diff --git a/src/libratbag.c b/src/libratbag.c
index 5f4b0289..896e425b 100644
--- a/src/libratbag.c
+++ b/src/libratbag.c
@@ -172,6 +172,13 @@ ratbag_device_new(struct ratbag *ratbag, struct udev_device *udev_device,
 
 	list_insert(&ratbag->devices, &device->link);
 
+	/* We assume that most devices have this capability, so let's set it
+	 * by default. The few devices that miss this capability should
+	 * unset it instead.
+	 */
+	ratbag_device_set_capability(device,
+				     RATBAG_DEVICE_CAP_QUERY_CONFIGURATION);
+
 	return device;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libratbag.h b/src/libratbag.h
index 6f25c877..5e141c99 100644
--- a/src/libratbag.h
+++ b/src/libratbag.h
@@ -443,6 +443,23 @@ enum ratbag_device_capability {
 	 * last-used profile or a specific profile (usually the first).
 	 */
 	RATBAG_DEVICE_CAP_DEFAULT_PROFILE,
+
+	/**
+	 * The device has the capability to query the current hardware
+	 * configuration. If this capability is missing, libratbag cannot
+	 * query the device for its current configuration and the
+	 * configured resolutions and button mappings are unknown.
+	 * libratbag will still provide information about the structure of
+	 * the device such as the number of buttons and resolutions.
+	 * Clients that encounter a device without this resolution are
+	 * encouraged to upload a configuration stored on-disk to the
+	 * device to reset the device to a known state.
+	 *
+	 * Any changes uploaded to the device will be cached in libratbag,
+	 * once a client has sent a full configuration to the device
+	 * libratbag can be used to query the device as normal.
+	 */
+	RATBAG_DEVICE_CAP_QUERY_CONFIGURATION,
 };
 
 /**