diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 156d61f4c..2ce1bb514 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -527,8 +527,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                 | XCB_EVENT_MASK_PROPERTY_CHANGE
                 | XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_PRESS
                 | XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_RELEASE
-                | XCB_EVENT_MASK_KEY_PRESS
-                | XCB_EVENT_MASK_KEY_RELEASE
                 | XCB_EVENT_MASK_FOCUS_CHANGE
         };
 
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index e0fa8dbc2..5a8df3f76 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -597,17 +597,6 @@ client_manage(xcb_window_t w, xcb_get_geometry_reply_t *wgeom, int phys_screen,
      */
     window_state_set(c->win, XCB_WM_STATE_NORMAL);
 
-    /* Grab everything */
-    xcb_grab_key(globalconf.connection, true, w,
-                 XCB_MOD_MASK_ANY, XCB_GRAB_ANY,
-                 XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC);
-
-    xcb_grab_button(globalconf.connection, false, w,
-                    XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_PRESS | XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_RELEASE,
-                    XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC, XCB_NONE, XCB_NONE,
-                    XCB_GRAB_ANY, XCB_MOD_MASK_ANY);
-
-
     if(!startup)
         spawn_start_notify(c);
 
@@ -1923,6 +1912,8 @@ luaA_client_buttons(lua_State *L)
     if(lua_gettop(L) == 2)
         luaA_button_array_set(L, 1, 2, buttons);
 
+    window_buttons_grab(client->win, &client->buttons);
+
     return luaA_button_array_get(L, 1, buttons);
 }
 
@@ -1941,7 +1932,11 @@ luaA_client_keys(lua_State *L)
     key_array_t *keys = &c->keys;
 
     if(lua_gettop(L) == 2)
+    {
         luaA_key_array_set(L, 1, 2, keys);
+        xcb_ungrab_key(globalconf.connection, XCB_GRAB_ANY, c->win, XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY);
+        window_grabkeys(c->win, keys);
+    }
 
     return luaA_key_array_get(L, 1, keys);
 }
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index f21dd527c..f7df3d4aa 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #include "common/xutil.h"
 
 #define DO_EVENT_HOOK_CALLBACK(type, prefix, xcbtype, xcbeventprefix, arraytype, match) \
-    static int \
+    static void \
     event_##xcbtype##_callback(xcb_##xcbtype##_press_event_t *ev, \
                                arraytype *arr, \
                                int oud, \
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
                                void *data) \
     { \
         int abs_oud = oud < 0 ? ((lua_gettop(globalconf.L) + 1) + oud) : oud; \
-        int item_matching = 0, item_matched = 0; \
+        int item_matching = 0; \
         foreach(item, *arr) \
             if(match(ev, *item, data)) \
             { \
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
                     prefix##_push(globalconf.L, *item); \
                 item_matching++; \
             } \
-        for(item_matched = item_matching; item_matching > 0; item_matching--) \
+        for(; item_matching > 0; item_matching--) \
         { \
             type *item = luaL_checkudata(globalconf.L, -1, #prefix); \
             switch(ev->response_type) \
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@
             lua_pop(globalconf.L, 1); \
         } \
         lua_pop(globalconf.L, nargs); \
-        return item_matched; \
     }
 
 static bool
@@ -603,19 +602,10 @@ event_handle_key(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
         if((c = client_getbywin(ev->event)))
         {
             client_push(globalconf.L, c);
-            if(!event_key_callback(ev, &c->keys, -1, 1, &keysym))
-                if(!event_key_callback(ev, &globalconf.keys, 0, 0, &keysym))
-                    xcb_allow_events(globalconf.connection,
-                                     XCB_ALLOW_REPLAY_KEYBOARD,
-                                     XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
-
+            event_key_callback(ev, &c->keys, -1, 1, &keysym);
         }
         else
             event_key_callback(ev, &globalconf.keys, 0, 0, &keysym);
-
-        xcb_allow_events(globalconf.connection,
-                         XCB_ALLOW_SYNC_KEYBOARD,
-                         XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -797,6 +787,24 @@ event_handle_mappingnotify(void *data,
                             globalconf.keysyms, &globalconf.numlockmask,
                             &globalconf.shiftlockmask, &globalconf.capslockmask,
                             &globalconf.modeswitchmask);
+
+        int nscreen = xcb_setup_roots_length(xcb_get_setup(connection));
+
+        /* regrab everything */
+        for(int phys_screen = 0; phys_screen < nscreen; phys_screen++)
+        {
+            xcb_screen_t *s = xutil_screen_get(globalconf.connection, phys_screen);
+            /* yes XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY is also for grab_key even if it's look weird */
+            xcb_ungrab_key(connection, XCB_GRAB_ANY, s->root, XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY);
+            window_grabkeys(s->root, &globalconf.keys);
+        }
+
+        foreach(_c, globalconf.clients)
+        {
+            client_t *c = *_c;
+            xcb_ungrab_key(connection, XCB_GRAB_ANY, c->win, XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY);
+            window_grabkeys(c->win, &c->keys);
+        }
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/key.c b/key.c
index feddeba6b..322a409fe 100644
--- a/key.c
+++ b/key.c
@@ -31,6 +31,36 @@
 #include "common/xutil.h"
 #include "common/tokenize.h"
 
+/** Grab key on a window.
+ * \param win The window.
+ * \param k The key.
+ */
+static void
+window_grabkey(xcb_window_t win, keyb_t *k)
+{
+    if(k->keycode)
+        xcb_grab_key(globalconf.connection, true, win,
+                     k->mod, k->keycode, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC);
+    else if(k->keysym)
+    {
+        xcb_keycode_t *keycodes = xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(globalconf.keysyms, k->keysym);
+        if(keycodes)
+        {
+            for(xcb_keycode_t *kc = keycodes; *kc; kc++)
+                xcb_grab_key(globalconf.connection, true, win,
+                             k->mod, *kc, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC);
+            p_delete(&keycodes);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void
+window_grabkeys(xcb_window_t win, key_array_t *keys)
+{
+    foreach(k, *keys)
+        window_grabkey(win, *k);
+}
+
 /** XCB equivalent of XLookupString which translate the keycode given
  * by PressEvent to a KeySym and a string
  * \todo use XKB!
diff --git a/key.h b/key.h
index afb070489..aabd1cfb9 100644
--- a/key.h
+++ b/key.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ xcb_keysym_t key_getkeysym(xcb_keycode_t, uint16_t);
 void luaA_key_array_set(lua_State *, int, int, key_array_t *);
 int luaA_key_array_get(lua_State *, int, key_array_t *);
 
+void window_grabkeys(xcb_window_t, key_array_t *);
 int luaA_pushmodifiers(lua_State *, uint16_t);
 uint16_t luaA_tomodifiers(lua_State *L, int ud);
 
diff --git a/root.c b/root.c
index e3c79f38e..cd0249b48 100644
--- a/root.c
+++ b/root.c
@@ -126,6 +126,15 @@ luaA_root_keys(lua_State *L)
         while(lua_next(L, 1))
             key_array_append(&globalconf.keys, key_ref(L, -1));
 
+        int nscreen = xcb_setup_roots_length(xcb_get_setup(globalconf.connection));
+
+        for(int phys_screen = 0; phys_screen < nscreen; phys_screen++)
+        {
+            xcb_screen_t *s = xutil_screen_get(globalconf.connection, phys_screen);
+            xcb_ungrab_key(globalconf.connection, XCB_GRAB_ANY, s->root, XCB_BUTTON_MASK_ANY);
+            window_grabkeys(s->root, &globalconf.keys);
+        }
+
         return 1;
     }
 
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 3d0bdbcaf..a8c48396b 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@
 #include <xcb/xcb_atom.h>
 
 #include "window.h"
+#include "button.h"
 #include "common/atoms.h"
 
+/** Mask shorthands */
+#define BUTTONMASK     (XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_PRESS | XCB_EVENT_MASK_BUTTON_RELEASE)
+
 /** Set client state (WM_STATE) property.
  * \param win The window to set state.
  * \param state The state to set.
@@ -92,6 +96,19 @@ window_configure(xcb_window_t win, area_t geometry, int border)
     xcb_send_event(globalconf.connection, false, win, XCB_EVENT_MASK_STRUCTURE_NOTIFY, (char *) &ce);
 }
 
+/** Grab or ungrab buttons on a window.
+ * \param win The window.
+ * \param buttons The buttons to grab.
+ */
+void
+window_buttons_grab(xcb_window_t win, button_array_t *buttons)
+{
+    foreach(b, *buttons)
+        xcb_grab_button(globalconf.connection, false, win, BUTTONMASK,
+                        XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC, XCB_NONE, XCB_NONE,
+                        (*b)->button, (*b)->mod);
+}
+
 /** Get the opacity of a window.
  * \param win The window.
  * \return The opacity, between 0 and 1 or -1 or no opacity set.
diff --git a/window.h b/window.h
index 321074b26..d606736d1 100644
--- a/window.h
+++ b/window.h
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ void window_state_set(xcb_window_t, long);
 xcb_get_property_cookie_t window_state_get_unchecked(xcb_window_t);
 uint32_t window_state_get_reply(xcb_get_property_cookie_t);
 void window_configure(xcb_window_t, area_t, int);
+void window_buttons_grab(xcb_window_t, button_array_t *);
 double window_opacity_get(xcb_window_t);
 double window_opacity_get_from_reply(xcb_get_property_reply_t *);
 void window_opacity_set(xcb_window_t, double);
+void window_grabbuttons(xcb_window_t, xcb_window_t, button_array_t *);
 void window_takefocus(xcb_window_t);
 void window_set_cursor(xcb_window_t, xcb_cursor_t);