xinput only sees buttons if the cursor is over the desktop

[ManDay]

I've tried to figure this out for more than a month now and have asked
whatever people I could think could help. Among other issues with xinput
(one being that for a Wacom Tablet the scroll wheel reports totally off
motion data although in practice it works fine) I've one specific of
which I'm 90% sure that it must be xorg-related and has nothing to do
with the driver.

If I run xinput on whatever pointer device (mouse, wacom) I get No
Button events (although the button works just fine) unless my mouse is
over a free area on the desktop.

Can you help?

I'm using Linux engine 2.6.34-gentoo-r6 #3 SMP Fri Aug 27 16:22:58 CEST
2010 x86_64 Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU @ 2.40GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
with openbox

[ebuild   R   ] x11-wm/openbox-3.4.11.2  USE="nls startup-notification" 0 kB

and xorg server

[ebuild   R   ] x11-base/xorg-server-1.8.2  USE="ipv6 nptl udev xorg
-dmx -doc -hal -kdrive -minimal -static-libs -tslib" 0 kB

and

[ebuild   R   ] x11-base/xorg-drivers-1.8  INPUT_DEVICES="evdev keyboard
mouse wacom -acecad -aiptek -elographics -fpit -joystick -penmount
-synaptics -tslib -virtualbox -vmmouse -void" VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia -apm
-ark -ast -chips -cirrus -dummy -epson -fbdev -fglrx (-geode) -glint
-i128 (-i740) (-impact) -intel -mach64 -mga -neomagic (-newport)
-nouveau -nv -r128 -radeon -radeonhd -rendition -s3 -s3virge -savage
-siliconmotion -sis -sisusb (-sunbw2) (-suncg14) (-suncg3) (-suncg6)
(-sunffb) (-sunleo) (-suntcx) -tdfx -tga -trident -tseng -v4l -vesa -via
-virtualbox -vmware (-voodoo) (-xgi)" 0 kB


Thanks!