diff --git a/lib/key-bindings.zsh b/lib/key-bindings.zsh
index 5f499f3e8..0c5081abf 100644
--- a/lib/key-bindings.zsh
+++ b/lib/key-bindings.zsh
@@ -4,47 +4,10 @@ bindkey -e
 bindkey '\ew' kill-region
 bindkey -s '\el' "ls\n"
 bindkey '^r' history-incremental-search-backward
-bindkey "^[[5~" up-line-or-history
-bindkey "^[[6~" down-line-or-history
 
-# make search up and down work, so partially type and hit up/down to find relevant stuff
-bindkey '^[[A' up-line-or-search
-bindkey '^[[B' down-line-or-search
-
-bindkey "^[[H" beginning-of-line
-bindkey "^[[1~" beginning-of-line
-bindkey "^[OH" beginning-of-line
-bindkey "^[[F"  end-of-line
-bindkey "^[[4~" end-of-line
-bindkey "^[OF" end-of-line
 bindkey ' ' magic-space    # also do history expansion on space
 
 bindkey "^[[1;5C" forward-word
 bindkey "^[[1;5D" backward-word
 
 bindkey '^[[Z' reverse-menu-complete
-
-# Make the delete key (or Fn + Delete on the Mac) work instead of outputting a ~
-bindkey '^?' backward-delete-char
-bindkey "^[[3~" delete-char
-bindkey "^[3;5~" delete-char
-bindkey "\e[3~" delete-char
-
-# consider emacs keybindings:
-
-#bindkey -e  ## emacs key bindings
-#
-#bindkey '^[[A' up-line-or-search
-#bindkey '^[[B' down-line-or-search
-#bindkey '^[^[[C' emacs-forward-word
-#bindkey '^[^[[D' emacs-backward-word
-#
-#bindkey -s '^X^Z' '%-^M'
-#bindkey '^[e' expand-cmd-path
-#bindkey '^[^I' reverse-menu-complete
-#bindkey '^X^N' accept-and-infer-next-history
-#bindkey '^W' kill-region
-#bindkey '^I' complete-word
-## Fix weird sequence that rxvt produces
-#bindkey -s '^[[Z' '\t'
-#
diff --git a/lib/special-keys.zsh b/lib/special-keys.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac3c41ebe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/special-keys.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#create special key keybindings (home, end, insert delete arrow keys)
+#see http://zshwiki.org/home/zle/bindkeys
+
+# create a zkbd compatible hash;
+# to add other keys to this hash, see: man 5 terminfo
+typeset -A key
+
+key[Home]=${terminfo[khome]}
+key[End]=${terminfo[kend]}
+key[Insert]=${terminfo[kich1]}
+key[Delete]=${terminfo[kdch1]}
+key[Up]=${terminfo[kcuu1]}
+key[Down]=${terminfo[kcud1]}
+key[Left]=${terminfo[kcub1]}
+key[Right]=${terminfo[kcuf1]}
+key[PageUp]=${terminfo[kpp]}
+key[PageDown]=${terminfo[knp]}
+
+# setup key accordingly
+[[ -n "${key[Home]}"    ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Home]}"    beginning-of-line
+[[ -n "${key[End]}"     ]]  && bindkey  "${key[End]}"     end-of-line
+[[ -n "${key[Insert]}"  ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Insert]}"  overwrite-mode
+[[ -n "${key[Delete]}"  ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Delete]}"  delete-char
+[[ -n "${key[Up]}"      ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Up]}"      up-line-or-history
+[[ -n "${key[Down]}"    ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Down]}"    down-line-or-history
+[[ -n "${key[Left]}"    ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Left]}"    backward-char
+[[ -n "${key[Right]}"   ]]  && bindkey  "${key[Right]}"   forward-char
+
+# Finally, make sure the terminal is in application mode, when zle is
+# active. Only then are the values from $terminfo valid.
+function zle-line-init () {
+    echoti smkx
+}
+function zle-line-finish () {
+    echoti rmkx
+}
+zle -N zle-line-init
+zle -N zle-line-finish  
diff --git a/plugins/vi-mode/vi-mode.plugin.zsh b/plugins/vi-mode/vi-mode.plugin.zsh
index a06100472..ab98ff517 100644
--- a/plugins/vi-mode/vi-mode.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/vi-mode/vi-mode.plugin.zsh
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ zle -N zle-keymap-select
 
 bindkey -v
 
+#rebind special key keybinds
+source $ZSH/lib/special-keys.zsh
+
 # if mode indicator wasn't setup by theme, define default
 if [[ "$MODE_INDICATOR" == "" ]]; then
   MODE_INDICATOR="%{$fg_bold[red]%}<%{$fg[red]%}<<%{$reset_color%}"