diff --git a/include/ui/kbd-state.h b/include/ui/kbd-state.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d87833553a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ui/kbd-state.h
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+/*
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or
+ * (at your option) any later version.  See the COPYING file in the
+ * top-level directory.
+ */
+#ifndef QEMU_UI_KBD_STATE_H
+#define QEMU_UI_KBD_STATE_H 1
+
+#include "qapi/qapi-types-ui.h"
+
+typedef enum QKbdModifier QKbdModifier;
+
+enum QKbdModifier {
+    QKBD_MOD_NONE = 0,
+
+    QKBD_MOD_SHIFT,
+    QKBD_MOD_CTRL,
+    QKBD_MOD_ALT,
+    QKBD_MOD_ALTGR,
+
+    QKBD_MOD_NUMLOCK,
+    QKBD_MOD_CAPSLOCK,
+
+    QKBD_MOD__MAX
+};
+
+typedef struct QKbdState QKbdState;
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_init: init keyboard state tracker.
+ *
+ * Allocates and initializes keyboard state struct.
+ *
+ * @con: QemuConsole for this state tracker.  Gets passed down to
+ * qemu_input_*() functions when sending key events to the guest.
+ */
+QKbdState *qkbd_state_init(QemuConsole *con);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_free: free keyboard tracker state.
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ */
+void qkbd_state_free(QKbdState *kbd);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_key_event: process key event.
+ *
+ * Update keyboard state, send event to the guest.
+ *
+ * This function takes care to not send suspious events (keyup event
+ * for a key not pressed for example).
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ * @qcode: the key pressed or released.
+ * @down: true for key down events, false otherwise.
+ */
+void qkbd_state_key_event(QKbdState *kbd, QKeyCode qcode, bool down);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_set_delay: set key press delay.
+ *
+ * When set the specified delay will be added after each key event,
+ * using qemu_input_event_send_key_delay().
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ * @delay_ms: the delay in miliseconds.
+ */
+void qkbd_state_set_delay(QKbdState *kbd, int delay_ms);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_key_get: get key state.
+ *
+ * Returns true when the key is down.
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ * @qcode: the key to query.
+ */
+bool qkbd_state_key_get(QKbdState *kbd, QKeyCode qcode);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_modifier_get: get modifier state.
+ *
+ * Returns true when the modifier is active.
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ * @mod: the modifier to query.
+ */
+bool qkbd_state_modifier_get(QKbdState *kbd, QKbdModifier mod);
+
+/**
+ * qkbd_state_lift_all_keys: lift all pressed keys.
+ *
+ * This sends key up events to the guest for all keys which are in
+ * down state.
+ *
+ * @kbd: state tracker state.
+ */
+void qkbd_state_lift_all_keys(QKbdState *kbd);
+
+#endif /* QEMU_UI_KBD_STATE_H */
diff --git a/ui/Makefile.objs b/ui/Makefile.objs
index 9b6f0c6b67..7f8b3da791 100644
--- a/ui/Makefile.objs
+++ b/ui/Makefile.objs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ vnc-obj-y += vnc-ws.o
 vnc-obj-y += vnc-jobs.o
 
 common-obj-y += keymaps.o console.o cursor.o qemu-pixman.o
-common-obj-y += input.o input-keymap.o input-legacy.o
+common-obj-y += input.o input-keymap.o input-legacy.o kbd-state.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_LINUX) += input-linux.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_SPICE) += spice-core.o spice-input.o spice-display.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_COCOA) += cocoa.o
diff --git a/ui/kbd-state.c b/ui/kbd-state.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac14add70e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/kbd-state.c
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/*
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or
+ * (at your option) any later version.  See the COPYING file in the
+ * top-level directory.
+ */
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/bitmap.h"
+#include "qemu/queue.h"
+#include "ui/console.h"
+#include "ui/input.h"
+#include "ui/kbd-state.h"
+
+struct QKbdState {
+    QemuConsole *con;
+    int key_delay_ms;
+    DECLARE_BITMAP(keys, Q_KEY_CODE__MAX);
+    DECLARE_BITMAP(mods, QKBD_MOD__MAX);
+};
+
+static void qkbd_state_modifier_update(QKbdState *kbd,
+                                      QKeyCode qcode1, QKeyCode qcode2,
+                                      QKbdModifier mod)
+{
+    if (test_bit(qcode1, kbd->keys) || test_bit(qcode2, kbd->keys)) {
+        set_bit(mod, kbd->mods);
+    } else {
+        clear_bit(mod, kbd->mods);
+    }
+}
+
+bool qkbd_state_modifier_get(QKbdState *kbd, QKbdModifier mod)
+{
+    return test_bit(mod, kbd->mods);
+}
+
+bool qkbd_state_key_get(QKbdState *kbd, QKeyCode qcode)
+{
+    return test_bit(qcode, kbd->keys);
+}
+
+void qkbd_state_key_event(QKbdState *kbd, QKeyCode qcode, bool down)
+{
+    bool state = test_bit(qcode, kbd->keys);
+
+    if (state == down) {
+        /*
+         * Filter out events which don't change the keyboard state.
+         *
+         * Most notably this allows to simply send along all key-up
+         * events, and this function will filter out everything where
+         * the corresponding key-down event wasn't send to the guest,
+         * for example due to being a host hotkey.
+         */
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* update key and modifier state */
+    change_bit(qcode, kbd->keys);
+    switch (qcode) {
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT:
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT_R:
+        qkbd_state_modifier_update(kbd, Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT, Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT_R,
+                                   QKBD_MOD_SHIFT);
+        break;
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_CTRL:
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_CTRL_R:
+        qkbd_state_modifier_update(kbd, Q_KEY_CODE_CTRL, Q_KEY_CODE_CTRL_R,
+                                   QKBD_MOD_CTRL);
+        break;
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_ALT:
+        qkbd_state_modifier_update(kbd, Q_KEY_CODE_ALT, Q_KEY_CODE_ALT,
+                                   QKBD_MOD_ALT);
+        break;
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_ALT_R:
+        qkbd_state_modifier_update(kbd, Q_KEY_CODE_ALT_R, Q_KEY_CODE_ALT_R,
+                                   QKBD_MOD_ALTGR);
+        break;
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_CAPS_LOCK:
+        if (down) {
+            change_bit(QKBD_MOD_CAPSLOCK, kbd->mods);
+        }
+        break;
+    case Q_KEY_CODE_NUM_LOCK:
+        if (down) {
+            change_bit(QKBD_MOD_NUMLOCK, kbd->mods);
+        }
+        break;
+    default:
+        /* keep gcc happy */
+        break;
+    }
+
+    /* send to guest */
+    if (qemu_console_is_graphic(kbd->con)) {
+        qemu_input_event_send_key_qcode(kbd->con, qcode, down);
+        if (kbd->key_delay_ms) {
+            qemu_input_event_send_key_delay(kbd->key_delay_ms);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void qkbd_state_lift_all_keys(QKbdState *kbd)
+{
+    int qcode;
+
+    for (qcode = 0; qcode < Q_KEY_CODE__MAX; qcode++) {
+        if (test_bit(qcode, kbd->keys)) {
+            qkbd_state_key_event(kbd, qcode, false);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void qkbd_state_set_delay(QKbdState *kbd, int delay_ms)
+{
+    kbd->key_delay_ms = delay_ms;
+}
+
+void qkbd_state_free(QKbdState *kbd)
+{
+    g_free(kbd);
+}
+
+QKbdState *qkbd_state_init(QemuConsole *con)
+{
+    QKbdState *kbd = g_new0(QKbdState, 1);
+
+    kbd->con = con;
+
+    return kbd;
+}