diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 057fd77a..676c96ba 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "client.h"
 #include "widget.h"
 #include "titlebar.h"
+#include "keybinding.h"
 #include "keygrabber.h"
 #include "lua.h"
 #include "systray.h"
@@ -390,8 +391,6 @@ event_handle_keypress(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
                       xcb_connection_t *connection __attribute__ ((unused)),
                       xcb_key_press_event_t *ev)
 {
-    xcb_keysym_t keysym;
-
     if(globalconf.keygrabber != LUA_REFNIL)
     {
         lua_rawgeti(globalconf.L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, globalconf.keygrabber);
@@ -409,15 +408,9 @@ event_handle_keypress(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
     }
     else
     {
-        keysym = xcb_key_symbols_get_keysym(globalconf.keysyms, ev->detail, 0);
-
-        for(int i = 0; i < globalconf.keys.len; i++)
-        {
-            keybinding_t *k = globalconf.keys.tab[i];
-            if(((k->keycode && ev->detail == k->keycode) || (k->keysym && keysym == k->keysym))
-               && k->fct && CLEANMASK(k->mod) == CLEANMASK(ev->state))
-                luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, k->fct, 0);
-        }
+        keybinding_t *k = keybinding_find(&globalconf.keys, ev);
+        if (k && k->fct)
+            luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, k->fct, 0);
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/keybinding.c b/keybinding.c
index 94711d1c..7a16121d 100644
--- a/keybinding.c
+++ b/keybinding.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * keybinding.c - Key bindings configuration management
  *
  * Copyright © 2008 Julien Danjou <julien@danjou.info>
+ * Copyright © 2008 Pierre Habouzit <madcoder@debian.org>
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -22,7 +23,8 @@
 /* XStringToKeysym() */
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 
-#include "structs.h"
+#include "keybinding.h"
+#include "event.h"
 #include "lua.h"
 #include "window.h"
 
@@ -31,27 +33,140 @@ extern awesome_t globalconf;
 DO_LUA_NEW(static, keybinding_t, keybinding, "keybinding", keybinding_ref)
 DO_LUA_GC(keybinding_t, keybinding, "keybinding", keybinding_unref)
 
+void keybinding_idx_wipe(keybinding_idx_t *idx)
+{
+    keybinding_array_wipe(&idx->by_code);
+    keybinding_array_wipe(&idx->by_sym);
+}
+
 void keybinding_delete(keybinding_t **kbp)
 {
     p_delete(kbp);
 }
 
+static int
+keybinding_ev_cmp(xcb_keysym_t keysym, xcb_keycode_t keycode,
+                  unsigned long mod, const keybinding_t *k)
+{
+    if (k->keysym) {
+        if (k->keysym != keysym)
+            return k->keysym > keysym ? 1 : -1;
+    }
+    if (k->keycode) {
+        if (k->keycode != keycode)
+            return k->keycode > keycode ? 1 : -1;
+    }
+    return k->mod == mod ? 0 : (k->mod > mod ? 1 : -1);
+}
+
+static int
+keybinding_cmp(const keybinding_t *k1, const keybinding_t *k2)
+{
+    assert ((k1->keysym && k2->keysym) || (k1->keycode && k2->keycode));
+    assert ((!k1->keysym && !k2->keysym) || (!k1->keycode && !k2->keycode));
+
+    if (k1->keysym != k2->keysym)
+        return k2->keysym > k1->keysym ? 1 : -1;
+    if (k1->keycode != k2->keycode)
+        return k2->keycode > k1->keycode ? 1 : -1;
+    return k1->mod == k2->mod ? 0 : (k2->mod > k1->mod ? 1 : -1);
+}
+
+void
+keybinding_register_root(keybinding_t *k)
+{
+    keybinding_idx_t *idx = &globalconf.keys;
+    keybinding_array_t *arr = k->keysym ? &idx->by_sym : &idx->by_code;
+    int l = 0, r = arr->len;
+
+    keybinding_ref(&k);
+
+    while (l < r) {
+        int i = (r + l) / 2;
+        switch (keybinding_cmp(k, arr->tab[i])) {
+          case -1: /* k < arr->tab[i] */
+            r = i;
+            break;
+          case 0: /* k == arr->tab[i] */
+            keybinding_unref(&arr->tab[i]);
+            arr->tab[i] = k;
+            return;
+          case 1: /* k > arr->tab[i] */
+            l = i + 1;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    keybinding_array_splice(arr, r, 0, &k, 1);
+    window_root_grabkey(k);
+}
+
+void
+keybinding_unregister_root(keybinding_t **k)
+{
+    keybinding_idx_t *idx = &globalconf.keys;
+    keybinding_array_t *arr = (*k)->keysym ? &idx->by_sym : &idx->by_code;
+    int l = 0, r = arr->len;
+
+    while (l < r) {
+        int i = (r + l) / 2;
+        switch (keybinding_cmp(*k, arr->tab[i])) {
+          case -1: /* k < arr->tab[i] */
+            r = i;
+            break;
+          case 0: /* k == arr->tab[i] */
+            keybinding_array_take(arr, i);
+            window_root_ungrabkey(*k);
+            keybinding_unref(k);
+            return;
+          case 1: /* k > arr->tab[i] */
+            l = i + 1;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+keybinding_t *
+keybinding_find(const keybinding_idx_t *idx, const xcb_key_press_event_t *ev)
+{
+    const keybinding_array_t *arr = &idx->by_sym;
+    int l, r, mod = CLEANMASK(ev->state);
+    xcb_keysym_t keysym;
+
+    keysym = xcb_key_symbols_get_keysym(globalconf.keysyms, ev->detail, 0);
+
+  again:
+    l = 0;
+    r = arr->len;
+    while (l < r) {
+        int i = (r + l) / 2;
+        switch (keybinding_ev_cmp(keysym, ev->detail, mod, arr->tab[i])) {
+          case -1: /* ev < arr->tab[i] */
+            r = i;
+            break;
+          case 0: /* ev == arr->tab[i] */
+            return arr->tab[i];
+          case 1: /* ev > arr->tab[i] */
+            l = i + 1;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    if (arr != &idx->by_code) {
+        arr = &idx->by_code;
+        goto again;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 __luaA_keystore(keybinding_t *key, const char *str)
 {
-    xcb_keycode_t kc;
-    int ikc;
-
     if(!a_strlen(str))
         return;
-    else if(a_strncmp(str, "#", 1))
+    else if(*str != '#')
         key->keysym = XStringToKeysym(str);
     else
-    {
-        ikc = atoi(str + 1);
-        memcpy(&kc, &ikc, sizeof(KeyCode));
-        key->keycode = kc;
-    }
+        key->keycode = atoi(str + 1);
 }
 
 /** Define a global key binding. This key binding will always be available.
@@ -103,14 +218,7 @@ luaA_keybinding_add(lua_State *L)
 {
     keybinding_t **k = luaA_checkudata(L, 1, "keybinding");
 
-    /* Check that the keybinding has not been already added. */
-    for(int i = 0; i < globalconf.keys.len; i++)
-        if(globalconf.keys.tab[i] == *k)
-            luaL_error(L, "keybinding already added");
-
-    keybinding_array_append(&globalconf.keys, keybinding_ref(k));
-    window_root_grabkey(*k);
-
+    keybinding_register_root(*k);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -124,15 +232,7 @@ static int
 luaA_keybinding_remove(lua_State *L)
 {
     keybinding_t **k = luaA_checkudata(L, 1, "keybinding");
-
-    for(int i = 0; i < globalconf.keys.len; i++)
-        if(globalconf.keys.tab[i] == *k)
-        {
-            keybinding_array_take(&globalconf.keys, i);
-            window_root_ungrabkey(*k);
-            keybinding_unref(k);
-        }
-
+    keybinding_unregister_root(k);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/keybinding.h b/keybinding.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee0f5032
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keybinding.h
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * keybinding.h - Keybinding helpers
+ *
+ * Copyright © 2008 Pierre Habouzit <madcoder@debian.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef AWESOME_KEYBINDING_H
+#define AWESOME_KEYBINDING_H
+
+#include "structs.h"
+
+void keybinding_delete(keybinding_t **);
+DO_RCNT(keybinding_t, keybinding, keybinding_delete)
+ARRAY_FUNCS(keybinding_t *, keybinding, keybinding_unref)
+
+void keybinding_idx_wipe(keybinding_idx_t *);
+
+void keybinding_register_root(keybinding_t *);
+void keybinding_unregiste_rootr(keybinding_t **);
+keybinding_t *keybinding_find(const keybinding_idx_t *,
+                              const xcb_key_press_event_t *);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/structs.h b/structs.h
index 70c62a7e..8450e736 100644
--- a/structs.h
+++ b/structs.h
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ DO_RCNT(titlebar_t, titlebar, titlebar_delete)
 
 /** Keys bindings */
 ARRAY_TYPE(struct keybinding_t *, keybinding);
+
+typedef struct keybinding_idx_t {
+    keybinding_array_t by_code;
+    keybinding_array_t by_sym;
+} keybinding_idx_t;
+
 struct keybinding_t
 {
     /** Ref count */
@@ -221,10 +227,6 @@ struct keybinding_t
     luaA_function fct;
 };
 
-void keybinding_delete(keybinding_t **);
-DO_RCNT(keybinding_t, keybinding, keybinding_delete)
-ARRAY_FUNCS(keybinding_t *, keybinding, keybinding_unref)
-
 /** Status bar */
 struct statusbar_t
 {
@@ -399,7 +401,7 @@ struct awesome_t
     /** Screens info */
     screens_info_t *screens_info;
     /** Keys bindings list */
-    keybinding_array_t keys;
+    keybinding_idx_t keys;
     /** Mouse bindings list */
     struct
     {