diff --git a/apps/gui/usb_screen.c b/apps/gui/usb_screen.c
index 80b24c150c..32c0773ed6 100644
--- a/apps/gui/usb_screen.c
+++ b/apps/gui/usb_screen.c
@@ -251,9 +251,7 @@ void gui_usb_screen_run(bool early_usb)
     touchscreen_set_mode(TOUCHSCREEN_BUTTON);
 #endif
 
-#ifndef SIMULATOR
     usb_acknowledge(SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK);
-#endif
 
 #ifdef USB_ENABLE_HID
     usb_hid = global_settings.usb_hid;
diff --git a/apps/playback.c b/apps/playback.c
index d591998bec..b20237cc7c 100644
--- a/apps/playback.c
+++ b/apps/playback.c
@@ -190,9 +190,7 @@ static enum filling_state
     STATE_FINISHED, /* all remaining tracks are fully buffered */
     STATE_ENDING,   /* audio playback is ending */
     STATE_ENDED,    /* audio playback is done */
-#if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
     STATE_USB,      /* USB mode, ignore most messages */
-#endif
 } filling = STATE_IDLE;
 
 /* Track info - holds information about each track in the buffer */
@@ -3129,7 +3127,6 @@ static void audio_thread(void)
             break;
 #endif /* AUDIO_HAVE_RECORDING */
 
-#if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
         case SYS_USB_CONNECTED:
             LOGFQUEUE("audio < SYS_USB_CONNECTED");
             audio_stop_playback();
@@ -3139,7 +3136,6 @@ static void audio_thread(void)
             filling = STATE_USB;
             usb_acknowledge(SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK);
             break;
-#endif /* (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE) */
 
         case SYS_TIMEOUT:
             LOGFQUEUE_SYS_TIMEOUT("audio < SYS_TIMEOUT");
diff --git a/apps/playlist.c b/apps/playlist.c
index 61432eb851..4588548d54 100644
--- a/apps/playlist.c
+++ b/apps/playlist.c
@@ -1337,12 +1337,10 @@ static void playlist_thread(void)
                 break ;
             }
             
-#if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
             case SYS_USB_CONNECTED:
                 usb_acknowledge(SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK);
                 usb_wait_for_disconnect(&playlist_queue);
                 break ;
-#endif
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/tagcache.c b/apps/tagcache.c
index 8d522b1536..058ab85f16 100644
--- a/apps/tagcache.c
+++ b/apps/tagcache.c
@@ -4705,13 +4705,11 @@ static void tagcache_thread(void)
             case SYS_POWEROFF:
                 break ;
                 
-#if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
             case SYS_USB_CONNECTED:
                 logf("USB: TagCache");
                 usb_acknowledge(SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK);
                 usb_wait_for_disconnect(&tagcache_queue);
                 break ;
-#endif
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/firmware/common/dircache.c b/firmware/common/dircache.c
index 3d7fbd520d..8d264a3e7c 100644
--- a/firmware/common/dircache.c
+++ b/firmware/common/dircache.c
@@ -864,12 +864,10 @@ static void dircache_thread(void)
                 dircache_initialized = false;
                 break ;
             
-#if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
             case SYS_USB_CONNECTED:
                 usb_acknowledge(SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK);
                 usb_wait_for_disconnect(&dircache_queue);
                 break ;
-#endif
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
index ca1f2e5eb1..837cba4dc4 100644
--- a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
+++ b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
@@ -317,10 +317,7 @@ static void button_event(int key, bool pressed)
         if (!pressed)
         {
             usb_connected = !usb_connected;
-            if (usb_connected)
-                queue_post(&button_queue, SYS_USB_CONNECTED, 0);
-            else
-                queue_post(&button_queue, SYS_USB_DISCONNECTED, 0);
+            sim_trigger_usb(usb_connected);
         }
         return;
 
diff --git a/firmware/usb.c b/firmware/usb.c
index 4e71c06119..59462b952e 100644
--- a/firmware/usb.c
+++ b/firmware/usb.c
@@ -782,16 +782,14 @@ void usb_set_hid(bool enable)
 }
 #endif /* USB_ENABLE_HID */
 
-#else /* SIMULATOR || USB_NONE */
+#elif defined(USB_NONE)
+/* Dummy functions for USB_NONE  */
 
-#ifdef USB_NONE
 bool usb_inserted(void)
 {
     return false;
 }
-#endif /* USB_NONE */
 
-/* Dummy simulator functions */
 void usb_acknowledge(long id)
 {
     id = id;
@@ -814,5 +812,5 @@ void usb_wait_for_disconnect(struct event_queue *q)
 {
    (void)q;
 }
+#endif /* USB_NONE */
 
-#endif /* !USB_NONE && !SIMULATOR */
diff --git a/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.c b/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.c
index 2fc887cc37..f154dacce6 100644
--- a/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.c
+++ b/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  * $Id$
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2009 by Jens Arnold
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 by Thomas Martitz
  *
  * Rockbox simulator specific tasks
  *
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@
 #include "kernel.h"
 #include "screendump.h"
 #include "thread.h"
+#include "debug.h"
+#include "usb.h"
 
 static void sim_thread(void);
 static long sim_thread_stack[DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE/sizeof(long)];
@@ -35,11 +38,15 @@ static struct event_queue sim_queue;
 /* possible events for the sim thread */
 enum {
     SIM_SCREENDUMP,
+    SIM_USB_INSERTED,
+    SIM_USB_EXTRACTED,
 };
 
 void sim_thread(void)
 {
     struct queue_event ev;
+    long last_broadcast_tick = current_tick;
+    int num_acks_to_expect;
     
     while (1)
     {
@@ -52,6 +59,45 @@ void sim_thread(void)
                 remote_screen_dump();
 #endif
                 break;
+            case SIM_USB_INSERTED:
+            /* from firmware/usb.c: */
+                /* Tell all threads that they have to back off the storage.
+                   We subtract one for our own thread. Expect an ACK for every
+                   listener for each broadcast they received. If it has been too
+                   long, the user might have entered a screen that didn't ACK
+                   when inserting the cable, such as a debugging screen. In that
+                   case, reset the count or else USB would be locked out until
+                   rebooting because it most likely won't ever come. Simply
+                   resetting to the most recent broadcast count is racy. */
+                if(TIME_AFTER(current_tick, last_broadcast_tick + HZ*5))
+                {
+                    num_acks_to_expect = 0;
+                    last_broadcast_tick = current_tick;
+                }
+
+                num_acks_to_expect += queue_broadcast(SYS_USB_CONNECTED, 0) - 1;
+                DEBUGF("USB inserted. Waiting for %d acks...\n",
+                       num_acks_to_expect);
+                break;
+            case SYS_USB_CONNECTED_ACK:
+                if(num_acks_to_expect > 0 && --num_acks_to_expect == 0)
+                {
+                    DEBUGF("All threads have acknowledged the connect.\n");
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    DEBUGF("usb: got ack, %d to go...\n",
+                           num_acks_to_expect);
+                }
+                break;
+            case SIM_USB_EXTRACTED:
+                /* in usb.c, this is only done for exclusive storage
+                 * do it here anyway but don't depend on the acks */
+                queue_broadcast(SYS_USB_DISCONNECTED, 0);
+                break;
+            default:
+                DEBUGF("sim_tasks: unhandled event: %ld\n", ev.id);
+                break;
         }
     }
 }
@@ -68,3 +114,47 @@ void sim_trigger_screendump(void)
 {
     queue_post(&sim_queue, SIM_SCREENDUMP, 0);
 }
+
+static bool is_usb_inserted;
+void sim_trigger_usb(bool inserted)
+{
+    if (inserted)
+        queue_post(&sim_queue, SIM_USB_INSERTED, 0);
+    else
+        queue_post(&sim_queue, SIM_USB_EXTRACTED, 0);
+    is_usb_inserted = inserted;
+}
+
+int usb_detect(void)
+{
+    return is_usb_inserted ? USB_INSERTED : USB_EXTRACTED;
+}
+
+void usb_init(void)
+{
+}
+
+void usb_start_monitoring(void)
+{
+}
+
+void usb_acknowledge(long id)
+{
+    queue_post(&sim_queue, id, 0);
+}
+
+void usb_wait_for_disconnect(struct event_queue *q)
+{
+#ifdef USB_FULL_INIT
+    struct queue_event ev;
+
+    /* Don't return until we get SYS_USB_DISCONNECTED */
+    while(1)
+    {
+        queue_wait(q, &ev);
+        if(ev.id == SYS_USB_DISCONNECTED)
+            return;
+    }
+#endif /* USB_FULL_INIT */
+    (void)q;
+}
diff --git a/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.h b/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.h
index fe42deeb97..dfecd4448e 100644
--- a/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.h
+++ b/uisimulator/common/sim_tasks.h
@@ -21,5 +21,12 @@
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+
+#ifndef __SIM_TASKS_H__
+#define __SIM_TASKS_H__
+
 void sim_tasks_init(void);
 void sim_trigger_screendump(void);
+void sim_trigger_usb(bool inserted);
+
+#endif