diff --git a/BleKeyboard.cpp b/BleKeyboard.cpp
index 48a8930..71706a6 100644
--- a/BleKeyboard.cpp
+++ b/BleKeyboard.cpp
@@ -101,11 +101,20 @@ BleKeyboard::BleKeyboard(std::string deviceName, std::string deviceManufacturer,
     , deviceManufacturer(std::string(deviceManufacturer).substr(0,15))
     , batteryLevel(batteryLevel) {}
 
+void BleKeyboard::init(void)
+{
+  if(!initialised) {
+    BLEDevice::init(deviceName);
+    BLEServer* pServer = BLEDevice::createServer();
+    pServer->setCallbacks(this);
+    initialised = true;
+  }
+}
+
 void BleKeyboard::begin(void)
 {
-  BLEDevice::init(deviceName);
+  init();
   BLEServer* pServer = BLEDevice::createServer();
-  pServer->setCallbacks(this);
 
   hid = new BLEHIDDevice(pServer);
   inputKeyboard = hid->inputReport(KEYBOARD_ID);  // <-- input REPORTID from report map
diff --git a/BleKeyboard.h b/BleKeyboard.h
index 0736a02..a016e57 100644
--- a/BleKeyboard.h
+++ b/BleKeyboard.h
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ class BleKeyboard : public Print, public BLEServerCallbacks, public BLECharacter
   bool               connected = false;
   uint32_t           _delay_ms = 7;
   void delay_ms(uint64_t ms);
+  bool               initialised = false;
 
   uint16_t vid       = 0x05ac;
   uint16_t pid       = 0x820a;
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ class BleKeyboard : public Print, public BLEServerCallbacks, public BLECharacter
 public:
   BleKeyboard(std::string deviceName = "ESP32 Keyboard", std::string deviceManufacturer = "Espressif", uint8_t batteryLevel = 100);
   void begin(void);
+  void init(void);
   void end(void);
   void sendReport(KeyReport* keys);
   void sendReport(MediaKeyReport* keys);