diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 36a834b8..f03f55ff 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ CFLAGS += -DI3_VERSION=\"${GIT_VERSION}\"
 
 LDFLAGS += -lm
 LDFLAGS += -lxcb-wm
-#LDFLAGS += -lxcb-keysyms
+LDFLAGS += -lxcb-keysyms
 LDFLAGS += -lxcb-xinerama
 LDFLAGS += -lX11
 LDFLAGS += -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/pkg/lib
diff --git a/include/xcb.h b/include/xcb.h
index 4302fbcb..7ba80867 100644
--- a/include/xcb.h
+++ b/include/xcb.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 #define XCB_CURSOR_SB_H_DOUBLE_ARROW 108
 #define XCB_CURSOR_SB_V_DOUBLE_ARROW 116
 
+/* from X11/keysymdef.h */
+#define XCB_NUM_LOCK                    0xff7f
+
 /* The event masks are defined here because we don’t only set them once but we need to set slight
    variations of them (without XCB_EVENT_MASK_ENTER_WINDOW while rendering the layout) */
 /* The XCB_CW_EVENT_MASK for the child (= real window) */
@@ -51,6 +54,8 @@ enum { _NET_SUPPORTED = 0,
         UTF8_STRING
 };
 
+extern unsigned int xcb_numlock_mask;
+
 i3Font *load_font(xcb_connection_t *conn, const char *pattern);
 uint32_t get_colorpixel(xcb_connection_t *conn, char *hex);
 xcb_window_t create_window(xcb_connection_t *conn, Rect r, uint16_t window_class, int cursor,
@@ -61,5 +66,6 @@ void xcb_draw_line(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_drawable_t drawable, xcb_gcontext
 void xcb_draw_rect(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_drawable_t drawable, xcb_gcontext_t gc,
                    uint32_t colorpixel, uint32_t x, uint32_t y, uint32_t width, uint32_t height);
 void fake_configure_notify(xcb_connection_t *conn, Rect r, xcb_window_t window);
+void xcb_get_numlock_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index c06f4853..7f4b491c 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ int handle_key_press(void *ignored, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_key_press_event_
         LOG("state %d\n", event->state);
 
         /* Remove the numlock bit, all other bits are modifiers we can bind to */
-        uint16_t state_filtered = event->state & ~XCB_MOD_MASK_LOCK;
+        uint16_t state_filtered = event->state & ~(xcb_numlock_mask | XCB_MOD_MASK_LOCK);
 
         /* Find the binding */
         Binding *bind;
diff --git a/src/mainx.c b/src/mainx.c
index bbd1efcd..ef71b0fa 100644
--- a/src/mainx.c
+++ b/src/mainx.c
@@ -503,13 +503,22 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *env[]) {
         xcb_change_property(conn, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, root, atoms[_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK], WINDOW, 32, 1, &root);
         xcb_change_property(conn, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, root, atoms[_NET_WM_NAME], atoms[UTF8_STRING], 8, strlen("i3"), "i3");
 
+        xcb_get_numlock_mask(conn);
+
         /* Grab the bound keys */
         Binding *bind;
         TAILQ_FOREACH(bind, &bindings, bindings) {
                 LOG("Grabbing %d\n", bind->keycode);
                 if (bind->mods & BIND_MODE_SWITCH)
                         xcb_grab_key(conn, 0, root, 0, bind->keycode, XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC);
-                else xcb_grab_key(conn, 0, root, bind->mods, bind->keycode, XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC);
+                else {
+                        /* Grab the key in all combinations */
+                        #define GRAB_KEY(modifier) xcb_grab_key(conn, 0, root, modifier, bind->keycode, \
+                                                                XCB_GRAB_MODE_SYNC, XCB_GRAB_MODE_ASYNC)
+                        GRAB_KEY(bind->mods);
+                        GRAB_KEY(bind->mods | xcb_numlock_mask);
+                        GRAB_KEY(bind->mods | xcb_numlock_mask | XCB_MOD_MASK_LOCK);
+                }
         }
 
         /* check for Xinerama */
diff --git a/src/xcb.c b/src/xcb.c
index f7f5c5f1..dc83efa5 100644
--- a/src/xcb.c
+++ b/src/xcb.c
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
+#include <xcb/xcb_keysyms.h>
 
 #include "util.h"
 #include "xcb.h"
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(cached_fonts_head, Font) cached_fonts = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(cached_fonts);
 SLIST_HEAD(colorpixel_head, Colorpixel) colorpixels;
+unsigned int xcb_numlock_mask;
 
 /*
  * Loads a font for usage, getting its height. This function is used very often, so it
@@ -209,3 +211,48 @@ void fake_configure_notify(xcb_connection_t *conn, Rect r, xcb_window_t window)
 
         LOG("Told the client it is at %dx%d with %dx%d\n", r.x, r.y, r.width, r.height);
 }
+
+/*
+ * Finds out which modifier mask is the one for numlock, as the user may change this.
+ *
+ */
+void xcb_get_numlock_mask(xcb_connection_t *conn) {
+        xcb_key_symbols_t *keysyms;
+        xcb_get_modifier_mapping_cookie_t cookie;
+        xcb_get_modifier_mapping_reply_t *reply;
+        xcb_keycode_t *modmap, numlock;
+        int mask, i;
+        const int masks[8] = { XCB_MOD_MASK_SHIFT,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_LOCK,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_CONTROL,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_1,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_2,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_3,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_4,
+                               XCB_MOD_MASK_5 };
+
+        /* Request the modifier map */
+        cookie = xcb_get_modifier_mapping_unchecked(conn);
+
+        /* Get the keysymbols */
+        keysyms = xcb_key_symbols_alloc(conn);
+
+        if ((reply = xcb_get_modifier_mapping_reply(conn, cookie, NULL)) == NULL) {
+                xcb_key_symbols_free(keysyms);
+                return;
+        }
+
+        modmap = xcb_get_modifier_mapping_keycodes(reply);
+
+        /* Get the keycode for numlock */
+        numlock = xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XCB_NUM_LOCK);
+
+        /* Check all modifiers (Mod1-Mod5, Shift, Control, Lock) */
+        for (mask = 0; mask < sizeof(masks); mask++)
+                for (i = 0; i < reply->keycodes_per_modifier; i++)
+                        if (modmap[(mask * reply->keycodes_per_modifier) + i] == numlock)
+                                xcb_numlock_mask = masks[mask];
+
+        xcb_key_symbols_free(keysyms);
+        free(reply);
+}