diff --git a/include/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses.h
index 12e9da08e..64a830f96 100644
--- a/include/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses.h
@@ -154,11 +154,34 @@ typedef enum {
   NCKEY_RIGHT,
   NCKEY_DOWN,
   NCKEY_LEFT,
+  NCKEY_INS,
   NCKEY_DEL,
+  NCKEY_BS,       // backspace (sometimes)
   NCKEY_PGDOWN,
   NCKEY_PGUP,
   NCKEY_HOME,
   NCKEY_END,
+  NCKEY_F00,
+  NCKEY_F01,
+  NCKEY_F02,
+  NCKEY_F03,
+  NCKEY_F04,
+  NCKEY_F05,
+  NCKEY_F06,
+  NCKEY_F07,
+  NCKEY_F08,
+  NCKEY_F09,
+  NCKEY_F10,
+  NCKEY_F11,
+  NCKEY_F12,
+  NCKEY_F13,
+  NCKEY_F14,
+  NCKEY_F15,
+  NCKEY_F16,
+  NCKEY_F17,
+  NCKEY_F18,
+  NCKEY_F19,
+  NCKEY_F20,
   // FIXME...
 } ncspecial_key;
 
diff --git a/src/input/input.cpp b/src/input/input.cpp
index 0f2be7ba0..ab875acff 100644
--- a/src/input/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input/input.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,25 @@ const char* nckeystr(ncspecial_key key){
     case NCKEY_UP:      return "up";
     case NCKEY_RIGHT:   return "right";
     case NCKEY_DOWN:    return "down";
+    case NCKEY_INS:     return "insert";
+    case NCKEY_DEL:     return "delete";
+    case NCKEY_PGDOWN:  return "pgdown";
+    case NCKEY_PGUP:    return "pgup";
+    case NCKEY_HOME:    return "home";
+    case NCKEY_END:     return "end";
+    case NCKEY_F00:     return "F0";
+    case NCKEY_F01:     return "F1";
+    case NCKEY_F02:     return "F2";
+    case NCKEY_F03:     return "F3";
+    case NCKEY_F04:     return "F4";
+    case NCKEY_F05:     return "F5";
+    case NCKEY_F06:     return "F6";
+    case NCKEY_F07:     return "F7";
+    case NCKEY_F08:     return "F8";
+    case NCKEY_F09:     return "F9";
+    case NCKEY_F10:     return "F10";
+    case NCKEY_F11:     return "F11";
+    case NCKEY_F12:     return "F12";
     default:            return "unknown";
   }
 }
@@ -61,7 +80,7 @@ int main(void){
     if(cell_simple_p(&c)){
       char kp = c.gcluster;
       if(kp == 0){
-        if(ncplane_printf(n, "Got special key: [0x%04x (%04d)] '%s'\n",
+        if(ncplane_printf(n, "Got special key: [0x%02x (%02d)] '%s'\n",
                           special, special, nckeystr(special)) < 0){
           break;
         }
diff --git a/src/lib/input.c b/src/lib/input.c
index d9d5b120f..bb77167eb 100644
--- a/src/lib/input.c
+++ b/src/lib/input.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <ncurses.h> // needed for some definitions, see terminfo(3ncurses)
+#include <term.h>
 #include <sys/poll.h>
 #include "internal.h"
 
@@ -104,6 +106,7 @@ handle_getc(notcurses* nc, cell* c, int kpress, ncspecial_key* special){
         esc = esc->trie[candidate];
       }
     }
+//fprintf(stderr, "esc? %c special: %d\n", esc ? 'y' : 'n', esc ? esc->special : NCKEY_INVALID);
     if(esc && esc->special != NCKEY_INVALID){
       *special = esc->special;
       return 1;
@@ -184,3 +187,61 @@ int notcurses_getc(notcurses* nc, cell* c, ncspecial_key* special,
   }
   return r;
 }
+
+int prep_special_keys(notcurses* nc){
+  static const struct {
+    const char* tinfo;
+    ncspecial_key key;
+  } keys[] = {
+    { .tinfo = "kcub1", .key = NCKEY_LEFT, },
+    { .tinfo = "kcuf1", .key = NCKEY_RIGHT, },
+    { .tinfo = "kcuu1", .key = NCKEY_UP, },
+    { .tinfo = "kcud1", .key = NCKEY_DOWN, },
+    { .tinfo = "kdch1", .key = NCKEY_DEL, },
+    { .tinfo = "kbs",   .key = NCKEY_BS, },
+    { .tinfo = "kich1", .key = NCKEY_INS, },
+    { .tinfo = "kend",  .key = NCKEY_END, },
+    { .tinfo = "khome", .key = NCKEY_HOME, },
+    { .tinfo = "knp",   .key = NCKEY_PGDOWN, },
+    { .tinfo = "kpp",   .key = NCKEY_PGUP, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf0",   .key = NCKEY_F01, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf1",   .key = NCKEY_F01, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf2",   .key = NCKEY_F02, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf3",   .key = NCKEY_F03, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf4",   .key = NCKEY_F04, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf5",   .key = NCKEY_F05, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf6",   .key = NCKEY_F06, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf7",   .key = NCKEY_F07, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf8",   .key = NCKEY_F08, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf9",   .key = NCKEY_F09, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf10",  .key = NCKEY_F10, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf11",  .key = NCKEY_F11, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf12",  .key = NCKEY_F12, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf13",  .key = NCKEY_F13, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf14",  .key = NCKEY_F14, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf15",  .key = NCKEY_F15, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf16",  .key = NCKEY_F16, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf17",  .key = NCKEY_F17, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf18",  .key = NCKEY_F18, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf19",  .key = NCKEY_F19, },
+    { .tinfo = "kf20",  .key = NCKEY_F20, },
+    { .tinfo = NULL,    .key = NCKEY_INVALID, }
+  }, *k;
+  for(k = keys ; k->tinfo ; ++k){
+    char* seq = tigetstr(k->tinfo);
+    if(seq == NULL || seq == (char*)-1){
+//fprintf(stderr, "no support for terminfo's %s\n", k->tinfo);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if(seq[0] != ESC){
+      fprintf(stderr, "Terminfo's %s is not an escape sequence: %s\n",
+              k->tinfo, seq);
+      continue;
+    }
+//fprintf(stderr, "support for terminfo's %s: %s\n", k->tinfo, seq);
+    if(notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, seq, k->key)){
+      return -1;
+    }
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 47d38bc6a..20afc5ef7 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -99,16 +99,6 @@ typedef struct notcurses {
   char* smkx;     // enter keypad transmit mode (keypad_xmit)
   char* rmkx;     // leave keypad transmit mode (keypad_local)
 
-  // special keys
-  char* left;  // kcub1
-  char* right; // kcuf1
-  char* up;    // kcuu1
-  char* down;  // kcud1
-  char* del;   // delete
-  char* home;  // home
-  char* npage; // knp
-  char* ppage; // kpp
-
   struct termios tpreserved; // terminal state upon entry
   bool RGBflag;   // terminfo-reported "RGB" flag for 24bpc directcolor
   bool CCCflag;   // terminfo-reported "CCC" flag for palette set capability
@@ -129,6 +119,9 @@ typedef struct notcurses {
 
 extern sig_atomic_t resize_seen;
 
+// load all known special keys from terminfo, and build the input sequence trie
+int prep_special_keys(notcurses* nc);
+
 // free up the input escapes trie
 void input_free_esctrie(struct esctrie** trie);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 4e18f6147..a5d7d9c0f 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -520,32 +520,8 @@ interrogate_terminfo(notcurses* nc, const notcurses_options* opts){
   term_verify_seq(&nc->italoff, "ritm");
   term_verify_seq(&nc->op, "op");
   term_verify_seq(&nc->clear, "clear");
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->left, "kcub1") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->left, NCKEY_LEFT);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->right, "kcuf1") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->right, NCKEY_RIGHT);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->up, "kcuu1") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->up, NCKEY_UP);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->down, "kcud1") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_DOWN);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->del, "kdch1") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_DEL);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->home, "kend") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_END);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->home, "khome") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_HOME);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->npage, "knp") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_PGDOWN);
-  }
-  if(term_verify_seq(&nc->ppage, "kpp") == 0){
-    notcurses_add_input_escape(nc, nc->down, NCKEY_PGUP);
+  if(prep_special_keys(nc)){
+    return -1;
   }
   // Some terminals cannot combine certain styles with colors. Don't advertise
   // support for the style in that case.