diff --git a/key.c b/key.c
index 28f50534..ace5ab12 100644
--- a/key.c
+++ b/key.c
@@ -690,21 +690,17 @@ keysym_to_xkb(char *buf, ssize_t len, const xcb_keysym_t ksym)
 #undef CASE
 
 bool
-key_press_lookup_string(uint16_t state,
-                        xcb_keycode_t detail,
-                        char *buf, ssize_t buf_len,
-                        xcb_keysym_t *ksym)
+key_press_lookup_string(xcb_keysym_t ksym,
+                        char *buf, ssize_t buf_len)
 {
-    *ksym = key_getkeysym(detail, state);
-
     /* Handle special KeySym (Tab, Newline...) */
-    if((*ksym & 0xffffff00) == 0xff00)
-        return keysym_to_str(buf, buf_len, *ksym);
-    else if((*ksym & 0xfffffe00) == 0xfe00)
-        return keysym_to_xkb(buf, buf_len, *ksym);
+    if((ksym & 0xffffff00) == 0xff00)
+        return keysym_to_str(buf, buf_len, ksym);
+    else if((ksym & 0xfffffe00) == 0xfe00)
+        return keysym_to_xkb(buf, buf_len, ksym);
 
     /* Handle other KeySym (like unicode...) */
-    return keysym_to_utf8(buf, buf_len, *ksym);
+    return keysym_to_utf8(buf, buf_len, ksym);
 }
 
 /** Return the keysym from keycode.
diff --git a/key.h b/key.h
index 9a8d986c..38dbd699 100644
--- a/key.h
+++ b/key.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ typedef struct keyb_t
 
 ARRAY_TYPE(keyb_t *, key)
 
-bool key_press_lookup_string(uint16_t, xcb_keycode_t, char *, ssize_t, xcb_keysym_t *);
+bool key_press_lookup_string(xcb_keysym_t, char *, ssize_t);
 xcb_keysym_t key_getkeysym(xcb_keycode_t, uint16_t);
 
 void luaA_key_array_set(lua_State *, int, key_array_t *);
diff --git a/keygrabber.c b/keygrabber.c
index 15a93a90..c5b33bb2 100644
--- a/keygrabber.c
+++ b/keygrabber.c
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ keygrabber_grab(void)
 bool
 keygrabber_handlekpress(lua_State *L, xcb_key_press_event_t *e)
 {
-    xcb_keysym_t ksym = 0;
-    char buf[MAX(MB_LEN_MAX, 32)];
+    /* transfer event (keycode + modifiers) to keysym */
+    xcb_keysym_t ksym = key_getkeysym(e->detail, e->state);
 
-    if(!key_press_lookup_string(e->state, e->detail, buf, countof(buf), &ksym))
+    /* convert keysym to string */
+    char buf[MAX(MB_LEN_MAX, 32)];
+    if(!key_press_lookup_string(ksym, buf, countof(buf)))
         return false;
 
     luaA_pushmodifiers(L, e->state);