diff --git a/controls/menu.c b/controls/menu.c
index 766697a1388..52c43c1feac 100644
--- a/controls/menu.c
+++ b/controls/menu.c
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ static MENUITEM *MENU_FindItemByCoords( POPUPMENU *menu,
  * Return item id, -1 if none, -2 if we should close the menu.
  */
 static UINT MENU_FindItemByKey( HWND hwndOwner, HMENU hmenu,
-				  UINT key, BOOL forceMenuChar )
+                                WCHAR key, BOOL forceMenuChar )
 {
     TRACE("\tlooking for '%c' (0x%02x) in [%p]\n", (char)key, key, hmenu );
 
@@ -3000,12 +3000,14 @@ void MENU_TrackMouseMenuBar( HWND hWnd, INT ht, POINT pt )
  *
  * Menu-bar tracking upon a keyboard event. Called from NC_HandleSysCommand().
  */
-void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, INT vkey)
+void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, WCHAR wChar)
 {
     UINT uItem = NO_SELECTED_ITEM;
     HMENU hTrackMenu;
     UINT wFlags = TPM_ENTERIDLEEX | TPM_LEFTALIGN | TPM_LEFTBUTTON;
 
+    TRACE("hwnd %p wParam 0x%04x wChar 0x%04x\n", hwnd, wParam, wChar);
+
     /* find window that has a menu */
 
     while (GetWindowLongW( hwnd, GWL_STYLE ) & WS_CHILD)
@@ -3014,7 +3016,7 @@ void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, INT vkey)
     /* check if we have to track a system menu */
 
     hTrackMenu = GetMenu( hwnd );
-    if (!hTrackMenu || IsIconic(hwnd) || vkey == VK_SPACE )
+    if (!hTrackMenu || IsIconic(hwnd) || wChar == ' ' )
     {
         if (!(GetWindowLongW( hwnd, GWL_STYLE ) & WS_SYSMENU)) return;
         if (GetWindowLongW( hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE ) & WS_EX_MANAGED) return;
@@ -3027,9 +3029,9 @@ void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, INT vkey)
 
     MENU_InitTracking( hwnd, hTrackMenu, FALSE, wFlags );
 
-    if( vkey && vkey != VK_SPACE )
+    if( wChar && wChar != ' ' )
     {
-        uItem = MENU_FindItemByKey( hwnd, hTrackMenu, vkey, (wParam & HTSYSMENU) );
+        uItem = MENU_FindItemByKey( hwnd, hTrackMenu, wChar, (wParam & HTSYSMENU) );
         if( uItem >= (UINT)(-2) )
         {
             if( uItem == (UINT)(-1) ) MessageBeep(0);
@@ -3043,7 +3045,7 @@ void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, INT vkey)
 
         if( uItem == NO_SELECTED_ITEM )
             MENU_MoveSelection( hwnd, hTrackMenu, ITEM_NEXT );
-        else if( vkey )
+        else if( wChar )
             PostMessageW( hwnd, WM_KEYDOWN, VK_DOWN, 0L );
 
         MENU_TrackMenu( hTrackMenu, wFlags, 0, 0, hwnd, NULL );
diff --git a/dlls/user/controls.h b/dlls/user/controls.h
index c589ce5416b..500fadc78b0 100644
--- a/dlls/user/controls.h
+++ b/dlls/user/controls.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ extern HMENU MENU_GetSysMenu(HWND hWndOwner, HMENU hSysPopup);
 extern UINT MENU_GetMenuBarHeight( HWND hwnd, UINT menubarWidth,
                                      INT orgX, INT orgY );
 extern void MENU_TrackMouseMenuBar( HWND hwnd, INT ht, POINT pt );
-extern void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, INT vkey );
+extern void MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( HWND hwnd, UINT wParam, WCHAR wChar );
 extern UINT MENU_DrawMenuBar( HDC hDC, LPRECT lprect,
                                 HWND hwnd, BOOL suppress_draw );
 extern UINT MENU_FindSubMenu( HMENU *hmenu, HMENU hSubTarget );
diff --git a/windows/defwnd.c b/windows/defwnd.c
index 71dc3facef7..146a8bf83f1 100644
--- a/windows/defwnd.c
+++ b/windows/defwnd.c
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ static LRESULT DEFWND_DefWinProc( HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lPa
 	        iF10Key = 1;
 	     else
 	        if( wParam == VK_ESCAPE && (GetKeyState(VK_SHIFT) & 0x8000))
-                    SendMessageW( hwnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_KEYMENU, VK_SPACE );
+                    SendMessageW( hwnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_KEYMENU, ' ' );
 	break;
 
     case WM_KEYUP:
@@ -572,23 +572,25 @@ static LRESULT DEFWND_DefWinProc( HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lPa
         break;
 
     case WM_SYSCHAR:
+    {
 	iMenuSysKey = 0;
-	if (wParam == VK_RETURN && IsIconic(hwnd))
+        if (wParam == '\r' && IsIconic(hwnd))
         {
             PostMessageW( hwnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_RESTORE, 0L );
 	    break;
         }
 	if ((HIWORD(lParam) & KEYDATA_ALT) && wParam)
         {
-	    if (wParam == VK_TAB || wParam == VK_ESCAPE) break;
-            if (wParam == VK_SPACE && (GetWindowLongW( hwnd, GWL_STYLE ) & WS_CHILD))
+            if (wParam == '\t' || wParam == '\x1b') break;
+            if (wParam == ' ' && (GetWindowLongW( hwnd, GWL_STYLE ) & WS_CHILD))
                 SendMessageW( GetParent(hwnd), msg, wParam, lParam );
 	    else
                 SendMessageW( hwnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_KEYMENU, wParam );
         }
 	else /* check for Ctrl-Esc */
-            if (wParam != VK_ESCAPE) MessageBeep(0);
+            if (wParam != '\x1b') MessageBeep(0);
 	break;
+    }
 
     case WM_SHOWWINDOW:
         {
@@ -867,6 +869,14 @@ LRESULT WINAPI DefWindowProcA( HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam
             result = 0;
         break;
 
+    case WM_SYSCHAR:
+    {
+        BYTE ch = LOWORD(wParam);
+        WCHAR wch;
+        MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, 0, &ch, 1, &wch, 1);
+        wParam = MAKEWPARAM( wch, HIWORD(wParam) );
+    }
+    /* fall through */
     default:
         result = DEFWND_DefWinProc( hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam );
         break;
diff --git a/windows/nonclient.c b/windows/nonclient.c
index ff491c26e0f..3303e810c07 100644
--- a/windows/nonclient.c
+++ b/windows/nonclient.c
@@ -2193,7 +2193,7 @@ LONG NC_HandleSysCommand( HWND hwnd, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam )
 	break;
 
     case SC_KEYMENU:
-        MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( hwnd, wParam, LOWORD(lParam) );
+        MENU_TrackKbdMenuBar( hwnd, wParam, (WCHAR)lParam );
 	break;
 
     case SC_TASKLIST: