diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/InputHandler.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/InputHandler.java
index f9630f421..2870e4321 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/InputHandler.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/InputHandler.java
@@ -133,11 +133,13 @@ public class InputHandler extends InputAdapter {
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean touchCancelled(int screenX, int screenY, int pointer, int button) {
-		//currently emulating functionality from libGDX 1.11.0, do we keep this?
-		//in particular this is probably a more graceful way to handle things like system swipes on iOS
-		//whereas previously they generated garbage inputs sometimes
-		//which were then fixed in v2.2.2
-		return touchUp(screenX, screenY, pointer, button);
+
+		if (button >= 3 && KeyBindings.isKeyBound( button + 1000 )) {
+			KeyEvent.addKeyEvent( new KeyEvent( button + 1000, false ) );
+		} else if (button < 3) {
+			PointerEvent.addPointerEvent(new PointerEvent(screenX, screenY, pointer, PointerEvent.Type.CANCEL, button));
+		}
+		return true;
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/PointerEvent.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/PointerEvent.java
index d9dfae076..75ba56f34 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/PointerEvent.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/input/PointerEvent.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ public class PointerEvent {
 	public enum Type {
 		DOWN,
 		UP,
+		CANCEL,
 		HOVER
 	}
 
@@ -82,6 +83,11 @@ public class PointerEvent {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	public PointerEvent cancel() {
+		if (type == Type.DOWN) type = Type.CANCEL;
+		return this;
+	}
+
 	public PointerEvent handle(){
 		handled = true;
 		return this;
@@ -162,9 +168,12 @@ public class PointerEvent {
 					pointerSignal.dispatch( null );
 				} else if (p.type == Type.DOWN) {
 					pointerSignal.dispatch( existing );
-				} else {
+				} else if (p.type == Type.UP){
 					activePointers.remove(existing.id);
 					pointerSignal.dispatch(existing.up());
+				} else if (p.type == Type.CANCEL){
+					activePointers.remove(existing.id);
+					pointerSignal.dispatch(existing.cancel());
 				}
 			} else {
 				if (p.type == Type.DOWN) {
@@ -185,12 +194,4 @@ public class PointerEvent {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static synchronized void clearPointerEvents(){
-		pointerEvents.clear();
-		for (PointerEvent p : activePointers.values()){
-			p.current = p.start = new PointF(-1, -1);
-			pointerSignal.dispatch(p.up());
-		}
-		activePointers.clear();
-	}
 }
diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/Game.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/Game.java
index 7a03be3cd..5289d67c9 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/Game.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/Game.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import com.watabou.glwrap.Blending;
 import com.watabou.glwrap.Vertexbuffer;
 import com.watabou.input.ControllerHandler;
 import com.watabou.input.InputHandler;
-import com.watabou.input.PointerEvent;
 import com.watabou.noosa.audio.Music;
 import com.watabou.noosa.audio.Sample;
 import com.watabou.utils.Callback;
@@ -146,10 +145,7 @@ public class Game implements ApplicationListener {
 		}
 	}
 
-	///justResumed is used for two purposes:
-	//firstly, to clear pointer events when the game is resumed,
-	// this helps with input errors caused by system gestures on iOS/Android
-	//secondly, as a bit of a hack to improve start time metrics on Android,
+	//justResumed is a bit of a hack to improve start time metrics on Android,
 	// as texture refreshing leads to slow warm starts. TODO would be nice to fix this properly
 	private boolean justResumed = true;
 
@@ -162,7 +158,6 @@ public class Game implements ApplicationListener {
 		}
 
 		if (justResumed){
-			PointerEvent.clearPointerEvents();
 			justResumed = false;
 			if (DeviceCompat.isAndroid()) return;
 		}
@@ -180,8 +175,6 @@ public class Game implements ApplicationListener {
 	
 	@Override
 	public void pause() {
-		PointerEvent.clearPointerEvents();
-		
 		if (scene != null) {
 			scene.onPause();
 		}
diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/PointerArea.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/PointerArea.java
index ea33b0829..82c4f60ae 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/PointerArea.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/PointerArea.java
@@ -81,7 +81,16 @@ public class PointerArea extends Visual implements Signal.Listener<PointerEvent>
 					curEvent = null;
 					onClick( event );
 				}
-				
+
+			//similar to up, but no click
+			} else if (event.type == PointerEvent.Type.CANCEL) {
+
+				onPointerUp( event );
+
+				if (curEvent == event) {
+					curEvent = null;
+				}
+
 			} else if (event.type == PointerEvent.Type.HOVER) {
 				if (event.handled && hovered){
 					hovered = false;
@@ -100,7 +109,8 @@ public class PointerArea extends Visual implements Signal.Listener<PointerEvent>
 			if (event == null && curEvent != null) {
 				onDrag(curEvent);
 
-			} else if (curEvent != null && event.type == PointerEvent.Type.UP) {
+			} else if (curEvent != null &&
+					(event.type == PointerEvent.Type.UP || event.type == PointerEvent.Type.CANCEL)) {
 				onPointerUp( event );
 				curEvent = null;
 
diff --git a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
index b5a58a2af..3e2c7da68 100644
--- a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
+++ b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ import org.robovm.apple.foundation.NSString;
 import org.robovm.apple.glkit.GLKViewDrawableColorFormat;
 import org.robovm.apple.glkit.GLKViewDrawableDepthFormat;
 import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIApplication;
-import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIRectEdge;
 
 import java.io.File;
 
@@ -102,12 +101,6 @@ public class IOSLauncher extends IOSApplication.Delegate {
 		config.hideHomeIndicator = SPDSettings.fullscreen();
 		config.overrideRingerSwitch = SPDSettings.ignoreSilentMode();
 
-		//game has to ignore input from system gestures itself, otherwise there is lag on
-		//every button press on the corner of the screen. Currently this is accomplished via
-		//clearing all pointer events on the first frame after the game is resumed.
-		//TODO this may not be needed anymore with libgdx 1.12.1
-		config.screenEdgesDeferringSystemGestures = UIRectEdge.All;
-
 		CGRect statusBarFrame = UIApplication.getSharedApplication().getStatusBarFrame();
 		double statusBarHeight = Math.min(statusBarFrame.getWidth(), statusBarFrame.getHeight());