diff --git a/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c b/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
index 3a2b8a3fe9264..cd1df9b574317 100644
--- a/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
+++ b/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "shared-bindings/digitalio/Pull.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/digitalio/DigitalInOut.h"
+#include "shared-bindings/util.h"
 
 
 void gamepad_init(size_t n_pins, const mp_obj_t* pins) {
@@ -39,8 +40,13 @@ void gamepad_init(size_t n_pins, const mp_obj_t* pins) {
     }
     for (size_t i=0; i<n_pins; ++i) {
         digitalio_digitalinout_obj_t *pin = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(pins[i]);
+        raise_error_if_deinited(common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_deinited(pin));
+        digitalio_direction_t direction = common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_direction(pin);
+        digitalio_pull_t pull = common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_pull(pin);
+        if (direction != DIRECTION_INPUT || pull == PULL_NONE) {
+            common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_switch_to_input(pin, PULL_UP);
+        }
         gamepad_singleton->pins[i] = pin;
-        common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_switch_to_input(pin, PULL_UP);
     }
     gamepad_singleton->last = 0;
 }
diff --git a/shared-module/gamepad/__init__.c b/shared-module/gamepad/__init__.c
index b6c8be2157dbc..591a2fa0a0204 100644
--- a/shared-module/gamepad/__init__.c
+++ b/shared-module/gamepad/__init__.c
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ void gamepad_tick(void) {
         if (!pin) {
             break;
         }
-        if (!common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_value(pin)) {
-            gamepad_current |= 1<<i;
+        digitalio_pull_t pull = common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_pull(pin);
+        bool value = common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_value(pin);
+        if ((pull == PULL_UP && !value) || (pull == PULL_DOWN && value)) {
+            gamepad_current |= 1 << i;
         }
     }
     gamepad_singleton->pressed |= gamepad_singleton->last & gamepad_current;