diff --git a/uisimulator/x11/button-x11.c b/uisimulator/x11/button-x11.c
index d1310d71e2..c838677778 100644
--- a/uisimulator/x11/button-x11.c
+++ b/uisimulator/x11/button-x11.c
@@ -63,19 +63,14 @@ int button_set_release(int newmask)
  */
 
 /* from uibasic.c */
-extern int screenhack_handle_events (void);
+extern int screenhack_handle_events(bool *release);
 
 static int get_raw_button (void)
 {
     int k;
-    static int next = 0;
-    if ( next ) {
-        k = next;
-        next = 0;
-        return k;
-    }
+    bool release=false; /* is this a release event */
 
-    switch(screenhack_handle_events())
+    switch(screenhack_handle_events(&release))
     {
 	case XK_KP_Left:
 	case XK_Left:
@@ -153,8 +148,9 @@ static int get_raw_button (void)
             break;
     }
 
-    if ( k )
-        next = k | BUTTON_REL;
+    if ( release )
+        /* return a release event */
+        k |= BUTTON_REL;
 
     return k;
 }
diff --git a/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.c b/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.c
index 2106c17062..bdbdd6d757 100644
--- a/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.c
+++ b/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.c
@@ -188,9 +188,12 @@ static Atom XA_WM_PROTOCOLS, XA_WM_DELETE_WINDOW;
 /* Dead-trivial event handling: exits if "q" or "ESC" are typed.
    Exit if the WM_PROTOCOLS WM_DELETE_WINDOW ClientMessage is received.
  */
-int screenhack_handle_event (Display *dpy, XEvent *event)
+int screenhack_handle_event(Display *dpy, XEvent *event, bool *release)
 {
     int key=0;
+
+    *release = FALSE;
+
     switch (event->xany.type) {
     case KeyPress:
       {
@@ -201,6 +204,18 @@ int screenhack_handle_event (Display *dpy, XEvent *event)
           /*	    fprintf(stderr, "KEY PRESSED: %c (%02x)\n", c, c); */
       }
       break;
+    case KeyRelease:
+      {
+          KeySym keysym;
+          unsigned char c = 0;
+          XLookupString (&event->xkey, &c, 1, &keysym, 0);
+          key = keysym;
+          /* fprintf(stderr, "KEY RELEASED: %c (%02x) %x\n", c, c,
+             event->xkey.keycode); */
+
+          *release = TRUE;
+      }
+      break;
     case ResizeRequest:
       screen_resized(event->xresizerequest.width, 
                      event->xresizerequest.height);
@@ -248,14 +263,14 @@ int screenhack_handle_event (Display *dpy, XEvent *event)
 }
 
 
-int screenhack_handle_events (void)
+int screenhack_handle_events(bool *release)
 {
     int key=0;
-    while (XPending (dpy))
+    while (XPending(dpy))
     {
         XEvent event;
-        XNextEvent (dpy, &event);
-        key=screenhack_handle_event (dpy, &event);
+        XNextEvent(dpy, &event);
+        key=screenhack_handle_event(dpy, &event, release);
     }
     return key;
 }
@@ -421,7 +436,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
             XWindowAttributes xgwa;
             XGetWindowAttributes (dpy, window, &xgwa);
             XSelectInput (dpy, window, 
-                          xgwa.your_event_mask | KeyPressMask | 
+                          xgwa.your_event_mask | KeyPressMask | KeyRelease |
                           ButtonPressMask | ResizeRedirectMask | ExposureMask);
             XChangeProperty (dpy, window, XA_WM_PROTOCOLS, XA_ATOM, 32,
                              PropModeReplace,
diff --git a/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.h b/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.h
index 12cd873e22..ac9b01bf75 100644
--- a/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.h
+++ b/uisimulator/x11/screenhack.h
@@ -9,51 +9,11 @@
  * implied warranty.
  */
 
-/* Found in Don Hopkins' .plan file:
- *
- *   The color situation is a total flying circus.  The X approach to
- *   device independence is to treat everything like a MicroVax framebuffer
- *   on acid.  A truely portable X application is required to act like the
- *   persistent customer in the Monty Python ``Cheese Shop'' sketch.  Even
- *   the simplest applications must answer many difficult questions, like:
- *
- *   WHAT IS YOUR DISPLAY?
- *       display = XOpenDisplay("unix:0");
- *   WHAT IS YOUR ROOT?
- *       root = RootWindow(display, DefaultScreen(display));
- *   AND WHAT IS YOUR WINDOW?
- *       win = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, root, 0, 0, 256, 256, 1,
- *                                 BlackPixel(display, DefaultScreen(display)),
- *                                 WhitePixel(display, DefaultScreen(display)))
- *   OH ALL RIGHT, YOU CAN GO ON.
- *
- *   WHAT IS YOUR DISPLAY?
- *         display = XOpenDisplay("unix:0");
- *   WHAT IS YOUR COLORMAP?
- *         cmap = DefaultColormap(display, DefaultScreen(display));
- *   AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
- *         favorite_color = 0; / * Black. * /
- *         / * Whoops! No, I mean: * /
- *         favorite_color = BlackPixel(display, DefaultScreen(display));
- *         / * AAAYYYYEEEEE!! (client dumps core & falls into the chasm) * /
- *
- *   WHAT IS YOUR DISPLAY?
- *         display = XOpenDisplay("unix:0");
- *   WHAT IS YOUR VISUAL?
- *         struct XVisualInfo vinfo;
- *         if (XMatchVisualInfo(display, DefaultScreen(display),
- *                              8, PseudoColor, &vinfo) != 0)
- *            visual = vinfo.visual;
- *   AND WHAT IS THE NET SPEED VELOCITY OF AN XConfigureWindow REQUEST?
- *         / * Is that a SubStructureRedirectMask or a ResizeRedirectMask? * /
- *   WHAT?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?
- *   AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!! (server dumps core & falls into the chasm)
- */
-
 #ifndef __SCREENHACK_H__
 #define __SCREENHACK_H__
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
 
@@ -69,15 +29,6 @@
 #include <X11/Xresource.h>
 #include <X11/Xos.h>
 
-/* M_PI ought to have been defined in math.h, but... */
-#ifndef M_PI
-# define M_PI 3.1415926535
-#endif
-
-#ifndef M_PI_2
-# define M_PI_2 1.5707963267
-#endif
-
 #include "resources.h"
 #include "visual.h"
 
@@ -89,8 +40,8 @@ extern XrmOptionDescRec options [];
 extern char *defaults [];
 
 extern void screenhack (Display*,Window);
-extern int screenhack_handle_event (Display*, XEvent*);
-extern int screenhack_handle_events (void);
+extern int screenhack_handle_event(Display*, XEvent*, bool *);
+extern int screenhack_handle_events(bool *);
 extern void screen_redraw();
 extern void screen_resized();