diff --git a/descriptors.go b/descriptors.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48fff4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/descriptors.go
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// Copyright 2017 the gousb Authors.  All rights reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package gousb
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+// Descriptor structs based on USB 2.0 spec, section 9.6
+
+const (
+	deviceDescLen = 18
+	configDescLen = 9
+	intfDescLen   = 9
+	epDescLen     = 7
+)
+
+// decoded device descriptor, 18 bytes
+type usbDeviceDescriptor struct {
+	BLength            uint8  // 0
+	BDescriptorType    uint8  // 1
+	BCDUSB             uint16 // 2:3
+	BDeviceClass       uint8  // 4
+	BDeviceSubClass    uint8  // 5
+	BDeviceProtocol    uint8  // 6
+	BMaxPacketSize0    uint8  // 7
+	IDVendor           uint16 // 8:9
+	IDProduct          uint16 // 10:11
+	BCDDevice          uint16 // 12:13
+	IManufacturer      uint8  // 14
+	IProduct           uint8  // 15
+	ISerialNumber      uint8  // 16
+	BNumConfigurations uint8  // 17
+}
+
+func deviceDescFromBytes(descBytes []byte) (*DeviceDesc, error) {
+	if len(descBytes) < deviceDescLen {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("device descriptor is %d bytes, got only %d bytes", descBytes, len(descBytes))
+	}
+	d := &usbDeviceDescriptor{}
+	b := bytes.NewReader(descBytes[:deviceDescLen])
+	err := binary.Read(b, binary.LittleEndian, d)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to build the device descriptor: %v", err)
+	}
+	dev := &DeviceDesc{
+		Spec:                 BCD(d.BCDUSB),
+		Class:                Class(d.BDeviceClass),
+		SubClass:             Class(d.BDeviceSubClass),
+		Protocol:             Protocol(d.BDeviceProtocol),
+		MaxControlPacketSize: int(d.BMaxPacketSize0),
+		Vendor:               ID(d.IDVendor),
+		Product:              ID(d.IDProduct),
+		Device:               BCD(d.BCDDevice),
+		Configs:              make(map[int]ConfigDesc, d.BNumConfigurations),
+	}
+	return dev, nil
+}
+
+// decoded configuration descriptor, 9 bytes followed by bNumInterfaces interface descriptors
+type usbConfigDescriptor struct {
+	bLength             uint8  // 0
+	bDescriptorType     uint8  // 1
+	wTotalLength        uint16 // 2:3
+	bNumInterfaces      uint8  // 4
+	bConfigurationValue uint8  // 5
+	iConfiguration      uint8  // 6
+	bmAttributes        uint8  // 7
+	bMaxPower           uint8  // 8
+}
+
+// decoded interface descriptor, 9 bytes followed by bNumEndpoints endpoint descriptors.
+type usbInterfaceDescriptor struct {
+	bLength            uint8 // 0
+	bDescriptorType    uint8 // 1
+	bInterfaceNumber   uint8 // 2
+	bAlternateSetting  uint8 // 3
+	bNumEndpoints      uint8 // 4
+	bInterfaceClass    uint8 // 5
+	bInterfaceSubClass uint8 // 6
+	bInterfaceProtocol uint8 // 7
+	iInterface         uint8 // 8
+}
+
+// decoded endpoint descriptor, 7 bytes.
+type usbEndpointDescriptor struct {
+	bLength          uint8  // 0
+	bDescriptorType  uint8  // 1
+	bEndpointAddress uint8  // 2
+	bmAttributes     uint8  // 3
+	wMaxPacketSize   uint16 // 4:5
+	bInterval        uint8  // 6
+}
diff --git a/descriptors_test.go b/descriptors_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f26d10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/descriptors_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+// Copyright 2017 the gousb Authors.  All rights reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package gousb
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func bytesFromHexFile(path string) ([]byte, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Open(): %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	hexData, err := ioutil.ReadAll(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ReadAll(): %v", err)
+	}
+	hexData = bytes.TrimSpace(hexData)
+	if len(hexData)%2 == 1 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("hex data file has %d characters, expected an even number", len(hexData))
+	}
+	data := make([]byte, len(hexData)/2)
+	_, err = hex.Decode(data, hexData)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode hex data: %v", err)
+	}
+	return data, nil
+}
+
+func TestDeviceDescriptor(t *testing.T) {
+	path := "testdata/mouse_device_desc.hex"
+	descData, err := bytesFromHexFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("loading data from %q failed: %v", path, err)
+	}
+
+	got, err := deviceDescFromBytes(descData)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to decode device descriptor from %q: %v", path, err)
+	}
+
+	// based on device descriptor as presented in mouse_lsusb.txt
+	want := &DeviceDesc{
+		Spec:                 Version(2, 0),
+		Class:                ClassPerInterface,
+		SubClass:             ClassPerInterface,
+		Protocol:             Protocol(0),
+		MaxControlPacketSize: 32,
+		Vendor:               ID(0x046d),
+		Product:              ID(0xc526),
+		Device:               Version(5, 0),
+		Configs:              make(map[int]ConfigDesc),
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("Got descriptor: %+v\nwant: %+v", got, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/device.go b/device.go
index a4f2662..853b2a2 100644
--- a/device.go
+++ b/device.go
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ import (
 // DeviceDesc is a representation of a USB device descriptor.
 type DeviceDesc struct {
 	// Bus information
-	Bus     int // The bus on which the device was detected
-	Address int // The address of the device on the bus
+	Bus     int   // The bus on which the device was detected
+	Address int   // The address of the device on the bus
+	Speed   Speed // The negotiated operating speed for the device
 
 	// Version information
 	Spec   BCD // USB Specification Release Number
@@ -37,9 +38,10 @@ type DeviceDesc struct {
 	Product ID // The Product identifier
 
 	// Protocol information
-	Class    Class    // The class of this device
-	SubClass Class    // The sub-class (within the class) of this device
-	Protocol Protocol // The protocol (within the sub-class) of this device
+	Class                Class    // The class of this device
+	SubClass             Class    // The sub-class (within the class) of this device
+	Protocol             Protocol // The protocol (within the sub-class) of this device
+	MaxControlPacketSize int      // Maximum size of the control transfer
 
 	// Configuration information
 	Configs map[int]ConfigDesc