diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.cpp b/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.cpp
index 331f8368d..8d35aa4fc 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.cpp
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ using namespace cursespp;
 using namespace std::placeholders;
 
 #define LABEL_HEIGHT 1
+#define INPUT_HEIGHT 3
+#define HOTKEY_INPUT_WIDTH 20
 
 #define TOP(w) w->GetY()
 #define BOTTOM(w) (w->GetY() + w->GetHeight())
 #define LEFT(w) w->GetX()
-#define RIGHT (x) (x->GetX() + w->GetWidth())
+#define RIGHT(w) (w->GetX() + w->GetWidth())
 
 typedef IScrollAdapter::EntryPtr EntryPtr;
 static bool showDotfiles = false;
@@ -109,6 +111,18 @@ void IndexerLayout::Layout() {
 
     this->dotfileCheckbox->MoveAndResize(1, BOTTOM(this->browseList), cx - 1, LABEL_HEIGHT);
     this->removeCheckbox->MoveAndResize(1, BOTTOM(this->dotfileCheckbox), cx - 1, LABEL_HEIGHT);
+
+    this->hotkeyLabel->MoveAndResize(
+        1, 
+        BOTTOM(this->removeCheckbox) + 2, 
+        this->hotkeyLabel->Length(),
+        LABEL_HEIGHT);
+
+    this->hotkeyInput->MoveAndResize(
+        RIGHT(this->hotkeyLabel),
+        BOTTOM(this->removeCheckbox) + 1,
+        HOTKEY_INPUT_WIDTH,
+        INPUT_HEIGHT);
 }
 
 void IndexerLayout::RefreshAddedPaths() {
@@ -173,16 +187,21 @@ void IndexerLayout::InitializeWindows() {
     this->removeCheckbox->SetText("remove missing files from library");
     this->removeCheckbox->CheckChanged.connect(this, &IndexerLayout::OnRemoveMissingCheckChanged);
 
-    this->browseList->SetFocusOrder(0);
-    this->addedPathsList->SetFocusOrder(1);
-    this->dotfileCheckbox->SetFocusOrder(2);
-    this->removeCheckbox->SetFocusOrder(3);
-
     this->shortcuts.reset(new ShortcutsWindow());
     this->shortcuts->AddShortcut("M-a", "library");
     this->shortcuts->AddShortcut("M-`", "console");
     this->shortcuts->AddShortcut("^D", "quit");
 
+    this->hotkeyLabel.reset(new TextLabel());
+    this->hotkeyLabel->SetText("hotkey tester: ");
+    this->hotkeyInput.reset(new TextInput(IInput::InputRaw));
+
+    this->browseList->SetFocusOrder(0);
+    this->addedPathsList->SetFocusOrder(1);
+    this->dotfileCheckbox->SetFocusOrder(2);
+    this->removeCheckbox->SetFocusOrder(3);
+    this->hotkeyInput->SetFocusOrder(4);
+
     this->AddWindow(this->browseLabel);
     this->AddWindow(this->addedPathsLabel);
     this->AddWindow(this->browseList);
@@ -190,6 +209,8 @@ void IndexerLayout::InitializeWindows() {
     this->AddWindow(this->dotfileCheckbox);
     this->AddWindow(this->removeCheckbox);
     this->AddWindow(this->shortcuts);
+    this->AddWindow(this->hotkeyLabel);
+    this->AddWindow(this->hotkeyInput);
 
     this->Layout();
 }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.h b/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.h
index 7fa06a281..f98a2966a 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/layout/IndexerLayout.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include <cursespp/LayoutBase.h>
 #include <cursespp/ListWindow.h>
 #include <cursespp/TextLabel.h>
+#include <cursespp/TextInput.h>
 #include <cursespp/SimpleScrollAdapter.h>
 
 #include <app/window/TrackListView.h>
@@ -101,6 +102,9 @@ namespace musik {
                 std::shared_ptr<cursespp::ListWindow> browseList;
                 std::shared_ptr<cursespp::ListWindow> addedPathsList;
 
+                std::shared_ptr<cursespp::TextLabel> hotkeyLabel;
+                std::shared_ptr<cursespp::TextInput> hotkeyInput;
+
                 std::shared_ptr<ShortcutsWindow> shortcuts;
 
                 cursespp::SimpleScrollAdapter addedPathsAdapter;
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/App.cpp b/src/musikbox/cursespp/App.cpp
index 878d1b9d5..333e8f41a 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/App.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/App.cpp
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ void App::Run(ILayoutPtr layout) {
             else if (kn == "KEY_RESIZE") {
                 resizeAt = App::Now() + REDRAW_DEBOUNCE_MS;
             }
+            else if (this->state.input &&
+                     this->state.input->GetInputMode() == IInput::InputRaw) 
+            {
+                this->state.input->Write(kn);
+            }
             else if (!keyHandler || !keyHandler(kn)) {
                 bool processed = false;
                 if (this->state.input) {
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/IInput.h b/src/musikbox/cursespp/IInput.h
index 9e9ec4879..67238b30e 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/IInput.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/IInput.h
@@ -39,9 +39,15 @@
 namespace cursespp {
     class IInput {
         public:
+            enum InputMode {
+                InputRaw,
+                InputNormal
+            };
+
             virtual ~IInput() { }
             virtual bool Write(const std::string& key) = 0;
             virtual size_t Length() = 0;
             virtual size_t Position() = 0;
+            virtual InputMode GetInputMode() = 0;
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.cpp b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.cpp
index 367b86667..56f34b787 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.cpp
@@ -75,10 +75,11 @@ inline static bool removeUtf8Char(std::string& value, size_t position) {
     return false;
 }
 
-TextInput::TextInput()
+TextInput::TextInput(IInput::InputMode inputMode)
 : Window()
 , bufferLength(0)
-, position(0) {
+, position(0)
+, inputMode(inputMode) {
 }
 
 TextInput::~TextInput() {
@@ -101,21 +102,29 @@ size_t TextInput::Position() {
 
 bool TextInput::Write(const std::string& key) {
     /* one character at a time. if it's more than one character, we're
-    dealing with an escape sequence and should not print it. */
-    if (u8len(key) == 1) {
-        size_t offset = u8offset(this->buffer, this->position);
-        offset = (offset == std::string::npos) ? 0 : offset;
-        this->buffer.insert(offset, key);
+    dealing with an escape sequence and should not print it unless
+    the input mode allows for modifiers */
+    int len = u8len(key);
+    if (len == 1 || (len > 1 && this->inputMode == InputRaw)) {
+        if (this->inputMode == InputRaw) {
+            this->buffer = key;
+            this->bufferLength = len;            
+            this->position = len;
+        }
+        else {
+            size_t offset = u8offset(this->buffer, this->position);
+            offset = (offset == std::string::npos) ? 0 : offset;
+            this->buffer.insert(offset, key);
+            this->bufferLength = u8len(buffer);
+            this->position += len;
+        }
+
         this->TextChanged(this, this->buffer);
-        ++this->position;
-    }
-    else {
-        return false;
+        redrawContents(*this, buffer);
+        return true;
     }
 
-    this->bufferLength = u8len(buffer);
-    redrawContents(*this, buffer);
-    return true;
+    return false;
 }
 
 bool TextInput::KeyPress(const std::string& key) {
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.h b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.h
index 3e8142d4c..3d144c3a0 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextInput.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ namespace cursespp {
             sigslot::signal1<TextInput*> EnterPressed;
             sigslot::signal2<TextInput*, std::string> TextChanged;
 
-            TextInput();
+            TextInput(InputMode inputMode = IInput::InputNormal);
             virtual ~TextInput();
 
             virtual void Show();
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ namespace cursespp {
             virtual size_t Length();
             virtual size_t Position();
 
+            virtual void SetInputMode(InputMode inputMode) { 
+                this->inputMode = inputMode;
+            };
+
+            virtual InputMode GetInputMode() { return this->inputMode; }
+
             virtual bool KeyPress(const std::string& key);
 
             virtual void SetText(const std::string& value);
@@ -72,5 +78,6 @@ namespace cursespp {
             std::string buffer;
             int position;
             size_t bufferLength;
+            InputMode inputMode;
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextLabel.h b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextLabel.h
index 83a1b1f7c..1d58cd8c2 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextLabel.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/TextLabel.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ namespace cursespp {
             const text::TextAlign alignment = text::AlignLeft);
 
         virtual std::string GetText() { return this->buffer; }
+        virtual size_t Length() { return u8cols(this->buffer); }
 
         virtual void Show();