diff --git a/i3-input/i3-input.h b/i3-input/i3-input.h
index 6c982bc5..8d8b467f 100644
--- a/i3-input/i3-input.h
+++ b/i3-input/i3-input.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 char *convert_ucs_to_utf8(char *input);
 char *convert_utf8_to_ucs2(char *input, int *real_strlen);
 uint32_t get_colorpixel(xcb_connection_t *conn, char *hex);
-uint32_t get_mode_switch_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn);
+uint32_t get_mod_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn, uint32_t keycode);
 int connect_ipc(char *socket_path);
 void ipc_send_message(int sockfd, uint32_t message_size,
                       uint32_t message_type, uint8_t *payload);
diff --git a/i3-input/main.c b/i3-input/main.c
index 97976396..f5229c08 100644
--- a/i3-input/main.c
+++ b/i3-input/main.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 static int sockfd;
 static xcb_key_symbols_t *symbols;
 static int modeswitchmask;
+static int numlockmask;
 static bool modeswitch_active = false;
 static xcb_window_t win;
 static xcb_pixmap_t pixmap;
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ static int handle_expose(void *data, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_expose_event_t
 static int handle_key_release(void *ignored, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_key_release_event_t *event) {
         printf("releasing %d, state raw = %d\n", event->detail, event->state);
 
+        /* fix state */
+        event->state &= ~numlockmask;
+
         xcb_keysym_t sym = xcb_key_press_lookup_keysym(symbols, event, event->state);
         if (sym == XK_Mode_switch) {
                 printf("Mode switch disabled\n");
@@ -163,6 +167,11 @@ static int handle_key_press(void *ignored, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_key_press
         if (modeswitch_active)
                 event->state |= modeswitchmask;
 
+        /* Apparantly, after activating numlock once, the numlock modifier
+         * stays turned on (use xev(1) to verify). So, to resolve useful
+         * keysyms, we remove the numlock flag from the event state */
+        event->state &= ~numlockmask;
+
         xcb_keysym_t sym = xcb_key_press_lookup_keysym(symbols, event, event->state);
         if (sym == XK_Mode_switch) {
                 printf("Mode switch enabled\n");
@@ -290,7 +299,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         xcb_event_set_key_release_handler(&evenths, handle_key_release, NULL);
         xcb_event_set_expose_handler(&evenths, handle_expose, NULL);
 
-        modeswitchmask = get_mode_switch_mask(conn);
+        modeswitchmask = get_mod_mask(conn, XK_Mode_switch);
+        numlockmask = get_mod_mask(conn, XK_Num_Lock);
 	symbols = xcb_key_symbols_alloc(conn);
 
         uint32_t font_id = get_font_id(conn, pattern, &font_height);
diff --git a/i3-input/xcb.c b/i3-input/xcb.c
index 71189a97..661d4863 100644
--- a/i3-input/xcb.c
+++ b/i3-input/xcb.c
@@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ uint32_t get_colorpixel(xcb_connection_t *conn, char *hex) {
  * keycode).
  *
  */
-uint32_t get_mode_switch_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn) {
+uint32_t get_mod_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn, uint32_t keycode) {
 	xcb_key_symbols_t *symbols = xcb_key_symbols_alloc(conn);
 
 	xcb_get_modifier_mapping_reply_t *modmap_r;
 	xcb_keycode_t *modmap, kc;
-	xcb_keycode_t *modeswitchcodes = xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(symbols, XK_Mode_switch);
+	xcb_keycode_t *modeswitchcodes = xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(symbols, keycode);
 	if (modeswitchcodes == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ uint32_t get_mode_switch_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn) {
 	modmap = xcb_get_modifier_mapping_keycodes(modmap_r);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++)
-		for(int j = 0; j < modmap_r->keycodes_per_modifier; j++) {
+		for (int j = 0; j < modmap_r->keycodes_per_modifier; j++) {
 			kc = modmap[i * modmap_r->keycodes_per_modifier + j];
 			for (xcb_keycode_t *ktest = modeswitchcodes; *ktest; ktest++) {
 				if (*ktest != kc)