diff --git a/lib/tty/key.c b/lib/tty/key.c
index 0d15a7960..ca9f1ac73 100644
--- a/lib/tty/key.c
+++ b/lib/tty/key.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
    Keyboard support routines.
 
    Copyright (C) 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
-   2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
+   2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
    The Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
    Written by:
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
    Janne Kukonlehto, 1994, 1995
    Jakub Jelinek, 1995
    Norbert Warmuth, 1997
+   Denys Vlasenko <vda.linux@googlemail.com>, 2013
+   Slava Zanko <slavazanko@gmail.com>, 2013
 
    This file is part of the Midnight Commander.
 
@@ -1747,7 +1749,7 @@ get_key_code (int no_delay)
         int d;
 
         d = *pending_keys++;
-        while (d == ESC_CHAR && *pending_keys != '\0')
+        while (d == ESC_CHAR)
             d = ALT (*pending_keys++);
 
         if (*pending_keys == '\0')
@@ -1828,49 +1830,12 @@ get_key_code (int no_delay)
             this = keys->child;
         }
     }
+
     while (this != NULL)
     {
         if (c == this->ch)
         {
-            if (this->child)
-            {
-                if (!push_char (c))
-                {
-                    pending_keys = seq_buffer;
-                    goto pend_send;
-                }
-                parent = this;
-                this = this->child;
-                if (parent->action == MCKEY_ESCAPE && old_esc_mode)
-                {
-                    if (no_delay)
-                    {
-                        GET_TIME (esctime);
-                        if (this == NULL)
-                        {
-                            /* Shouldn't happen */
-                            fputs ("Internal error\n", stderr);
-                            exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
-                        }
-                        goto nodelay_try_again;
-                    }
-                    esctime.tv_sec = -1;
-                    c = xgetch_second ();
-                    if (c == -1)
-                    {
-                        pending_keys = seq_append = NULL;
-                        this = NULL;
-                        return ESC_CHAR;
-                    }
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    if (no_delay)
-                        goto nodelay_try_again;
-                    c = tty_lowlevel_getch ();
-                }
-            }
-            else
+            if (!this->child)
             {
                 /* We got a complete match, return and reset search */
                 int code;
@@ -1880,36 +1845,67 @@ get_key_code (int no_delay)
                 this = NULL;
                 return correct_key_code (code);
             }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            if (this->next != NULL)
-                this = this->next;
-            else
+            /* No match yet, but it may be a prefix for a valid seq */
+            if (!push_char (c))
             {
-                if ((parent != NULL) && (parent->action == MCKEY_ESCAPE))
-                {
-                    /* Convert escape-digits to F-keys */
-                    if (g_ascii_isdigit (c))
-                        c = KEY_F (c - '0');
-                    else if (c == ' ')
-                        c = ESC_CHAR;
-                    else
-                        c = ALT (c);
-
-                    pending_keys = seq_append = NULL;
-                    this = NULL;
-                    return correct_key_code (c);
-                }
-                /* Did not find a match or {c} was changed in the if above,
-                   so we have to return everything we had skipped
-                 */
-                push_char (c);
                 pending_keys = seq_buffer;
                 goto pend_send;
             }
+            parent = this;
+            this = this->child;
+            if (parent->action == MCKEY_ESCAPE && old_esc_mode)
+            {
+                if (no_delay)
+                {
+                    GET_TIME (esctime);
+                    goto nodelay_try_again;
+                }
+                esctime.tv_sec = -1;
+                c = xgetch_second ();
+                if (c == -1)
+                {
+                    pending_keys = seq_append = NULL;
+                    this = NULL;
+                    return ESC_CHAR;
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (no_delay)
+                goto nodelay_try_again;
+            c = tty_lowlevel_getch ();
+            continue;
         }
-    }
+
+        /* c != this->ch. Try other keys with this prefix */
+        if (this->next != NULL)
+        {
+            this = this->next;
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        /* No match found. Is it one of our ESC <key> specials? */
+        if ((parent != NULL) && (parent->action == MCKEY_ESCAPE))
+        {
+            /* Convert escape-digits to F-keys */
+            if (g_ascii_isdigit (c))
+                c = KEY_F (c - '0');
+            else if (c == ' ')
+                c = ESC_CHAR;
+            else
+                c = ALT (c);
+
+            pending_keys = seq_append = NULL;
+            this = NULL;
+            return correct_key_code (c);
+        }
+
+        /* Unknown sequence. Maybe a prefix of a longer one. Save it. */
+        push_char (c);
+        pending_keys = seq_buffer;
+        goto pend_send;
+
+    }                           /* while (this != NULL) */
+
     this = NULL;
     return correct_key_code (c);
 }