diff --git a/src/run/display/hotkey.cr b/src/run/display/hotkey.cr
index f658c4c..47a5a67 100644
--- a/src/run/display/hotkey.cr
+++ b/src/run/display/hotkey.cr
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module Run
 			end
 
 		def init(escape_char)
-			key_combos = Util::AhkString.parse_key_combinations(@key_str.gsub("*","").gsub("~",""), escape_char, implicit_braces: true)
+			key_combos = Util::AhkString.parse_key_combinations(@key_str.downcase.gsub("*","").gsub("~",""), escape_char, implicit_braces: true)
 			raise Run::RuntimeException.new "Multiple keys aren't allowed for Hotkey definitions" if key_combos.size != 1 # TODO: probably impossible?
 			@key_name = key_combos[0].key_name
 			@keysym = key_combos[0].keysym
diff --git a/src/run/display/hotkeys.cr b/src/run/display/hotkeys.cr
index d9fbec0..7335c35 100644
--- a/src/run/display/hotkeys.cr
+++ b/src/run/display/hotkeys.cr
@@ -75,9 +75,10 @@ module Run
 			end
 			if hotkey
 				if ! hotkey.up && ! hotkey.no_grab
-					# Fixing https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool/issues/210: (also see Send/SendRaw)
+					# Fixing https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool/issues/210:
  					# Doing a `hotkey.keycode` UP event works great but breaks key remaps.
-					# Instead, the following magic seems to work reliably.
+					# Instead, the following magic seems to work reliably, as long as the hotkey key
+					# isn't sent itself (see Send for that other fix).
 					# Note that both grab and ungrab may fail / not work as expected but that's fine.
 					# This would better be placed at the *first* `Send`/`SendRaw` command on a per-hotkey
 					# basis, but since the performance penalty is negligible and it has no negative
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ module Run
 				end
 			end
 		end
+		# todo doesnt belong here
 		def block_input
 			@runner.display.adapter.grab_keyboard
 		end
diff --git a/src/run/display/x11.cr b/src/run/display/x11.cr
index a72686a..2445d1f 100644
--- a/src/run/display/x11.cr
+++ b/src/run/display/x11.cr
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ at_exit { GC.collect }
 module X11::C
 	# Infer a long list of key names from lib/x11/src/x11/c/keysymdef.cr, stripped from XK_ and underscores.
 	# Seems to be necessary because XStringToKeysym is always case sensitive (?)
+	# In our X11 key handling, we only deal with lowercase chars.
 	def self.ahk_key_name_to_keysym_generic
 		{{
 			@type.constants # TODO: possible to declare this outside of the module?
@@ -317,7 +318,15 @@ module Run
 			lookup = key_event.lookup_string
 			char = lookup[:string][0]?
 			keysym = lookup[:keysym]
-			@key_handler.not_nil!.call(key_event, keysym, char)
+			# We may have e.g. grabbed *a (so including Shift + lowercase a) but the reported
+			# event here will return Shift + uppercase A. We'll deal with lowercase only.
+			if char && char.downcase != char
+				char = char.downcase
+				keysym = Run::X11.ahk_key_name_to_keysym(char.to_s)
+				# TODO: like ahk-string.cr
+				raise Run::RuntimeException.new "Unexpected keysym #{keysym} is uppercase but can't be mapped to lowercase" if ! keysym || ! keysym.is_a?(Int32)
+			end
+			@key_handler.not_nil!.call(key_event, keysym.to_u64, char)
 		end
 
 		# It's easier to just grab on the root window once, but by repeatedly reattaching to the respectively currently
diff --git a/src/util/ahk-string.cr b/src/util/ahk-string.cr
index 6b68624..8006e3a 100644
--- a/src/util/ahk-string.cr
+++ b/src/util/ahk-string.cr
@@ -124,12 +124,8 @@ class Util::AhkString
 				end
 				escape = false
 				if key_name
-					if key_name.size == 1 && key_name.upcase != key_name.downcase
-						if modifiers & ::X11::ShiftMask == ::X11::ShiftMask
-							key_name = key_name.upcase
-						elsif key_name.upcase == key_name
-							modifiers |= ::X11::ShiftMask
-						end
+					if key_name.size == 1 && key_name.upcase != key_name.downcase && key_name.upcase == key_name
+						modifiers |= ::X11::ShiftMask
 					end
 					keysym = Run::X11.ahk_key_name_to_keysym(key_name)
 					# TODO: why the typecheck / why not in x11.cr?
diff --git a/tests.ahk b/tests.ahk
index c6fc47c..fb3eab6 100755
--- a/tests.ahk
+++ b/tests.ahk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ; Right now, only commands that can be easily tested in 1-2 lines are tested.
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
-N_TESTS = 53
+N_TESTS = 55
 
 GoSub, run_tests
 if tests_run != %N_TESTS%
@@ -656,6 +656,10 @@ key = +S
 xdotool_run = key shift+s
 gosub test_hotkey_success
 
+key = *s
+xdotool_run = key shift+s
+gosub test_hotkey_success
+
 ; esc and xbutton2 share the same keycode:
 key = esc
 xdotool_run = key Escape