diff --git a/library/include/modules/Screen.h b/library/include/modules/Screen.h
index 887fb5f75..daa08ca59 100644
--- a/library/include/modules/Screen.h
+++ b/library/include/modules/Screen.h
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ namespace DFHack
         DFHACK_EXPORT bool hasActiveScreens(Plugin *p);
         DFHACK_EXPORT void raise(df::viewscreen *screen);
 
+        // returns a new set with text interface keys from the text buffer added in (if any)
+        DFHACK_EXPORT std::set<df::interface_key> add_text_keys(const std::set<df::interface_key>& keys);
+
         /// Retrieve the string representation of the bound key.
         DFHACK_EXPORT std::string getKeyDisplay(df::interface_key key);
 
diff --git a/library/modules/Screen.cpp b/library/modules/Screen.cpp
index a36f387b6..d3419398c 100644
--- a/library/modules/Screen.cpp
+++ b/library/modules/Screen.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ namespace DFHack {
     DBG_DECLARE(core, screen, DebugCategory::LINFO);
 }
 
-
 /*
  * Screen painting API.
  */
@@ -586,6 +585,17 @@ void Hide::merge() {
 }
 } }
 
+std::set<df::interface_key> Screen::add_text_keys(const std::set<df::interface_key>& keys) {
+    std::set<df::interface_key> combined_keys(keys);
+    if (df::global::enabler->last_text_input[0]) {
+        char c = df::global::enabler->last_text_input[0];
+        df::interface_key key = charToKey(c);
+        DEBUG(screen).print("adding character %c as interface key %ld\n", c, key);
+        combined_keys.emplace(key);
+    }
+    return combined_keys;
+}
+
 string Screen::getKeyDisplay(df::interface_key key)
 {
     if (enabler)
@@ -940,7 +950,7 @@ int dfhack_lua_viewscreen::do_input(lua_State *L)
     }
 
     lua_pushvalue(L, -2);
-    Lua::PushInterfaceKeys(L, *keys);
+    Lua::PushInterfaceKeys(L, Screen::add_text_keys(*keys));
 
     lua_call(L, 2, 0);
     self->update_focus(L, -1);
@@ -1023,6 +1033,7 @@ void dfhack_lua_viewscreen::feed(std::set<df::interface_key> *keys)
 
     lua_pushlightuserdata(Lua::Core::State, keys);
     safe_call_lua(do_input, 1, 0);
+    df::global::enabler->last_text_input[0] = '\0';
 }
 
 void dfhack_lua_viewscreen::onShow()
diff --git a/plugins/overlay.cpp b/plugins/overlay.cpp
index 784e17129..7185f73a1 100644
--- a/plugins/overlay.cpp
+++ b/plugins/overlay.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ struct viewscreen_overlay : T {
                     [&](lua_State *L) {
                         Lua::Push(L, T::_identity.getName());
                         Lua::Push(L, this);
-                        Lua::PushInterfaceKeys(L, *input);
+                        Lua::PushInterfaceKeys(L, Screen::add_text_keys(*input));
                     }, [&](lua_State *L) {
                         input_is_handled = lua_toboolean(L, -1);
                     });