diff --git a/bind.c b/bind.c
index cd31305..3406fe8 100644
--- a/bind.c
+++ b/bind.c
@@ -448,22 +448,19 @@ static const char *getfname( unsigned keycode, const char *failmsg) {
  *  String key name TO Command Key
  *
  * char *keyname;   name of key to translate to Command key form
- * fmt: [M-][^X][^][FN]X
+ * fmt: [M-|^X][^][FN]X
  * returns ~0 on invalid sequence
  */
 static unsigned int stock( char *keyname) {
 /* parse it up */
     unsigned c = 0 ;
 
-/* first, the META prefix */
+/* first, the prefix META or ^X */
     if( *keyname == 'M' && keyname[ 1] == '-') {
         c = META ;
         keyname += 2 ;
-    }
-
-/* control-x prefix */
-    if( *keyname == '^' && keyname[ 1] == 'X') {
-        c |= CTLX ;
+    } else if( *keyname == '^' && keyname[ 1] == 'X') {
+        c = CTLX ;
         keyname += 2 ;
     }
 
@@ -487,10 +484,9 @@ static unsigned int stock( char *keyname) {
     if( *keyname < 32 || *keyname == 0x7F) {
         c |= CTRL ;
         *keyname ^= 0x40 ;
-    }
-
-/* make sure we are not lower case (not with function keys) */
-    if( *keyname >= 'a' && *keyname <= 'z' && !(c & SPEC))
+    } else	if( c && !(c & SPEC)
+			&&	*keyname >= 'a' && *keyname <= 'z')
+	/* make sure we are not lower case (not with function keys) */
         *keyname -= 32 ;
 
 /* the final sequence... */
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index ae0b958..5ce7d44 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -371,11 +371,10 @@ int get1key( void) {
 }
 
 /* GETCMD: Get a command from the keyboard.  Process all applicable prefix
-   keys.  Handle alted and controlled FNx, not shifted.  Allow double
-   prefix M-^X.
+   keys.  Handle alted and controlled FNx, not shifted.
 */
 int getcmd( void) {
-	int cmask = 0 ;				/* prefixes M- & ^X */
+	int prefix = 0 ;			/* prefixes M- or ^X */
 	int keyread[ STACKSIZE] ;	/* room to process sequences like ^[[24;2~ */
 	int *kptr = keyread ;
 	int c ;
@@ -390,7 +389,7 @@ int getcmd( void) {
 			if( c == 'O') {	/* F1 .. F4 */
 				c = *(kptr++) = get1key() ;
 				if( c >= 'P' && c <= 'S')
-					return c | SPEC | cmask ;
+					return c | SPEC | prefix ;
 			} else if( c == '[') {
 				int v1, v ;		/* ^[[v1;v~ or ^[[v~ */
 
@@ -398,14 +397,17 @@ int getcmd( void) {
 				v1 = v = 0 ;
 				while( kptr < &keyread[ STACKSIZE]) {
 					c = *(kptr++) = get1key() ;
-					if( (c == '~') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z')) {
+					if( (c == '~')
+					||	(c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z')
+					||	(c >= 'a' && c <= 'z')) {
 					/* Found end of sequence */
+						int mask = prefix ;
 						if( v1) {	/* Handle ALT/CTL, not SHFT */
-							if( (v - 1) & 4)
-								cmask |= CTRL ;
-
 							if( (v - 1) & 2)
-								cmask |= META ;
+								mask = META ;
+
+							if( (v - 1) & 4)
+								mask |= CTRL ;
 
 							v = v1 ;
 						}
@@ -417,7 +419,7 @@ int getcmd( void) {
 								break ;
 						}
 
-						return c | SPEC | cmask ;
+						return c | SPEC | mask ;
 					} else if( c == ';') {	/* Start of SHFT/ALT/CTL state */
 						v1 = v ;
 						v = 0 ;
@@ -433,20 +435,24 @@ int getcmd( void) {
 				KPUSH( *(--kptr)) ;
 
 			c = get1key() ;
-		}
+		} else
+			kptr-- ;
 
 		if( c == metac) {
-			cmask |= META ;
+			prefix = META ;
 		} else if( c == ctlxc) {
-			cmask |= CTLX ;
+			if( prefix)
+				break ;	/* ^X^X or M-^X */
+			else
+				prefix = CTLX ;
 		} else
 			break ;
 	}
 
-	if( cmask && islower( c))
+	if( prefix && islower( c))
 		c = flipcase( c) ;
 
-    return c | cmask ;
+    return c | prefix ;
 }
 
 /*  A more generalized prompt/reply function allowing the caller