diff --git a/src/tui/tcell.go b/src/tui/tcell.go
index be22d87c..8ef3fba3 100644
--- a/src/tui/tcell.go
+++ b/src/tui/tcell.go
@@ -396,6 +396,9 @@ func (r *FullscreenRenderer) GetChar() Event {
 			r := ev.Rune()
 
 			switch {
+			// translate native key events to ascii control characters
+			case r == ' ' && ctrl:
+				return Event{CtrlSpace, 0, nil}
 			// handle AltGr characters
 			case ctrlAlt:
 				return Event{Rune, r, nil} // dropping modifiers
diff --git a/src/tui/tcell_test.go b/src/tui/tcell_test.go
index 5aff3926..1a10faf2 100644
--- a/src/tui/tcell_test.go
+++ b/src/tui/tcell_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestGetCharEventKey(t *testing.T) {
 		// section 2: Ctrl+[ \]_]
 		{giveKey{tcell.KeyCtrlSpace, rune(tcell.KeyCtrlSpace), tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{CtrlSpace, 0, nil}}, // fabricated
 		{giveKey{tcell.KeyNUL, rune(tcell.KeyNUL), tcell.ModNone}, wantKey{CtrlSpace, 0, nil}},             // fabricated, unhandled
-		{giveKey{tcell.KeyRune, ' ', tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{Rune, ' ', nil}},                              // actual Ctrl+' '
+		{giveKey{tcell.KeyRune, ' ', tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{CtrlSpace, 0, nil}},                           // actual Ctrl+' '
 		{giveKey{tcell.KeyCtrlBackslash, rune(tcell.KeyCtrlBackslash), tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{CtrlBackSlash, 0, nil}},
 		{giveKey{tcell.KeyCtrlRightSq, rune(tcell.KeyCtrlRightSq), tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{CtrlRightBracket, 0, nil}},
 		{giveKey{tcell.KeyCtrlUnderscore, rune(tcell.KeyCtrlUnderscore), tcell.ModShift | tcell.ModCtrl}, wantKey{CtrlSlash, 0, nil}},