;
-    }
-
     // Await for server without blocking Ctrl+C handling
     bool connected;
     if (!await_for_server(&connected)) {
@@ -384,6 +379,14 @@ scrcpy(struct scrcpy_options *options) {
         goto end;
     }
 
+    // Initialize GAMECONTROLLER subsystem after server connected
+    // Otherwise the initial CONTROLLERDEVICEADDED event might
+    // be handled by `await_for_server`
+    if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_GAMECONTROLLER)) {
+        LOGE("Could not initialize SDL: %s", SDL_GetError());
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // It is necessarily initialized here, since the device is connected
     struct sc_server_info *info = &s->server.info;