diff --git a/config.cpp b/config.cpp
index 73b76894..11f521da 100644
--- a/config.cpp
+++ b/config.cpp
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ void loadConfig() {
 
 void showAllConfig() {
   dialog::addBreak(50);
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), ' ');
 #if CAP_CONFIG
   dialog::addItem(XLAT("save the current config"), 's');
   if(getcstat == 's')
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ void showAllConfig() {
 void handleAllConfig(int sym, int uni) {
   if(sym == SDLK_F1 || uni == 'h') gotoHelp(help);
 
-  else if(uni == 'v') popScreen();
+  else if(uni == ' ') popScreen();
   else if(sym == SDLK_ESCAPE) popScreen();
 #if CAP_CONFIG
   else if(uni == 's') saveConfig();
@@ -624,6 +624,8 @@ void showGraphConfig() {
     
     char xuni = uni | 96;
   
+    if(uni >= 32 && uni < 64) xuni = uni;
+
     if(xuni == 'u') vid.particles = !vid.particles;
     if(xuni == 'd') vid.graphglyph = (1+vid.graphglyph)%3;
     
@@ -849,12 +851,12 @@ void showJoyConfig() {
   dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("second joystick: pan threshold"), its(vid.joypanthreshold), 'c');
   dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("second joystick: panning speed"), fts(vid.joypanspeed * 1000), 'd');
 
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("back"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("back"), ' ');
   dialog::display();
   
   keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
     dialog::handleNavigation(sym, uni);
-    char xuni = uni | 96;
+    char xuni = uni | 32;
     if(xuni == 'p') autojoy = !autojoy;
     else if(xuni == 'a') 
       dialog::editNumber(vid.joyvalue, 0, 32768, 100, 4800, XLAT("first joystick: movement threshold"), "");
@@ -1003,7 +1005,7 @@ void show3D() {
   else
     dialog::addInfo(XLAT("parameters set correctly"));
   dialog::addBreak(50);
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit 3D configuration"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit 3D configuration"), ' ');
   dialog::display();
   
   keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
@@ -1104,7 +1106,7 @@ void showCustomizeChar() {
   if(numplayers() > 1) dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("player"), its(shmup::cpid+1), 'a');
   
   dialog::addBreak(50);
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("return to the game"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("return to the game"), ' ');
   dialog::display();
   
   int firsty = dialog::items[0].position / 2;
@@ -1119,7 +1121,7 @@ void showCustomizeChar() {
   
   keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
     dialog::handleNavigation(sym, uni);
-    char xuni = uni | 96;
+    char xuni = uni | 32;
   
     if(shmup::on || multi::players) shmup::cpid = shmup::cpid_edit % shmup::players;
     charstyle& cs = getcs();
@@ -1137,7 +1139,7 @@ void showCustomizeChar() {
     if(xuni == 'd') switchcolor(cs.dresscolor, cat ? haircolors : dresscolors);
     if(xuni == 'f') switchcolor(cs.dresscolor2, dresscolors2);
     if(xuni == 'u') switchcolor(cs.uicolor, eyecolors);
-    if(xuni == 'v' || sym == SDLK_ESCAPE) popScreen();
+    if(uni == ' ' || sym == SDLK_ESCAPE) popScreen();
     };
   }
 
@@ -1189,7 +1191,7 @@ void selectLanguageScreen() {
   dialog::addBreak(50);
   vid.language = -1;
   dialog::addBoolItem(XLAT("default") + ": " + XLAT("EN"), v == -1, '0');
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), '1');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), ' ');
 
   dialog::addBreak(50);
 
@@ -1216,7 +1218,7 @@ void selectLanguageScreen() {
   keyhandler = []   (int sym, int uni) {
     dialog::handleNavigation(sym, uni);
     
-    char xuni = uni | 96;
+    char xuni = uni | 32;
     if(uni == '0') {
       vid.language = -1;
       ANDROID_SETTINGS;
diff --git a/conformal.cpp b/conformal.cpp
index 9ef71b2a..9682ce1d 100644
--- a/conformal.cpp
+++ b/conformal.cpp
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ namespace conformal {
       }
 #endif
       
-    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit this menu"), 'q');
+    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit this menu"), ' ');
     dialog::display();
     mouseovers = XLAT("see http://www.roguetemple.com/z/hyper/conformal.php");
     keyhandler = handleKeyC;
diff --git a/dialogs.cpp b/dialogs.cpp
index 2b5e6e1f..7694fe2f 100644
--- a/dialogs.cpp
+++ b/dialogs.cpp
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ namespace dialog {
       getcstat = '2';
     if(pages) if(displayfrZ(xr*40, i0, 1, vid.fsize, IFM("3 - ") + XLAT("all"), nlpage == 1 ? 0xD8D8C0 : 0xC0C0C0, 8))
       getcstat = '3';
-    if(i&1) if(displayfrZ(xr*56, i0, 1, vid.fsize, IFM("0 - ") + XLAT("return"), 0xC0C0C0, 8))
+    if(i&1) if(displayfrZ(xr*56, i0, 1, vid.fsize, IFM(keyname(' ') + " - ") + XLAT("return"), 0xC0C0C0, 8))
       getcstat = '0';
     if(i&2) if(displayfrZ(xr*72, i0, 1, vid.fsize, IFM("F1 - ") + XLAT("help"), 0xC0C0C0, 8))
       getcstat = SDLK_F1;
diff --git a/hyper.h b/hyper.h
index c500371e..d66ccc20 100644
--- a/hyper.h
+++ b/hyper.h
@@ -820,6 +820,8 @@ namespace dialog {
 
   item& lastItem();
   extern unsigned int *palette;
+
+  string keyname(int k);
   
   void addSelItem(string body, string value, int key);
   void addBoolItem(string body, bool value, int key);
diff --git a/mapeditor.cpp b/mapeditor.cpp
index 9d8ebf28..92a6df8f 100644
--- a/mapeditor.cpp
+++ b/mapeditor.cpp
@@ -2247,7 +2247,7 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
       dialog::addColorItem(XLAT(patterns[numpat].lpname), patterns[numpat].color, 'a'+numpat);
   
     dialog::addBreak(50);
-    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), 'v');
+    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), ' ');
     
     dialog::addBreak(50);
     dialog::addInfo("change the alpha parameter to show the lines");
diff --git a/menus.cpp b/menus.cpp
index f99f202c..12897c20 100644
--- a/menus.cpp
+++ b/menus.cpp
@@ -448,14 +448,14 @@ void showChangeMode() {
 
   dialog::addBreak(50);
   
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("return to the game"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("return to the game"), ' ');
   dialog::display();
   
   keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
     dialog::handleNavigation(sym, uni);    
     char xuni = uni;
-    
-    if(xuni == 'v' || sym == SDLK_ESCAPE) popScreen();
+
+    if(xuni == ' ' || sym == SDLK_ESCAPE) popScreen();
     
     else if(uni == 'c') {
       if(tactic::on && gold()) {
@@ -773,4 +773,3 @@ void setAppropriateOverview() {
     pushScreen(showOverview);
     }
   }
-
diff --git a/netgen.cpp b/netgen.cpp
index f82f5fdf..72afd32e 100644
--- a/netgen.cpp
+++ b/netgen.cpp
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ namespace netgen {
       dialog::addItem(XLAT("synchronize net and map"), 's');
       dialog::addItem(XLAT("display the scope"), 't');  
       dialog::addItem(XLAT("create the model"), 'c');
-      dialog::addItem(XLAT("back to HyperRogue"), 'q');
+      dialog::addItem(XLAT("back to HyperRogue"), ' ');
       dialog::addItem(XLAT("design the net"), 'd');
       
       dialog::display();
diff --git a/rogueviz.cpp b/rogueviz.cpp
index c85fc8a7..528a5171 100644
--- a/rogueviz.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz.cpp
@@ -1739,7 +1739,7 @@ void showMenu() {
     kohonen::showMenu();
 
   dialog::addBreak(50);
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), 'v');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), ' ');
 
   dialog::display();
   
diff --git a/rug.cpp b/rug.cpp
index 52e9fb6a..91d7f3e2 100644
--- a/rug.cpp
+++ b/rug.cpp
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ void show() {
   dialog::init(XLAT("hypersian rug mode"), iinf[itPalace].color, 150, 100);
 
   dialog::addItem(XLAT("what's this?"), 'h');
-  dialog::addItem(XLAT("take me back"), 'q');
+  dialog::addItem(XLAT("take me back"), ' ');
   dialog::addItem(XLAT("enable the Hypersian Rug mode"), 'u');
   dialog::addBoolItem(XLAT("render the texture only once"), (renderonce), 'o');
   dialog::addBoolItem(XLAT("render texture without OpenGL"), (rendernogl), 'g');  
diff --git a/scores.cpp b/scores.cpp
index 6842adcb..4d65caa0 100644
--- a/scores.cpp
+++ b/scores.cpp
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ void show() {
 
   displayButton(xr*10, i0, IFM("s - ") + XLAT("sort"), 's', 8);
   displayButton(xr*30, i0, IFM("t - ") + XLAT("choose"), 't', 8);
-  displayButton(xr*50, i0, IFM("0 - ") + XLAT("play"), '0', 8);
+  displayButton(xr*50, i0, IFM(dialog::keyname(' ') + " - ") + XLAT("play"), '0', 8);
 
   keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
     if(sym == SDLK_LEFT || sym == SDLK_KP4 || sym == 'h' || sym == 'a') {
diff --git a/shmup.cpp b/shmup.cpp
index 96d0d6f4..09969b12 100644
--- a/shmup.cpp
+++ b/shmup.cpp
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ void showShmupConfig() {
 
     dialog::addItem(XLAT("help"), 'h');
 
-    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), 'v');
+    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit configuration"), ' ');
     dialog::display();
     }
   
diff --git a/tour.cpp b/tour.cpp
index 6268c439..b4ff9cbd 100644
--- a/tour.cpp
+++ b/tour.cpp
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ namespace ss {
       }
     dialog::addBreak(50);
     if(size(slideshows) > 1) dialog::addItem(XLAT("change slideshow"), '1');
-    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), '0');
+    dialog::addItem(XLAT("exit menu"), ' ');
     dialog::display();
     keyhandler = [] (int sym, int uni) {
       if(uni >= 'a' && uni < 'a' + sssize) {