diff --git a/src/keybind.c b/src/keybind.c
index c898e8c06..ef0d15f81 100644
--- a/src/keybind.c
+++ b/src/keybind.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
 #include "keybind.h"
 
-static const name_keymap_t command_names[] = {
+static name_keymap_t command_names[] = {
 #ifdef USE_INTERNAL_EDIT
     { "EditNoCommand",                     CK_Ignore_Key },
     { "EditIgnoreKey",                     CK_Ignore_Key },
@@ -401,6 +401,9 @@ static const name_keymap_t command_names[] = {
     { NULL,                              0 }
 };
 
+static const size_t num_command_names = sizeof (command_names) /
+					sizeof (command_names[0]) - 1;
+
 /*** global variables ****************************************************************************/
 
 /* viewer/actions_cmd.c */
@@ -769,17 +772,39 @@ const global_keymap_t default_input_keymap[] = {
     { 0, 0, "" }
 };
 
+static int
+name_keymap_comparator (const void *p1, const void *p2)
+{
+    const name_keymap_t *m1 = (const name_keymap_t *) p1;
+    const name_keymap_t *m2 = (const name_keymap_t *) p2;
+
+    return str_casecmp (m1->name, m2->name);
+}
+
+static void
+sort_command_names (void)
+{
+    static gboolean has_been_sorted = FALSE;
+
+    if (!has_been_sorted) {
+	qsort (command_names, num_command_names,
+		sizeof (command_names[0]), &name_keymap_comparator);
+	has_been_sorted = TRUE;
+    }
+}
 
 int
 lookup_action (const char *keyname)
 {
-    int i;
+    const name_keymap_t key = { keyname, 0 };
+    name_keymap_t *res;
 
-    for (i = 0; command_names [i].name; i++)
-        if (!str_casecmp (command_names [i].name, keyname))
-            return command_names [i].val;
+    sort_command_names ();
 
-    return 0;
+    res = bsearch (&key, command_names, num_command_names,
+		    sizeof (command_names[0]), name_keymap_comparator);
+
+    return (res != NULL) ? res->val : 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/tty/key.c b/src/tty/key.c
index e42f17dfb..9d08c8b40 100644
--- a/src/tty/key.c
+++ b/src/tty/key.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ int use_8th_bit_as_meta = 0;
  * We use this to allow users to define alternate definitions for
  * certain keys that may be missing from the terminal database
  */
-key_code_name_t key_name_conv_tab[] = {
+const key_code_name_t key_name_conv_tab[] = {
     /* KEY_F(0) is not here, since we are mapping it to f10, so there is no reason
 	to define f0 as well. Also, it makes Learn keys a bunch of problems :( */
     { KEY_F (1),	"f1",		N_("Function key 1"),	"F1" },
@@ -1231,22 +1231,61 @@ check_movement_keys (int key, int page_size, void *data, move_fn backfn,
     return MSG_HANDLED;
 }
 
+
+static const size_t key_name_conv_tab_size = sizeof (key_name_conv_tab) /
+						sizeof (key_name_conv_tab[0]) - 1;
+static key_code_name_t key_name_conv_tab_sorted [sizeof (key_name_conv_tab) /
+						sizeof (key_name_conv_tab[0]) - 1];
+
+static int
+key_code_name_comparator (const void *p1, const void *p2)
+{
+    const key_code_name_t *n1 = (const key_code_name_t *) p1;
+    const key_code_name_t *n2 = (const key_code_name_t *) p2;
+
+    return str_casecmp (n1->name, n2->name);
+}
+
+static void
+sort_key_name_conv_tab (void)
+{
+    static gboolean has_been_sorted = FALSE;
+
+    if (!has_been_sorted) {
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; key_name_conv_tab[i].code; i++)
+	    key_name_conv_tab_sorted[i] = key_name_conv_tab[i];
+
+	qsort (key_name_conv_tab_sorted, key_name_conv_tab_size,
+		 sizeof (key_name_conv_tab_sorted[0]), &key_code_name_comparator);
+
+	has_been_sorted = TRUE;
+    }
+}
+
 static int
 lookup_keyname (const char *keyname, int *lc_index)
 {
     if (keyname[0] != '\0') {
-	int i;
+	const key_code_name_t key = { 0, keyname, NULL, NULL };
+	key_code_name_t *res;
 
 	if (keyname[1] == '\0') {
 	    *lc_index = -1;
 	    return (int) keyname[0];
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; key_name_conv_tab[i].code; i++)
-	    if (str_casecmp (key_name_conv_tab[i].name, keyname) == 0) {
-		*lc_index = i;
-		return key_name_conv_tab[i].code;
-	    }
+	sort_key_name_conv_tab ();
+
+	res = bsearch (&key, key_name_conv_tab_sorted,
+			    key_name_conv_tab_size,
+			    sizeof (key_name_conv_tab_sorted[0]),
+			    key_code_name_comparator);
+
+	if (res != NULL) {
+	    *lc_index = (int) (res - key_name_conv_tab_sorted);
+	    return res->code;
+	}
     }
 
     *lc_index = -1;
diff --git a/src/tty/key.h b/src/tty/key.h
index 812f342e4..84f911209 100644
--- a/src/tty/key.h
+++ b/src/tty/key.h
@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ cb_ret_t check_movement_keys (int key, int page_size, void *data,
                               move_fn backfn, move_fn forfn, move_fn topfn, move_fn bottomfn);
 int lookup_key (const char *keyname, char **label);
 
-typedef const struct {
+typedef struct {
     int code;
     const char *name;
     const char *longname;
     const char *shortcut;
 } key_code_name_t;
 
-extern key_code_name_t key_name_conv_tab[];
+extern const key_code_name_t key_name_conv_tab[];
 
 /* mouse support */
 struct Gpm_Event;