diff --git a/dlls/kernel/console.c b/dlls/kernel/console.c
index 7b3eba1266c..ec0c1c06e09 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel/console.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel/console.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ BOOL WINAPI WriteConsoleInputW( HANDLE handle, const INPUT_RECORD *buffer,
                                 DWORD count, LPDWORD written )
 {
     BOOL ret;
-    DWORD w;
+
     TRACE("(%p,%p,%ld,%p)\n", handle, buffer, count, written);
 
     if (written) *written = 0;
@@ -199,14 +199,11 @@ BOOL WINAPI WriteConsoleInputW( HANDLE handle, const INPUT_RECORD *buffer,
     {
         req->handle = console_handle_unmap(handle);
         wine_server_add_data( req, buffer, count * sizeof(INPUT_RECORD) );
-        if ((ret = !wine_server_call_err( req ))) w = reply->written;
+        if ((ret = !wine_server_call_err( req )) && written)
+            *written = reply->written;
     }
     SERVER_END_REQ;
-    if (ret)
-    {
-        ReleaseSemaphore( GetConsoleInputWaitHandle(), w, NULL );
-        if (written) *written = w;
-    }
+
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/wine/server_protocol.h b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
index 1c99f758bf8..27a94cfff1b 100644
--- a/include/wine/server_protocol.h
+++ b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
@@ -1036,7 +1036,6 @@ struct alloc_console_request
     unsigned int access;
     int          inherit;
     process_id_t pid;
-    obj_handle_t wait_event;
 };
 struct alloc_console_reply
 {
@@ -3583,6 +3582,6 @@ union generic_reply
     struct get_next_hook_reply get_next_hook_reply;
 };
 
-#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 110
+#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 111
 
 #endif /* __WINE_WINE_SERVER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c b/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
index e549d5ccb06..c30fc4bad49 100644
--- a/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
+++ b/programs/wineconsole/wineconsole.c
@@ -535,7 +535,6 @@ static struct inner_data* WINECON_Init(HINSTANCE hInst, DWORD pid, LPCWSTR appna
     DWORD		ret;
     struct config_data  cfg;
     STARTUPINFOW        si;
-    HANDLE              sem;
 
     data = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, sizeof(*data));
     if (!data) return 0;
@@ -564,7 +563,6 @@ static struct inner_data* WINECON_Init(HINSTANCE hInst, DWORD pid, LPCWSTR appna
         /* should always be defined */
     }
 
-    sem = CreateSemaphore(NULL, 0, 65536, NULL);
     /* the handles here are created without the whistles and bells required by console
      * (mainly because wineconsole doesn't need it)
      * - they are not inheritable
@@ -574,8 +572,7 @@ static struct inner_data* WINECON_Init(HINSTANCE hInst, DWORD pid, LPCWSTR appna
     {
         req->access     = GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE;
         req->inherit    = FALSE;
-	req->pid        = pid;
-        req->wait_event = sem;
+        req->pid        = pid;
 
         ret = !wine_server_call_err( req );
         data->hConIn = (HANDLE)reply->handle_in;
diff --git a/server/console.c b/server/console.c
index a0687c8bac2..3a295db36e1 100644
--- a/server/console.c
+++ b/server/console.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static struct console_input_events *create_console_input_events(void)
     return evt;
 }
 
-static struct object *create_console_input( struct thread* renderer, struct object* wait_obj )
+static struct object *create_console_input( struct thread* renderer )
 {
     struct console_input *console_input;
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ static struct object *create_console_input( struct thread* renderer, struct obje
     console_input->history_index = 0;
     console_input->history_mode  = 0;
     console_input->edition_mode  = 0;
-    console_input->wait_obj      = wait_obj;
+    console_input->event         = create_event( NULL, 0, 1, 0 );
 
     if (!console_input->history || !console_input->evt)
     {
@@ -514,9 +514,8 @@ static int write_console_input( struct console_input* console, int count,
             else i++;
         }
     }
+    if (!console->recnum && count) set_event( console->event );
     console->recnum += count;
-    /* wake up all waiters */
-    wake_up( &console->obj, 0 );
     return count;
 }
 
@@ -555,6 +554,7 @@ static int read_console_input( obj_handle_t handle, int count, int flush )
         {
             free( console->records );
             console->records = NULL;
+            reset_event( console->event );
         }
     }
     release_object( console );
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ static void console_input_destroy( struct object *obj )
 
     release_object( console_in->evt );
     console_in->evt = NULL;
-    release_object( console_in->wait_obj );
+    release_object( console_in->event );
 
     for (i = 0; i < console_in->history_size; i++)
 	if (console_in->history[i]) free( console_in->history[i] );
@@ -1209,7 +1209,6 @@ DECL_HANDLER(alloc_console)
     struct process *process;
     struct process *renderer = current->process;
     struct console_input *console;
-    struct object *wait_event;
 
     process = (req->pid) ? get_process_from_id( req->pid ) :
               (struct process *)grab_object( renderer->parent );
@@ -1222,13 +1221,7 @@ DECL_HANDLER(alloc_console)
         set_error( STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED );
         goto the_end;
     }
-    wait_event = get_handle_obj( renderer, req->wait_event, 0, NULL);
-    if (!wait_event)
-    {
-        set_error( STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER );
-        goto the_end;
-    }
-    if ((console = (struct console_input*)create_console_input( current, wait_event )))
+    if ((console = (struct console_input*)create_console_input( current )))
     {
         if ((in = alloc_handle( renderer, console, req->access, req->inherit )))
         {
@@ -1531,8 +1524,8 @@ DECL_HANDLER(get_console_wait_event)
 
     if (console)
     {
-        reply->handle = alloc_handle( current->process, console->wait_obj, 
-                                      SEMAPHORE_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE);
+        reply->handle = alloc_handle( current->process, console->event, 
+                                      EVENT_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE);
         release_object( console );
     }
     else set_error( STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER );
diff --git a/server/console.h b/server/console.h
index 95bae25fbe4..2fdb9d56229 100644
--- a/server/console.h
+++ b/server/console.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct console_input
     int                          history_index; /* number of used entries in history array */
     int                          history_mode;  /* mode of history (non zero means remove doubled strings */
     int                          edition_mode;  /* index to edition mode flavors */
-    struct object               *wait_obj;      /* object to wait on for input queue */
+    struct event                *event;         /* event to wait on for input queue */
 };
 
 /* console functions */
diff --git a/server/protocol.def b/server/protocol.def
index c117b413b88..fb820a8a4b5 100644
--- a/server/protocol.def
+++ b/server/protocol.def
@@ -775,7 +775,6 @@ enum fd_type
     unsigned int access;        /* wanted access rights */
     int          inherit;       /* inherit flag */
     process_id_t pid;           /* pid of process which shall be attached to the console */
-    obj_handle_t wait_event;    /* semaphore for number of active input events */
 @REPLY
     obj_handle_t handle_in;     /* handle to console input */
     obj_handle_t event;         /* handle to renderer events change notification */
diff --git a/server/trace.c b/server/trace.c
index ae215d0c560..1e93cb1c061 100644
--- a/server/trace.c
+++ b/server/trace.c
@@ -997,8 +997,7 @@ static void dump_alloc_console_request( const struct alloc_console_request *req
 {
     fprintf( stderr, " access=%08x,", req->access );
     fprintf( stderr, " inherit=%d,", req->inherit );
-    fprintf( stderr, " pid=%04x,", req->pid );
-    fprintf( stderr, " wait_event=%p", req->wait_event );
+    fprintf( stderr, " pid=%04x", req->pid );
 }
 
 static void dump_alloc_console_reply( const struct alloc_console_reply *req )