diff --git a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.cpp b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.cpp
index cd285b526c..61692e7eca 100644
--- a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.cpp
+++ b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.cpp
@@ -203,9 +203,9 @@ void InputHandler_X11::Update()
 				lastEvent.type = 0;
 				continue;
 			}
+
 			// This is a new event so the last release was not a repeat.
-			ButtonPressed( DeviceInput(DEVICE_KEYBOARD, lastDB, 0) );
-			lastEvent.type = 0;
+			RegisterKeyEvent( event.xkey.time, false, lastDB );
 		}
 
 		if( event.type == FocusOut )
@@ -221,7 +221,9 @@ void InputHandler_X11::Update()
 			continue;
 
 		if( bKeyPress )
-			ButtonPressed( DeviceInput(DEVICE_KEYBOARD, lastDB, 1) );
+		{
+			RegisterKeyEvent( event.xkey.time, true, lastDB );
+		}
 		/*
 		else if( bMousePress )
 			ButtonPressed( DeviceInput(DEVICE_MOUSE, lastDB, 1) );
@@ -234,7 +236,9 @@ void InputHandler_X11::Update()
 	if( lastEvent.type != 0 )
 	{
 		if( lastEvent.type == (KeyPress|KeyRelease) )
-			ButtonPressed( DeviceInput(DEVICE_KEYBOARD, lastDB, 0) );
+		{
+			RegisterKeyEvent( event.xkey.time, false, lastDB );
+		}
 		/*
 		if( lastEvent.type == (ButtonPress|ButtonRelease) )
 			ButtonPressed( DeviceInput(DEVICE_MOUSE, lastDB, 0) );
@@ -254,6 +258,25 @@ void InputHandler_X11::GetDevicesAndDescriptions( vector<InputDeviceInfo>& vDevi
 	}
 }
 
+void InputHandler_X11::RegisterKeyEvent( unsigned long timestamp, bool keyDown, DeviceButton button )
+{
+	// https://linux.die.net/man/3/xkeyevent
+	// Event timestamp is in milliseconds
+
+	// seconds, microseconds
+	RageTimer timer(
+	  timestamp / 1000,
+	  (timestamp % 1000) * 1000 );
+
+	DeviceInput di(
+		DEVICE_KEYBOARD,
+		button,
+		keyDown ? 1.0f:0.0f,
+		timer);
+
+	ButtonPressed( di );
+}
+
 /*
  * (c) 2005, 2006 Sean Burke, Ben Anderson, Steve Checkoway
  * All rights reserved.
diff --git a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.h b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.h
index bb53c4e4d7..49905546e4 100644
--- a/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.h
+++ b/src/arch/InputHandler/InputHandler_X11.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ public:
 	~InputHandler_X11();
 	void Update();
 	void GetDevicesAndDescriptions( vector<InputDeviceInfo>& vDevicesOut );
+private:
+    // timestamp is unsigned long to match X11 Time type
+	void RegisterKeyEvent( unsigned long timestamp, bool keyDown, DeviceButton button );
 };
 
 #endif