diff --git a/objects/key.c b/objects/key.c
index dc847a7a..7c8c154a 100644
--- a/objects/key.c
+++ b/objects/key.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 /* XStringToKeysym() and XKeysymToString */
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
+#include <glib.h>
 
 /** Key object.
  *
@@ -64,28 +65,80 @@
 static void
 luaA_keystore(lua_State *L, int ud, const char *str, ssize_t len)
 {
+    if(len <= 0 || !str)
+        return;
+
     keyb_t *key = luaA_checkudata(L, ud, &key_class);
-    if(len)
+
+    if(len == 1)
     {
-        if(*str != '#')
-        {
-            key->keysym = XStringToKeysym(str);
-            if(!key->keysym)
-            {
-                if(len == 1)
-                    key->keysym = *str;
-                else
-                    warn("there's no keysym named \"%s\"", str);
-            }
-            key->keycode = 0;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            key->keycode = atoi(str + 1);
-            key->keysym = 0;
-        }
-        luaA_object_emit_signal(L, ud, "property::key", 0);
+        key->keycode = 0;
+        key->keysym = str[0];
     }
+    else if(str[0] == '#')
+    {
+        key->keycode = atoi(str + 1);
+        key->keysym = 0;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        key->keycode = 0;
+
+        if((key->keysym = XStringToKeysym(str)) == NoSymbol )
+        {
+            glong length;
+            gunichar unicode;
+
+            if(!g_utf8_validate(str, -1, NULL))
+            {
+                warn("failed to convert \"%s\" into keysym (invalid UTF-8 string)", str);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            length = g_utf8_strlen(str, -1); /* This function counts combining characters. */
+            if(length <= 0)
+            {
+                warn("failed to convert \"%s\" into keysym (empty UTF-8 string)", str);
+                return;
+            }
+            else if(length > 1)
+            {
+                gchar *composed = g_utf8_normalize(str, -1, G_NORMALIZE_DEFAULT_COMPOSE);
+                if(g_utf8_strlen(composed, -1) != 1)
+                {
+                    p_delete(&composed);
+                    warn("failed to convert \"%s\" into keysym (failed to compose a single character)", str);
+                    return;
+                }
+                unicode = g_utf8_get_char(composed);
+                p_delete(&composed);
+            }
+            else
+                unicode = g_utf8_get_char(str);
+
+            if(unicode == (gunichar)-1 || unicode == (gunichar)-2)
+            {
+                warn("failed to convert \"%s\" into keysym (neither keysym nor single unicode)", str);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            /* Unicode-to-Keysym Conversion
+             *
+             * http://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.7/doc/xproto/x11protocol.html#keysym_encoding
+             */
+            if(unicode <= 0x0ff)
+                key->keysym = unicode;
+            else if(unicode >= 0x100 && unicode <= 0x10ffff)
+                key->keysym = unicode | (1 << 24);
+            else
+            {
+                warn("failed to convert \"%s\" into keysym (unicode out of range): \"%u\"", str, unicode);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    luaA_object_emit_signal(L, ud, "property::key", 0);
 }
 
 /** Create a new key object.
@@ -196,6 +249,31 @@ luaA_key_set_modifiers(lua_State *L, keyb_t *k)
 
 LUA_OBJECT_EXPORT_PROPERTY(key, keyb_t, modifiers, luaA_pushmodifiers)
 
+/* It's caller's responsibility to release the returned string. */
+static char *
+get_keysym_name(xkb_keysym_t keysym)
+{
+    const ssize_t bufsize = 64;
+    char *buf = p_new(char, bufsize);
+    ssize_t len;
+
+    if((len = xkb_keysym_get_name(keysym, buf, bufsize)) == -1)
+    {
+        p_delete(&buf);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if(len + 1 > bufsize)
+    {
+        p_realloc(&buf, len + 1);
+        if(xkb_keysym_get_name(keysym, buf, len + 1) != len)
+        {
+            p_delete(&buf);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+    return buf;
+}
+
 static int
 luaA_key_get_key(lua_State *L, keyb_t *k)
 {
@@ -207,13 +285,11 @@ luaA_key_get_key(lua_State *L, keyb_t *k)
     }
     else
     {
-        char buf[MAX(MB_LEN_MAX, 32)];
-
-        if (xkb_keysym_get_name(k->keysym, buf, countof(buf)) < 0) {
+        char *name = get_keysym_name(k->keysym);
+        if(!name)
             return 0;
-        }
-
-        lua_pushstring(L, buf);
+        lua_pushstring(L, name);
+        p_delete(&name);
     }
     return 1;
 }
@@ -221,7 +297,11 @@ luaA_key_get_key(lua_State *L, keyb_t *k)
 static int
 luaA_key_get_keysym(lua_State *L, keyb_t *k)
 {
-    lua_pushstring(L, XKeysymToString(k->keysym));
+    char *name = get_keysym_name(k->keysym);
+    if(!name)
+        return 0;
+    lua_pushstring(L, name);
+    p_delete(&name);
     return 1;
 }