diff --git a/allegro5/event.go b/allegro5/event.go
index 013c9e8..ff5ed55 100644
--- a/allegro5/event.go
+++ b/allegro5/event.go
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ type DisplayOrientationEvent struct {
 
 type KeyEvent struct {
 	EventBase
-	KeyCode int
+	KeyCode Key
 	Display *Display
 }
 
 type KeyCharEvent struct {
 	KeyEvent
 	UnicodeCharacter rune
-	Modifiers        uint
+	Modifiers        KeyMod
 	Repeat           bool
 }
 
@@ -165,13 +165,13 @@ func (eq *EventQueue) mapEvent(e *C.ALLEGRO_EVENT) Event {
 		return &MouseButtonUpEvent{MouseEvent{eb, int(mouse.x), int(mouse.y), int(mouse.z), int(mouse.w), nil}, uint(mouse.button), float32(mouse.pressure)}
 	case C.ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN:
 		key := (*C.ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_EVENT)(unsafe.Pointer(e))
-		return &KeyDownEvent{KeyEvent{eb, int(key.keycode), nil}}
+		return &KeyDownEvent{KeyEvent{eb, Key(key.keycode), nil}}
 	case C.ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP:
 		key := (*C.ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_EVENT)(unsafe.Pointer(e))
-		return &KeyUpEvent{KeyEvent{eb, int(key.keycode), nil}}
+		return &KeyUpEvent{KeyEvent{eb, Key(key.keycode), nil}}
 	case C.ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_CHAR:
 		key := (*C.ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_EVENT)(unsafe.Pointer(e))
-		return &KeyCharEvent{KeyEvent{eb, int(key.keycode), nil}, rune(key.unichar), uint(key.modifiers), bool(key.repeat)}
+		return &KeyCharEvent{KeyEvent{eb, Key(key.keycode), nil}, rune(key.unichar), KeyMod(key.modifiers), bool(key.repeat)}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/allegro5/keyboard.go b/allegro5/keyboard.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9faa571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/allegro5/keyboard.go
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+package allegro5
+
+// #include <allegro5/allegro.h>
+import "C"
+
+type Key int
+
+const (
+	KeyA           Key = 1
+	KeyB               = 2
+	KeyC               = 3
+	KeyD               = 4
+	KeyE               = 5
+	KeyF               = 6
+	KeyG               = 7
+	KeyH               = 8
+	KeyI               = 9
+	KeyJ               = 10
+	KeyK               = 11
+	KeyL               = 12
+	KeyM               = 13
+	KeyN               = 14
+	KeyO               = 15
+	KeyP               = 16
+	KeyQ               = 17
+	KeyR               = 18
+	KeyS               = 19
+	KeyT               = 20
+	KeyU               = 21
+	KeyV               = 22
+	KeyW               = 23
+	KeyX               = 24
+	KeyY               = 25
+	KeyZ               = 26
+	Key0               = 27
+	Key1               = 28
+	Key2               = 29
+	Key3               = 30
+	Key4               = 31
+	Key5               = 32
+	Key6               = 33
+	Key7               = 34
+	Key8               = 35
+	Key9               = 36
+	KeyPad0            = 37
+	KeyPad1            = 38
+	KeyPad2            = 39
+	KeyPad3            = 40
+	KeyPad4            = 41
+	KeyPad5            = 42
+	KeyPad6            = 43
+	KeyPad7            = 44
+	KeyPad8            = 45
+	KeyPad9            = 46
+	KeyF1              = 47
+	KeyF2              = 48
+	KeyF3              = 49
+	KeyF4              = 50
+	KeyF5              = 51
+	KeyF6              = 52
+	KeyF7              = 53
+	KeyF8              = 54
+	KeyF9              = 55
+	KeyF10             = 56
+	KeyF11             = 57
+	KeyF12             = 58
+	KeyEscape          = 59
+	KeyTilde           = 60
+	KeyMinus           = 61
+	KeyEquals          = 62
+	KeyBackspace       = 63
+	KeyTab             = 64
+	KeyOpenBrace       = 65
+	KeyCloseBrace      = 66
+	KeyEnter           = 67
+	KeySemicolon       = 68
+	KeyQuote           = 69
+	KeyBackslash       = 70
+	KeyBackslash2      = 71 /* DirectInput calls this DIK_OEM_102: "< > | on UK/Germany keyboards" */
+	KeyComma           = 72
+	KeyFullstop        = 73
+	KeySlash           = 74
+	KeySpace           = 75
+	KeyInsert          = 76
+	KeyDelete          = 77
+	KeyHome            = 78
+	KeyEnd             = 79
+	KeyPgup            = 80
+	KeyPgdn            = 81
+	KeyLeft            = 82
+	KeyRight           = 83
+	KeyUp              = 84
+	KeyDown            = 85
+	KeyPadSlash        = 86
+	KeyPadAsterisk     = 87
+	KeyPadMinus        = 88
+	KeyPadPlus         = 89
+	KeyPadDelete       = 90
+	KeyPadEnter        = 91
+	KeyPrintScreen     = 92
+	KeyPause           = 93
+	KeyAbntC1          = 94
+	KeyYen             = 95
+	KeyKana            = 96
+	KeyConvert         = 97
+	KeyNoConvert       = 98
+	KeyAt              = 99
+	KeyCircumflex      = 100
+	KeyColon2          = 101
+	KeyKanji           = 102
+	KeyPadEquals       = 103 /* MacOS X */
+	KeyBackQuote       = 104 /* MacOS X */
+	KeySemicolon2      = 105 /* MacOS X -- TODO: ask lillo what this should be */
+	KeyCommand         = 106 /* MacOS X */
+	KeyBack            = 107 /* Android back key */
+	KeyVolumeUp        = 108
+	KeyVolumeDown      = 109
+	KeySearch          = 110
+	KeyDPadCenter      = 111
+	KeyButtonX         = 112
+	KeyButtonY         = 113
+	KeyDPadUp          = 114
+	KeyDPadDown        = 115
+	KeyDpadLeft        = 116
+	KeyDpadRight       = 117
+	KeySelect          = 118
+	KeyStart           = 119
+	KeyButtonL1        = 120
+	KeyButtonR1        = 121
+	KeyButtonL2        = 122
+	KeyButtonR2        = 123
+	KeyButtonA         = 124
+	KeyButtonB         = 125
+	KeyThumbL          = 126
+	KeyThumbR          = 127
+	KeyUnknown         = 128
+	KeyModifiers       = 215
+	KeyLShift          = 215
+	KeyRShift          = 216
+	KeyLCtrl           = 217
+	KeyRCtrl           = 218
+	KeyAlt             = 219
+	KeyAltGr           = 220
+	KeyLWin            = 221
+	KeyRWin            = 222
+	KeyMenu            = 223
+	KeyScrollLock      = 224
+	KeyNumLock         = 225
+	KeyCapsLock        = 226
+)
+
+type KeyMod uint
+
+const (
+	KeyModShift      KeyMod = 0x00001
+	KeyModCtrl              = 0x00002
+	KeyModAlt               = 0x00004
+	KeyModLWin              = 0x00008
+	KeyModRWin              = 0x00010
+	KeyModMenu              = 0x00020
+	KeyModAltGr             = 0x00040
+	KeyModCommand           = 0x00080
+	KeyModScrollLock        = 0x00100
+	KeyModNumlock           = 0x00200
+	KeyModCapsLock          = 0x00400
+	KeyModInaltseq          = 0x00800
+	KeyModAccent1           = 0x01000
+	KeyModAccent2           = 0x02000
+	KeyModAccent3           = 0x04000
+	KeyModAccent4           = 0x08000
+)
+
+func IsKeyDown(k Key) bool {
+	var state C.ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_STATE
+	C.al_get_keyboard_state(&state)
+	return bool(C.al_key_down(&state, C.int(k)))
+}