diff --git a/termkey-internal.h b/termkey-internal.h
index 5494cf6..9f0904a 100644
--- a/termkey-internal.h
+++ b/termkey-internal.h
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ struct termkey_driver
 {
   void          *(*new_driver)(termkey_t *tk, const char *term);
   void           (*free_driver)(void *);
+  void           (*start_driver)(termkey_t *tk);
+  void           (*stop_driver)(termkey_t *tk);
   termkey_result (*getkey)(termkey_t *tk, termkey_key *key, int force);
 };
 
diff --git a/termkey.c b/termkey.c
index a1904b6..8f55dd3 100644
--- a/termkey.c
+++ b/termkey.c
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ termkey_t *termkey_new_full(int fd, int flags, size_t buffsize, int waittime)
     }
   }
 
+  if(tk->driver.start_driver)
+    (*tk->driver.start_driver)(tk);
+
   return tk;
 
 abort_free_keynames:
@@ -217,6 +220,9 @@ void termkey_free(termkey_t *tk)
 
 void termkey_destroy(termkey_t *tk)
 {
+  if(tk->driver.stop_driver)
+    (*tk->driver.stop_driver)(tk);
+
   if(tk->restore_termios_valid)
     tcsetattr(tk->fd, TCSANOW, &tk->restore_termios);