diff --git a/pkg/ludus.js b/pkg/ludus.js
index 5dbdd46..6ed8425 100644
--- a/pkg/ludus.js
+++ b/pkg/ludus.js
@@ -85,11 +85,16 @@ function io_poller () {
     outbox = []
   }
   if (ready && running) {
+    if (keys_down.size > 0) bundle_keys()
     worker.postMessage(outbox)
     outbox = []
   }
 }
 
+function bundle_keys () {
+  outbox.push({verb: "Keys", data: keys_down})
+}
+
 function start_io_polling () {
   io_interval_id = setInterval(io_poller, 100)
 }
@@ -102,17 +107,19 @@ export function run (source) {
     return "TODO: handle this? should not be running"
   }
   // start the vm
+  // wrapping the Run message in an array for the worker
   worker.postMessage([{verb: "Run", data: source}])
-  // reset all my state
+  // update state for this run
+  code = source
+  running = true
+  // reset the rest of my state
   outbox = []
   ludus_console = ""
   ludus_commands = []
   ludus_result = null
-  code = source
-  running = true
   ready = false
   keys_down = new Set();
-  // start the polling loop loop
+  // start the polling loop
   start_io_polling()
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/rudus.js b/pkg/rudus.js
index fe7b387..6105680 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus.js
+++ b/pkg/rudus.js
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ function __wbg_get_imports() {
         _assertBoolean(ret);
         return ret;
     };
-    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper8073 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
+    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper8075 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
         const ret = makeMutClosure(arg0, arg1, 354, __wbg_adapter_20);
         return ret;
     }, arguments) };
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
index 175aa8a..b8c8233 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
+++ b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
-oid sha256:75ece955d2ce58175d7b1174f71a522c817398436678ee11a7019478e182f44c
-size 16762988
+oid sha256:b016e6b434bf88ae8a0c84bd800f077585dcde16595c9960d0b3f7698a7919c7
+size 16763587
diff --git a/src/io.rs b/src/io.rs
index 6054a2f..2a54492 100644
--- a/src/io.rs
+++ b/src/io.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub enum MsgIn {
     Input(String),
     Fetch(String, f64, String),
     Kill,
-    Keyboard(Vec<String>),
+    Key(Vec<String>),
 }
 
 impl std::fmt::Display for MsgIn {
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ impl MsgIn {
                 Value::tuple(vec![url, result_tuple])
             }
             MsgIn::Kill => Value::Nothing,
-            MsgIn::Keyboard(downkeys) => {
+            MsgIn::Key(downkeys) => {
                 let mut vector = Vector::new();
                 for key in downkeys {
                     vector.push_back(Value::String(Rc::new(key)));
                 }
-                Value::List(Box::new(vector))
+                Value::list(vector)
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/world.rs b/src/world.rs
index ae2b020..67c1fcf 100644
--- a/src/world.rs
+++ b/src/world.rs
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ pub struct Buffers {
     fetch_out: Value,
     fetch_in: Value,
     input: Value,
+    keys_down: Value,
 }
 
 impl Buffers {
@@ -265,6 +266,7 @@ impl Buffers {
             fetch_out: prelude.get(&Key::Keyword("fetch_outbox")).unwrap().clone(),
             fetch_in: prelude.get(&Key::Keyword("fetch_inbox")).unwrap().clone(),
             input: prelude.get(&Key::Keyword("input")).unwrap().clone(),
+            keys_down: prelude.get(&Key::Keyword("keys_down")).unwrap().clone(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -288,6 +290,10 @@ impl Buffers {
         self.fetch_in.as_box()
     }
 
+    pub fn keys_down (&self) -> Rc<RefCell<Value>> {
+        self.keys_down.as_box()
+    }
+
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
@@ -465,13 +471,18 @@ impl World {
         inbox_rc.replace(reply);
     }
 
+    fn register_keys(&mut self, keys: Value) {
+        let keys_down_rc = self.buffers.keys_down();
+        keys_down_rc.replace(keys);
+    }
+
     fn fill_buffers(&mut self, inbox: Vec<MsgIn>) {
         for msg in inbox {
             match msg {
                 MsgIn::Input(str) => self.fill_input(str),
                 MsgIn::Kill => self.kill_signal = true,
                 MsgIn::Fetch(..) => self.fetch_reply(msg.into_value()),
-                _ => todo!()
+                MsgIn::Key(..) => self.register_keys(msg.into_value()),
             }
         }
     }