--- a/src/daemon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/daemon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ target_link_libraries(sddm
                       Qt5::DBus
                       Qt5::Network
                       Qt5::Qml
+                      udev
                       ${LIBXCB_LIBRARIES})
 if(PAM_FOUND)
     target_link_libraries(sddm ${PAM_LIBRARIES})
--- a/src/daemon/Greeter.h
+++ b/src/daemon/Greeter.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ namespace SDDM {
 
     private:
         bool m_started { false };
+        int m_hw_keyboards { -1 };
 
         Display *m_display { nullptr };
         QString m_authPath;
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@ namespace SDDM {
         Auth *m_auth { nullptr };
         QProcess *m_process { nullptr };
 
+        QString getInputMethod();
+        bool hwKeyboardPresent();
         static void insertEnvironmentList(QStringList names, QProcessEnvironment sourceEnv, QProcessEnvironment &targetEnv);
     };
 }
--- a/src/daemon/Greeter.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/Greeter.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <QtCore/QDebug>
 #include <QtCore/QProcess>
 
+#include <libudev.h>
+
 namespace SDDM {
     Greeter::Greeter(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent) {
         m_metadata = new ThemeMetadata(QString());
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ namespace SDDM {
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("DISPLAY"), m_display->name());
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XAUTHORITY"), m_authPath);
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XCURSOR_THEME"), xcursorTheme);
-            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), mainConfig.InputMethod.get());
+            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), getInputMethod());
             m_process->setProcessEnvironment(env);
 
             // start greeter
@@ -180,7 +182,7 @@ namespace SDDM {
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_VTNR"), QString::number(m_display->terminalId()));
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_SESSION_CLASS"), QStringLiteral("greeter"));
             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_SESSION_TYPE"), m_display->sessionType());
-            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), mainConfig.InputMethod.get());
+            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), getInputMethod());
 
             QFile localeFile(QStringLiteral("/etc/sysconfig/i18n"));
             if (localeFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text)) {
@@ -309,4 +311,52 @@ namespace SDDM {
         Q_UNUSED(error);
         qWarning() << "Error from greeter session:" << message;
     }
+
+    QString Greeter::getInputMethod() {
+	QString input_method(mainConfig.InputMethod.get());
+	if( input_method.isEmpty() ) {
+	    if( hwKeyboardPresent() ) {
+		return QStringLiteral();
+	    } else {
+		return QStringLiteral("qtvirtualkeyboard");
+	    }
+	} else {
+	    return input_method;
+	}
+    }
+
+    bool Greeter::hwKeyboardPresent() {
+	if( m_hw_keyboards < 0 ) {
+	    // detect hardware keyboard
+            struct udev *udev;
+            struct udev_enumerate *enumerate;
+            struct udev_list_entry *devices, *dev_list_entry;
+            struct udev_device *dev;
+
+            udev = udev_new();
+            if( udev ) {
+                m_hw_keyboards = 0;
+                enumerate = udev_enumerate_new(udev);
+                udev_enumerate_add_match_property(enumerate, "ID_INPUT_KEYBOARD", "1");
+                udev_enumerate_scan_devices(enumerate);
+                devices = udev_enumerate_get_list_entry(enumerate);
+                udev_list_entry_foreach(dev_list_entry, devices) {
+                    const char *path, *devnode;
+                    path = udev_list_entry_get_name(dev_list_entry);
+                    dev = udev_device_new_from_syspath(udev, path);
+                    devnode = udev_device_get_devnode(dev);
+                    if (devnode) {
+                        m_hw_keyboards++;
+                    }
+                    udev_device_unref(dev);
+                }
+                udev_enumerate_unref(enumerate);
+                udev_unref(udev);
+            } else {
+                m_hw_keyboards = 1; // have hardware keyboard by default
+                qWarning() << "Can't create udev handle.";
+            }
+	}
+	return (m_hw_keyboards > 0)? true: false;
+    }
 }