diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index 7934b11..c702b23 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -399,7 +399,6 @@ static inline int vnc_display_pw_expire(DisplayState *ds, time_t expires)
 void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, int full_screen);
 
 /* input.c */
-extern const int key_defs[];
 int index_from_key(const char *key);
 int index_from_keycode(int code);
 
diff --git a/hmp-commands.hx b/hmp-commands.hx
index bd0c6c9..5cee131 100644
--- a/hmp-commands.hx
+++ b/hmp-commands.hx
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ ETEXI
         .args_type  = "keys:s,hold-time:i?",
         .params     = "keys [hold_ms]",
         .help       = "send keys to the VM (e.g. 'sendkey ctrl-alt-f1', default hold time=100 ms)",
-        .mhandler.cmd = do_sendkey,
+        .mhandler.cmd = hmp_send_key,
     },
 
 STEXI
diff --git a/hmp.c b/hmp.c
index 81c8acb..ba99b2f 100644
--- a/hmp.c
+++ b/hmp.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "qemu-timer.h"
 #include "qmp-commands.h"
 #include "monitor.h"
+#include "console.h"
 
 static void hmp_handle_error(Monitor *mon, Error **errp)
 {
@@ -1102,3 +1103,57 @@ void hmp_closefd(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     qmp_closefd(fdname, &errp);
     hmp_handle_error(mon, &errp);
 }
+
+void hmp_send_key(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+{
+    const char *keys = qdict_get_str(qdict, "keys");
+    QKeyCodeList *keylist, *head = NULL, *tmp = NULL;
+    int has_hold_time = qdict_haskey(qdict, "hold-time");
+    int hold_time = qdict_get_try_int(qdict, "hold-time", -1);
+    Error *err = NULL;
+    char keyname_buf[16];
+    char *separator;
+    int keyname_len, idx;
+
+    while (1) {
+        separator = strchr(keys, '-');
+        keyname_len = separator ? separator - keys : strlen(keys);
+        pstrcpy(keyname_buf, sizeof(keyname_buf), keys);
+
+        /* Be compatible with old interface, convert user inputted "<" */
+        if (!strncmp(keyname_buf, "<", 1) && keyname_len == 1) {
+            pstrcpy(keyname_buf, sizeof(keyname_buf), "less");
+            keyname_len = 4;
+        }
+        keyname_buf[keyname_len] = 0;
+
+        idx = index_from_key(keyname_buf);
+        if (idx == Q_KEY_CODE_MAX) {
+            monitor_printf(mon, "invalid parameter: %s\n", keyname_buf);
+            break;
+        }
+
+        keylist = g_malloc0(sizeof(*keylist));
+        keylist->value = idx;
+        keylist->next = NULL;
+
+        if (!head) {
+            head = keylist;
+        }
+        if (tmp) {
+            tmp->next = keylist;
+        }
+        tmp = keylist;
+
+        if (!separator) {
+            break;
+        }
+        keys = separator + 1;
+    }
+
+    if (idx != Q_KEY_CODE_MAX) {
+        qmp_send_key(head, has_hold_time, hold_time, &err);
+    }
+    hmp_handle_error(mon, &err);
+    qapi_free_QKeyCodeList(head);
+}
diff --git a/hmp.h b/hmp.h
index 7dd93bf..8e7838c 100644
--- a/hmp.h
+++ b/hmp.h
@@ -71,5 +71,6 @@ void hmp_netdev_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_netdev_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_getfd(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_closefd(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
+void hmp_send_key(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 5630cb1..c4b0619 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "console.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "qmp-commands.h"
+#include "qapi-types.h"
 
 static QEMUPutKBDEvent *qemu_put_kbd_event;
 static void *qemu_put_kbd_event_opaque;
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ static QTAILQ_HEAD(, QEMUPutMouseEntry) mouse_handlers =
 static NotifierList mouse_mode_notifiers = 
     NOTIFIER_LIST_INITIALIZER(mouse_mode_notifiers);
 
-const int key_defs[] = {
+static const int key_defs[] = {
     [Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT] = 0x2a,
     [Q_KEY_CODE_SHIFT_R] = 0x36,
 
@@ -223,6 +224,70 @@ int index_from_keycode(int code)
     return i;
 }
 
+static QKeyCodeList *keycodes;
+static QEMUTimer *key_timer;
+
+static void release_keys(void *opaque)
+{
+    int keycode;
+    QKeyCodeList *p;
+
+    for (p = keycodes; p != NULL; p = p->next) {
+        keycode = key_defs[p->value];
+        if (keycode & 0x80) {
+            kbd_put_keycode(0xe0);
+        }
+        kbd_put_keycode(keycode | 0x80);
+    }
+    qapi_free_QKeyCodeList(keycodes);
+    keycodes = NULL;
+}
+
+void qmp_send_key(QKeyCodeList *keys, bool has_hold_time, int64_t hold_time,
+                  Error **errp)
+{
+    int keycode;
+    QKeyCodeList *p, *keylist, *head = NULL, *tmp = NULL;
+
+    if (!key_timer) {
+        key_timer = qemu_new_timer_ns(vm_clock, release_keys, NULL);
+    }
+
+    if (keycodes != NULL) {
+        qemu_del_timer(key_timer);
+        release_keys(NULL);
+    }
+    if (!has_hold_time) {
+        hold_time = 100;
+    }
+
+    for (p = keys; p != NULL; p = p->next) {
+        keylist = g_malloc0(sizeof(*keylist));
+        keylist->value = p->value;
+        keylist->next = NULL;
+
+        if (!head) {
+            head = keylist;
+        }
+        if (tmp) {
+            tmp->next = keylist;
+        }
+        tmp = keylist;
+
+        /* key down events */
+        keycode = key_defs[p->value];
+        if (keycode & 0x80) {
+            kbd_put_keycode(0xe0);
+        }
+        kbd_put_keycode(keycode & 0x7f);
+    }
+    keycodes = head;
+
+    /* delayed key up events */
+    qemu_mod_timer(key_timer, qemu_get_clock_ns(vm_clock) +
+                   muldiv64(get_ticks_per_sec(), hold_time, 1000));
+}
+
 void qemu_add_kbd_event_handler(QEMUPutKBDEvent *func, void *opaque)
 {
     qemu_put_kbd_event_opaque = opaque;
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 0c4f86f..d73bad8 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -1290,92 +1290,6 @@ static void do_sum(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     monitor_printf(mon, "%05d\n", sum);
 }
 
-#define MAX_KEYCODES 16
-static uint8_t keycodes[MAX_KEYCODES];
-static int nb_pending_keycodes;
-static QEMUTimer *key_timer;
-
-static void release_keys(void *opaque)
-{
-    int keycode;
-
-    while (nb_pending_keycodes > 0) {
-        nb_pending_keycodes--;
-        keycode = keycodes[nb_pending_keycodes];
-        if (keycode & 0x80)
-            kbd_put_keycode(0xe0);
-        kbd_put_keycode(keycode | 0x80);
-    }
-}
-
-static void do_sendkey(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
-{
-    char keyname_buf[16];
-    char *separator;
-    int keyname_len, keycode, i, idx;
-    const char *keys = qdict_get_str(qdict, "keys");
-    int has_hold_time = qdict_haskey(qdict, "hold-time");
-    int hold_time = qdict_get_try_int(qdict, "hold-time", -1);
-
-    if (nb_pending_keycodes > 0) {
-        qemu_del_timer(key_timer);
-        release_keys(NULL);
-    }
-    if (!has_hold_time)
-        hold_time = 100;
-    i = 0;
-    while (1) {
-        separator = strchr(keys, '-');
-        keyname_len = separator ? separator - keys : strlen(keys);
-        if (keyname_len > 0) {
-            pstrcpy(keyname_buf, sizeof(keyname_buf), keys);
-            if (keyname_len > sizeof(keyname_buf) - 1) {
-                monitor_printf(mon, "invalid key: '%s...'\n", keyname_buf);
-                return;
-            }
-            if (i == MAX_KEYCODES) {
-                monitor_printf(mon, "too many keys\n");
-                return;
-            }
-
-            /* Be compatible with old interface, convert user inputted "<" */
-            if (!strncmp(keyname_buf, "<", 1) && keyname_len == 1) {
-                pstrcpy(keyname_buf, sizeof(keyname_buf), "less");
-                keyname_len = 4;
-            }
-
-            keyname_buf[keyname_len] = 0;
-
-            idx = index_from_key(keyname_buf);
-            if (idx == Q_KEY_CODE_MAX) {
-                monitor_printf(mon, "invalid parameter: %s\n", keyname_buf);
-                return;
-            }
-
-            keycode = key_defs[idx];
-            if (keycode < 0) {
-                monitor_printf(mon, "unknown key: '%s'\n", keyname_buf);
-                return;
-            }
-            keycodes[i++] = keycode;
-        }
-        if (!separator)
-            break;
-        keys = separator + 1;
-    }
-    nb_pending_keycodes = i;
-    /* key down events */
-    for (i = 0; i < nb_pending_keycodes; i++) {
-        keycode = keycodes[i];
-        if (keycode & 0x80)
-            kbd_put_keycode(0xe0);
-        kbd_put_keycode(keycode & 0x7f);
-    }
-    /* delayed key up events */
-    qemu_mod_timer(key_timer, qemu_get_clock_ns(vm_clock) +
-                   muldiv64(get_ticks_per_sec(), hold_time, 1000));
-}
-
 static int mouse_button_state;
 
 static void do_mouse_move(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
@@ -4772,7 +4686,6 @@ void monitor_init(CharDriverState *chr, int flags)
     Monitor *mon;
 
     if (is_first_init) {
-        key_timer = qemu_new_timer_ns(vm_clock, release_keys, NULL);
         monitor_protocol_event_init();
         is_first_init = 0;
     }
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index 856e11a..5421382 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -2519,3 +2519,23 @@
             'left', 'up', 'down', 'right', 'insert', 'delete', 'stop', 'again',
             'props', 'undo', 'front', 'copy', 'open', 'paste', 'find', 'cut',
              'lf', 'help', 'meta_l', 'meta_r', 'compose' ] }
+
+##
+# @send-key:
+#
+# Send keys to guest.
+#
+# @keys: key sequence. 'keys' is the name of the key. Use a JSON array to
+#        press several keys simultaneously.
+#
+# @hold-time: #optional time to delay key up events, milliseconds. Defaults
+#             to 100
+#
+# Returns: Nothing on success
+#          If key is unknown or redundant, InvalidParameter
+#
+# Since: 1.3.0
+#
+##
+{ 'command': 'send-key',
+  'data': { 'keys': ['QKeyCode'], '*hold-time': 'int' } }
diff --git a/qmp-commands.hx b/qmp-commands.hx
index 3745a21..470f08e 100644
--- a/qmp-commands.hx
+++ b/qmp-commands.hx
@@ -335,6 +335,34 @@ Example:
 EQMP
 
     {
+        .name       = "send-key",
+        .args_type  = "keys:O,hold-time:i?",
+        .mhandler.cmd_new = qmp_marshal_input_send_key,
+    },
+
+SQMP
+send-key
+----------
+
+Send keys to VM.
+
+Arguments:
+
+keys array:
+    - "key": key sequence (a json-array of key enum values)
+
+- hold-time: time to delay key up events, milliseconds. Defaults to 100
+             (json-int, optional)
+
+Example:
+
+-> { "execute": "send-key",
+     "arguments": { 'keys': [ 'ctrl', 'alt', 'delete' ] } }
+<- { "return": {} }
+
+EQMP
+
+    {
         .name       = "cpu",
         .args_type  = "index:i",
         .mhandler.cmd_new = qmp_marshal_input_cpu,
