diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index ca5e6147..5a57dc47 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Release History
 0.4.4 (unreleased)
 ==================
 
+- Improvement (Experimental): Nodes have access to the GUI keyboard state
 - Improvement: support for nengo-bio Connections
 - Improvement: show multiple connections between objects
 - Bugfix: handle new Connection transform in Nengo 3.0.0
diff --git a/nengo_gui/components/netgraph.py b/nengo_gui/components/netgraph.py
index dc239cb5..811bf4a3 100644
--- a/nengo_gui/components/netgraph.py
+++ b/nengo_gui/components/netgraph.py
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ def message(self, msg):
             return
         action = info.get('act', None)
         undo = info.get('undo', None)
+        event = info.get('event', None)
         if action is not None:
             del info['act']
             if action in ('auto_expand', 'auto_collapse'):
@@ -416,6 +417,8 @@ def message(self, msg):
                 self.undo()
             else:
                 self.redo()
+        elif event is not None:
+            self.handle_event(event, info)
         else:
             print('received message', msg)
 
@@ -718,3 +721,11 @@ def create_connection(self, client, conn, parent):
         info = dict(uid=uid, pre=pres, post=posts, type='conn', parent=parent,
                     kind=kind)
         client.write_text(json.dumps(info))
+
+    def handle_event(self, event, info):
+        if event == 'keyup':
+            self.page.keys_pressed.discard(info['key'])
+            self.page.key_codes_pressed.discard(info['keyCode'])
+        elif event == 'keydown':
+            self.page.keys_pressed.add(info['key'])
+            self.page.key_codes_pressed.add(info['keyCode'])
diff --git a/nengo_gui/page.py b/nengo_gui/page.py
index 5c4ab54e..863ca411 100644
--- a/nengo_gui/page.py
+++ b/nengo_gui/page.py
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ def __init__(self, gui, filename, settings, reset_cfg=False):
         self.config_save_time = None   # time of last config file save
         self.config_save_period = 2.0  # minimum time between saves
 
+        self.keys_pressed = set()
+        self.key_codes_pressed = set()
+
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
 
         # use the default filename if none is given
@@ -211,6 +214,7 @@ def execute(self, code):
         code_locals = {}
         code_locals['nengo_gui'] = nengo_gui
         code_locals['__file__'] = self.filename
+        code_locals['__page__'] = self
 
         self.code = code
         self.error = None
diff --git a/nengo_gui/static/hotkeys.js b/nengo_gui/static/hotkeys.js
index d1b0155d..21d96064 100644
--- a/nengo_gui/static/hotkeys.js
+++ b/nengo_gui/static/hotkeys.js
@@ -15,24 +15,7 @@ Nengo.Hotkeys = function () {
             var is_editable = (ev.target.tagName === 'INPUT' ||
                 ev.target.tagName == 'TEXTAREA');
 
-            if (typeof ev.key != 'undefined') {
-                var key = ev.key;
-            } else {
-                switch (ev.keyCode) {
-                    case 191:
-                        var key = '?';
-                        break;
-                    case 8:
-                        var key = 'backspace';
-                        break;
-                    case 13:
-                        var key = 'enter';
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        var key = String.fromCharCode(ev.keyCode)
-                }
-            }
-            var key = key.toLowerCase();
+            var key = self.determine_key(ev);
             var ctrl = ev.ctrlKey || ev.metaKey;
 
             // toggle editor with ctrl-e
@@ -93,8 +76,33 @@ Nengo.Hotkeys = function () {
                 Nengo.ace.update_trigger = true;
                 ev.preventDefault();
             }
+            
+	    if (!is_editable) {
+	        Nengo.netgraph.ws.send(JSON.stringify(
+		    {event:'keydown', 
+		     keyCode:ev.keyCode, 
+		     key:key
+		    }));
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    
+    document.addEventListener('keyup', function(ev) {
+        if (self.active) {
+            
+            var is_editable = (ev.target.tagName === 'INPUT' ||
+                ev.target.tagName == 'TEXTAREA');
+
+	    if (!is_editable) {
+                Nengo.netgraph.ws.send(JSON.stringify(
+                    {event:'keyup', 
+                     keyCode:ev.keyCode, 
+                     key:self.determine_key(ev)
+                    }));
+            }
         }
     });
+    
 }
 
 Nengo.Hotkeys.prototype.callMenu = function () {
@@ -111,4 +119,27 @@ Nengo.Hotkeys.prototype.set_active = function(bool) {
     this.active = bool;
 }
 
+Nengo.Hotkeys.prototype.determine_key = function(ev) {
+    if (typeof ev.key != 'undefined') {
+        var key = ev.key;
+    } else {
+        switch (ev.keyCode) {
+            case 191:
+                var key = '?';
+                break;
+            case 8:
+                var key = 'backspace';
+                break;
+            case 13:
+                var key = 'enter';
+                break;
+            default:
+                var key = String.fromCharCode(ev.keyCode)
+        }
+    }
+    
+    var key = key.toLowerCase();
+    return key;
+}
+
 Nengo.hotkeys = new Nengo.Hotkeys();