diff --git a/enumerator/enumerator.go b/enumerator/enumerator.go
index 1d7fbb3..ce63502 100644
--- a/enumerator/enumerator.go
+++ b/enumerator/enumerator.go
@@ -22,18 +22,38 @@ type PortDetails struct {
 	// SerialNumber is the USB serial number, when available.
 	SerialNumber string
 	// Configuration is the USB configuration string, when available.
+	// Requires active USB probing enabled.
 	Configuration string
 	// Manufacturer is the USB iManufacturer string, when available.
+	// Requires active USB probing enabled.
 	Manufacturer string
 	// Product is the USB iProduct string, when available.
+	// Requires active USB probing enabled.
 	Product string
 }
 
+// All is a vid/pid filter that accepts all devices
+var All = func(vid, pid string) bool { return true }
+
 // GetDetailedPortsList retrieve ports details like USB VID/PID.
 // Please note that this function may not be available on all OS:
 // in that case a FunctionNotImplemented error is returned.
-func GetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
-	return nativeGetDetailedPortsList()
+//
+// Getting some USB fields requires active USB probing (see PortDetails
+// struct), which may interfere with correct operation on some devices.
+// Active USB probing is disabled by default, to enable it you must provide
+// at least one filter function to allow the probing of specific devices based on
+// vid and pid. If no filters are provided then no devices will be actively probed.
+// If a device match any of the filters provided then the device will be actively probed.
+func GetDetailedPortsList(activeUSBProbeFilters ...func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+	return nativeGetDetailedPortsList(func(vid, pid string) bool {
+		for _, filter := range activeUSBProbeFilters {
+			if filter(vid, pid) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+		return false
+	})
 }
 
 // PortEnumerationError is the error type for serial ports enumeration
diff --git a/enumerator/example_getdetailedportlist_test.go b/enumerator/example_getdetailedportlist_test.go
index 2e70ded..fe87891 100644
--- a/enumerator/example_getdetailedportlist_test.go
+++ b/enumerator/example_getdetailedportlist_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func ExampleGetDetailedPortsList() {
-	ports, err := enumerator.GetDetailedPortsList()
+	// Passing enumerator.All actively probes every USB device to retrieve the
+	// Manufacturer, Product and Configuration fields. This may interfere with
+	// the normal operation of some devices, so in production code you should
+	// prefer a filter that only allows probing specific VID/PID pairs, e.g.:
+	//
+	//   enumerator.GetDetailedPortsList(func(vid, pid string) bool {
+	//       return vid == "2341" // only probe Arduino devices
+	//   })
+	ports, err := enumerator.GetDetailedPortsList(enumerator.All)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_darwin.go b/enumerator/usb_darwin.go
index f8f5a8d..abb1d66 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_darwin.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_darwin.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import (
 	"unsafe"
 )
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(shouldProbeUSB func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	var ports []*PortDetails
 
 	services, err := getAllServices("IOSerialBSDClient")
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	}()
 
 	for _, service := range services {
-		port, err := extractPortInfo(io_registry_entry_t(service))
+		port, err := extractPortInfo(io_registry_entry_t(service), shouldProbeUSB)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, &PortEnumerationError{causedBy: err}
 		}
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	return ports, nil
 }
 
-func extractPortInfo(service io_registry_entry_t) (*PortDetails, error) {
+func extractPortInfo(service io_registry_entry_t, shouldProbeUSB func(vid, pid string) bool) (*PortDetails, error) {
 	port := &PortDetails{}
 	// If called too early the port may still not be ready or fully enumerated
 	// so we retry 5 times before returning error.
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ func extractPortInfo(service io_registry_entry_t) (*PortDetails, error) {
 		serialNumber, _ := usbDevice.GetStringProperty("kUSBSerialNumberString")
 		vendor, _ := usbDevice.GetStringProperty("kUSBVendorString")
 		product, _ := usbDevice.GetStringProperty("kUSBProductString")
-		configuration, _ := usbDevice.GetUSBConfigurationString()
 
 		port.IsUSB = true
 		port.VID = fmt.Sprintf("%04X", vid)
@@ -124,7 +123,14 @@ func extractPortInfo(service io_registry_entry_t) (*PortDetails, error) {
 		port.SerialNumber = serialNumber
 		port.Manufacturer = vendor
 		port.Product = product
-		port.Configuration = configuration
+
+		// Retrieving the USB configuration string requires actively opening
+		// the device and issuing control requests, which may interfere with
+		// the device's normal operation. Only do this if the caller
+		// explicitly allowed probing for this VID/PID.
+		if shouldProbeUSB(port.VID, port.PID) {
+			port.Configuration, _ = usbDevice.GetUSBConfigurationString()
+		}
 	}
 	return port, nil
 }
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_freebsd.go b/enumerator/usb_freebsd.go
index c682bf9..086c06f 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_freebsd.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_freebsd.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 package enumerator
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(_ func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	// TODO
 	return nil, &PortEnumerationError{}
 }
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_linux.go b/enumerator/usb_linux.go
index 00c1bd4..f82b71a 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_linux.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_linux.go
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ import (
 	"go.bug.st/serial"
 )
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
-	// Retrieve the port list
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(_ func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+	// Retrieve the port list.
+	// Note: on Linux all the USB details (including Configuration, Manufacturer
+	// and Product) are read from sysfs, which is populated by the kernel at
+	// enumeration time and does not require actively probing the device, so
+	// the active-probe filter is not needed on this platform.
 	ports, err := serial.GetPortsList()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, &PortEnumerationError{causedBy: err}
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_openbsd.go b/enumerator/usb_openbsd.go
index c682bf9..086c06f 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_openbsd.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_openbsd.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 package enumerator
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(_ func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	// TODO
 	return nil, &PortEnumerationError{}
 }
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_wasm.go b/enumerator/usb_wasm.go
index 0096108..25698f9 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_wasm.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_wasm.go
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 
 package enumerator
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(_ func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	return nil, &PortEnumerationError{}
 }
diff --git a/enumerator/usb_windows.go b/enumerator/usb_windows.go
index aedc5d7..69938a3 100644
--- a/enumerator/usb_windows.go
+++ b/enumerator/usb_windows.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (dev *deviceInfo) openDevRegKey(scope windows.DICS_FLAG, hwProfile uint32,
 	return setupDiOpenDevRegKey(dev.set, dev.data, scope, hwProfile, keyType, samDesired)
 }
 
-func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
+func nativeGetDetailedPortsList(shouldProbeUSB func(vid, pid string) bool) ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 	guids, err := windows.SetupDiClassGuidsFromNameEx("Ports", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, &PortEnumerationError{causedBy: err}
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func nativeGetDetailedPortsList() ([]*PortDetails, error) {
 			}
 			details.Name = portName
 
-			if err := retrievePortDetailsFromDevInfo(device, details); err != nil {
+			if err := retrievePortDetailsFromDevInfo(device, details, shouldProbeUSB); err != nil {
 				return nil, &PortEnumerationError{causedBy: err}
 			}
 			res = append(res, details)
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func retrievePortNameFromDevInfo(device *deviceInfo) (string, error) {
 	return syscall.UTF16ToString(name[:]), nil
 }
 
-func retrievePortDetailsFromDevInfo(device *deviceInfo, details *PortDetails) error {
+func retrievePortDetailsFromDevInfo(device *deviceInfo, details *PortDetails, shouldProbeUSB func(vid, pid string) bool) error {
 	deviceID, err := device.getInstanceID()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -206,7 +206,11 @@ func retrievePortDetailsFromDevInfo(device *deviceInfo, details *PortDetails) er
 		}
 	}
 
-	if details.IsUSB {
+	// Retrieving iManufacturer/iProduct/iConfiguration strings requires actively
+	// probing the USB device via the parent hub, which may interfere with the
+	// device's normal operation. Only do this if the caller explicitly allowed
+	// probing for this VID/PID.
+	if details.IsUSB && shouldProbeUSB(details.VID, details.PID) {
 		if hub, port, err := findUsbHubAndPortConnectedToDevice(device); err == nil {
 			defer hub.Close()
 
diff --git a/portlist/portlist.go b/portlist/portlist.go
index f95b901..d9ec155 100644
--- a/portlist/portlist.go
+++ b/portlist/portlist.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 
@@ -17,7 +18,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	ports, err := enumerator.GetDetailedPortsList()
+	probe := flag.Bool("probe", false, "actively probe USB devices to retrieve manufacturer, product and configuration strings")
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	var filters []func(vid, pid string) bool
+	if *probe {
+		filters = append(filters, enumerator.All)
+	}
+
+	ports, err := enumerator.GetDetailedPortsList(filters...)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}