diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/keyboard.c b/src/fe-common/core/keyboard.c
index 01dd43c9..f69edacc 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/keyboard.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/keyboard.c
@@ -524,7 +524,8 @@ static int key_emit_signal(KEYBOARD_REC *keyboard, KEY_REC *key)
         return consumed;
 }
 
-static int key_states_search(const char *combo, const char *search)
+static int key_states_search(const unsigned char *combo,
+			     const unsigned char *search)
 {
 	while (*search != '\0') {
 		if (*combo != *search)
@@ -541,13 +542,13 @@ int key_pressed(KEYBOARD_REC *keyboard, const char *key)
 {
 	KEY_REC *rec;
         char *combo;
-        int consumed, single_key;
+        int consumed;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(keyboard != NULL, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail(key != NULL && *key != '\0', FALSE);
 
-        single_key = keyboard->key_state == NULL && key[1] == '\0';
-	if (single_key && !used_keys[(int) (unsigned char) key[0]]) {
+	if (keyboard->key_state == NULL && key[1] == '\0' &&
+	    !used_keys[(int) (unsigned char) key[0]]) {
 		/* fast check - key not used */
 		return FALSE;
 	}
@@ -576,7 +577,7 @@ int key_pressed(KEYBOARD_REC *keyboard, const char *key)
 	consumed = key_emit_signal(keyboard, rec);
 
 	/* never consume non-control characters */
-	return consumed && !single_key;
+	return consumed;
 }
 
 void keyboard_entry_redirect(SIGNAL_FUNC func, const char *entry,
diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c b/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
index c28daed1..c44be58f 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ void gui_readline_init(void)
 	keyboard = keyboard_create(NULL);
         key_configure_freeze();
 
+	key_bind("key", NULL, " ", "space", (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_combo);
 	key_bind("key", NULL, "^M", "return", (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_combo);
 	key_bind("key", NULL, "^J", "return", (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_combo);
 
@@ -567,8 +568,7 @@ void gui_readline_init(void)
         /* line transmitting */
 	key_bind("send_line", "Execute the input line", "return", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_send_line);
 	key_bind("word_completion", "", "^I", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_word_completion);
-	key_bind("check_replaces", "Check word replaces", " ", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_check_replaces);
-	key_bind("check_replaces", NULL, NULL, NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_check_replaces);
+	key_bind("check_replaces", "Check word replaces", NULL, NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_check_replaces);
 
         /* window managing */
 	key_bind("previous_window", "Previous window", "^P", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_previous_window);
@@ -593,6 +593,7 @@ void gui_readline_init(void)
 	key_bind("insert_text", "Append text to line", NULL, NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) key_insert_text);
 
 	key_bind("multi", NULL, "return", "check_replaces;send_line", NULL);
+	key_bind("multi", NULL, "space", "check_replaces;insert_text  ", NULL);
 
 	for (n = 0; changekeys[n] != '\0'; n++) {
 		key = g_strdup_printf("meta-%c", changekeys[n]);