diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 6cf142c47..cd9673214 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ extern cfg_opt_t awesome_opts[];
 typedef struct
 {
     const char *name;
-    KeyCode keycode;
+    KeySym keysym;
 } KeyMod;
 
 /** Link a name to a mouse button symbol */
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ extern const name_func_link_t FloatingPlacementList[];
  * \param keyname Key name
  * \return Key mask or 0 if not found
  */
-static KeyCode
+static KeySym
 key_mask_lookup(const char *keyname)
 {
     /** List of keyname and corresponding X11 mask codes */
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ key_mask_lookup(const char *keyname)
     if(keyname)
         for(i = 0; KeyModList[i].name; i++)
             if(!a_strcmp(keyname, KeyModList[i].name))
-                return KeyModList[i].keycode;
+                return KeyModList[i].keysym;
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -165,18 +165,18 @@ set_key_info(Key *key, cfg_t *cfg)
         warn("unknown command %s\n", cfg_getstr(cfg, "command"));
 }
 
-static KeyCode
-key_to_keycode(char *str)
+static KeySym
+key_to_keysym(char *str)
 {
     KeyCode kc;
     int ikc;
 
     if(a_strncmp(str, "#", 1))
-        return XKeysymToKeycode(globalconf.display, XStringToKeysym(str));
+        return XStringToKeysym(str);
 
     ikc = atoi(str + 1);
     memcpy(&kc, &ikc, sizeof(KeyCode));
-    return kc;
+    return XKeycodeToKeysym(globalconf.display, kc, 0);
 }
 
 static Key *
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ section_keys(cfg_t *cfg_keys)
         key = p_new(Key, 1);
         cfgkeytmp = cfg_getnsec(cfg_keys, "key", i);
         set_key_info(key, cfgkeytmp);
-        key->keycode = key_to_keycode(cfg_getstr(cfgkeytmp, "key"));
+        key->keysym = key_to_keysym(cfg_getstr(cfgkeytmp, "key"));
         key->arg = a_strdup(cfg_getstr(cfgkeytmp, "arg"));
         key_list_push(&head, key);
     }
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ section_keys(cfg_t *cfg_keys)
         {
             key = p_new(Key, 1);
             set_key_info(key, cfgkeytmp);
-            key->keycode = key_to_keycode(cfg_getnstr(cfgkeytmp, "keylist", j));
+            key->keysym = key_to_keysym(cfg_getnstr(cfgkeytmp, "keylist", j));
             key->arg = a_strdup(cfg_getnstr(cfgkeytmp, "arglist", j));
             key_list_push(&head, key);
         }
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 433b20400..26485c3f2 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ event_handle_keypress(XEvent *e)
     int screen, x, y, d;
     unsigned int m;
     XKeyEvent *ev = &e->xkey;
+    KeySym keysym;
     Window dummy;
     Key *k;
 
@@ -349,8 +350,10 @@ event_handle_keypress(XEvent *e)
             break;
         }
 
+    keysym = XKeycodeToKeysym(globalconf.display, (KeyCode) ev->keycode, 0);
+
     for(k = globalconf.keys; k; k = k->next)
-        if(ev->keycode == k->keycode &&
+        if(keysym == k->keysym &&
 	  k->func && CLEANMASK(k->mod) == CLEANMASK(ev->state))
             k->func(screen, k->arg);
 }
diff --git a/structs.h b/structs.h
index 464117bc1..0af8c705e 100644
--- a/structs.h
+++ b/structs.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ typedef struct Key Key;
 struct Key
 {
     unsigned long mod;
-    KeyCode keycode;
+    KeySym keysym;
     Uicb *func;
     char *arg;
     /** Next and previous keys */
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 4bcc30827..83a7e5c62 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -157,20 +157,21 @@ void
 window_root_grabkeys(int phys_screen)
 {
     Key *k;
+    KeyCode kc;
 
     XUngrabKey(globalconf.display, AnyKey, AnyModifier, RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen));
 
     for(k = globalconf.keys; k; k = k->next)
-	if(k->keycode)
+	if(k->keysym && (kc = XKeysymToKeycode(globalconf.display, k->keysym)))
         {
-             XGrabKey(globalconf.display, k->keycode, k->mod,
-                      RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
-             XGrabKey(globalconf.display, k->keycode, k->mod | LockMask,
-                      RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
-             XGrabKey(globalconf.display, k->keycode, k->mod | globalconf.numlockmask,
-                      RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
-             XGrabKey(globalconf.display, k->keycode, k->mod | globalconf.numlockmask | LockMask,
-                      RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
+            XGrabKey(globalconf.display, kc, k->mod,
+                     RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
+            XGrabKey(globalconf.display, kc, k->mod | LockMask,
+                     RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
+            XGrabKey(globalconf.display, kc, k->mod | globalconf.numlockmask,
+                     RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
+            XGrabKey(globalconf.display, kc, k->mod | globalconf.numlockmask | LockMask,
+                     RootWindow(globalconf.display, phys_screen), True, GrabModeAsync, GrabModeAsync);
         }
 }