diff --git a/common/rfb/CMsgWriter.cxx b/common/rfb/CMsgWriter.cxx
index 7a89a93..57d1283 100644
--- a/common/rfb/CMsgWriter.cxx
+++ b/common/rfb/CMsgWriter.cxx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <rfb/msgTypes.h>
 #include <rfb/fenceTypes.h>
 #include <rfb/encodings.h>
+#include <rfb/qemuTypes.h>
 #include <rfb/Exception.h>
 #include <rfb/PixelFormat.h>
 #include <rfb/Rect.h>
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@
   encodings[nEncodings++] = pseudoEncodingLastRect;
   encodings[nEncodings++] = pseudoEncodingContinuousUpdates;
   encodings[nEncodings++] = pseudoEncodingFence;
+  encodings[nEncodings++] = pseudoEncodingQEMUKeyEvent;
 
   if (Decoder::supported(preferredEncoding)) {
     encodings[nEncodings++] = preferredEncoding;
@@ -215,13 +217,26 @@
   endMsg();
 }
 
-void CMsgWriter::keyEvent(rdr::U32 key, bool down)
+void CMsgWriter::keyEvent(rdr::U32 keysym, rdr::U32 keycode, bool down)
 {
-  startMsg(msgTypeKeyEvent);
-  os->writeU8(down);
-  os->pad(2);
-  os->writeU32(key);
-  endMsg();
+  if (!cp->supportsQEMUKeyEvent || !keycode) {
+    /* This event isn't meaningful without a valid keysym */
+    if (!keysym)
+      return;
+
+    startMsg(msgTypeKeyEvent);
+    os->writeU8(down);
+    os->pad(2);
+    os->writeU32(keysym);
+    endMsg();
+  } else {
+    startMsg(msgTypeQEMUClientMessage);
+    os->writeU8(qemuExtendedKeyEvent);
+    os->writeU16(down);
+    os->writeU32(keysym);
+    os->writeU32(keycode);
+    endMsg();
+  }
 }