diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2202a94..f632f25 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ any extensions or special installation.
     * [Cursor](#cursor)
     * [History](#history)
     * [Autocomplete](#autocomplete)
+    * [Keys](#keys)
 * [Pitfalls](#pitfalls)
 * [Install](#install)
 * [Tests](#tests)
@@ -503,6 +504,57 @@ disable the autocomplete function:
 $readline->setAutocomplete(null);
 ```
 
+#### Keys
+
+The `Readline` class is responsible for reading user input from `STDIN` and
+registering appropriate key events.
+By default, `Readline` uses a hard-coded key mapping that resembles the one
+usually found in common terminals.
+This means that normal Unicode character keys ("a" and "b", but also "?", "ä",
+"µ" etc.) will be processed as user input, while special control keys can be
+used for [cursor movement](#cursor), [history](#history) and
+[autocomplete](#autocomplete) functions.
+Unknown special keys will be ignored and will not processed as part of the user
+input by default.
+
+Additionally, you can bind custom functions to any key code you want.
+If a custom function is bound to a certain key code, the default behavior will
+no longer trigger.
+This allows you to register entirely new functions to keys or to overwrite any
+of the existing behavior.
+
+For example, you can use the following code to print some help text when the
+user hits a certain key:
+
+```php
+$readline->on('?', function () use ($stdio) {
+     $stdio->write('Here\'s some help: …' . PHP_EOL);
+});
+```
+
+Similarly, this can be used to manipulate the user input and replace some of the
+input when the user hits a certain key:
+
+```php
+$readline->on('ä', function () use ($readline) {
+     $readline->addInput('a');
+});
+```
+
+The `Readline` uses raw binary key codes as emitted by the terminal.
+This means that you can use the normal UTF-8 character representation for normal
+Unicode characters.
+Special keys use binary control code sequences (refer to ANSI / VT100 control
+codes for more details).
+For example, the following code can be used to register a custom function to the
+UP arrow cursor key:
+
+```php
+$readline->on("\033[A", function () use ($readline) {
+     $readline->setInput(strtoupper($readline->getInput()));
+});
+```
+
 ## Pitfalls
 
 The [`Readline`](#readline) has to redraw the current user
diff --git a/examples/04-bindings.php b/examples/04-bindings.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9262546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/04-bindings.php
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+<?php
+
+use Clue\React\Stdio\Stdio;
+
+require __DIR__ . '/../vendor/autoload.php';
+
+$loop = React\EventLoop\Factory::create();
+
+$stdio = new Stdio($loop);
+$readline = $stdio->getReadline();
+
+$readline->setPrompt('> ');
+
+// add some special key bindings
+$readline->on('a', function () use ($readline) {
+    $readline->addInput('ä');
+});
+$readline->on('o', function () use ($readline) {
+    $readline->addInput('ö');
+});
+$readline->on('u', function () use ($readline) {
+    $readline->addInput('ü');
+});
+
+$readline->on('?', function () use ($stdio) {
+    $stdio->write('Do you need help?');
+});
+
+// bind CTRL+E
+$readline->on("\x05", function () use ($stdio) {
+    $stdio->write("ignore CTRL+E" . PHP_EOL);
+});
+// bind CTRL+H
+$readline->on("\x08", function () use ($stdio) {
+    $stdio->write('Use "?" if you need help.' . PHP_EOL);
+});
+
+$stdio->write('Welcome to this interactive demo' . PHP_EOL);
+
+// end once the user enters a command
+$stdio->on('data', function ($line) use ($stdio, $readline) {
+    $line = rtrim($line, "\r\n");
+    $stdio->end('you just said: ' . $line . ' (' . strlen($line) . ')' . PHP_EOL);
+});
+
+$loop->run();
diff --git a/examples/05-cursor.php b/examples/05-cursor.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08da168
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/05-cursor.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+use Clue\React\Stdio\Stdio;
+
+require __DIR__ . '/../vendor/autoload.php';
+
+$loop = React\EventLoop\Factory::create();
+
+$stdio = new Stdio($loop);
+$readline = $stdio->getReadline();
+
+$value = 10;
+$readline->on("\033[A", function () use (&$value, $readline) {
+    $value++;
+    $readline->setPrompt('Value: ' . $value);
+});
+$readline->on("\033[B", function () use (&$value, $readline) {
+    --$value;
+    $readline->setPrompt('Value: ' . $value);
+});
+
+// hijack enter to just print our current value
+$readline->on("\n", function () use ($readline, $stdio, &$value) {
+    $stdio->write("Your choice was $value\n");
+});
+
+// quit on "q"
+$readline->on('q', function () use ($stdio) {
+    $stdio->end();
+});
+
+// user can still type all keys, but we simply hide user input
+$readline->setEcho(false);
+
+// instead of showing user input, we just show a custom prompt
+$readline->setPrompt('Value: ' . $value);
+
+$stdio->write('Welcome to this cursor demo
+
+Use cursor UP/DOWN to change value.
+
+Use "q" to quit
+');
+
+$loop->run();
diff --git a/src/Readline.php b/src/Readline.php
index ac0e5df..56327a2 100644
--- a/src/Readline.php
+++ b/src/Readline.php
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ public function __construct(ReadableStreamInterface $input, WritableStreamInterf
 //          "\033[20~" => 'onKeyF10',
         );
         $decode = function ($code) use ($codes, $that) {
+            if ($that->listeners($code)) {
+                $that->emit($code, array($code));
+                return;
+            }
+
             if (isset($codes[$code])) {
                 $method = $codes[$code];
                 $that->$method($code);
@@ -724,7 +729,26 @@ public function onKeyDown()
      */
     public function onFallback($chars)
     {
-        $this->addInput($chars);
+        // check if there's any special key binding for any of the chars
+        $buffer = '';
+        foreach ($this->strsplit($chars) as $char) {
+            if ($this->listeners($char)) {
+                // special key binding for this character found
+                // process all characters before this one before invoking function
+                if ($buffer !== '') {
+                    $this->addInput($buffer);
+                    $buffer = '';
+                }
+                $this->emit($char, array($char));
+            } else {
+                $buffer .= $char;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // process remaining input characters after last special key binding
+        if ($buffer !== '') {
+            $this->addInput($buffer);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -837,6 +861,11 @@ public function strwidth($str)
         ));
     }
 
+    private function strsplit($str)
+    {
+        return preg_split('//u', $str, null, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
+    }
+
     /** @internal */
     public function handleEnd()
     {
diff --git a/tests/FunctionalExampleTest.php b/tests/FunctionalExampleTest.php
index 8865aa7..e25588b 100644
--- a/tests/FunctionalExampleTest.php
+++ b/tests/FunctionalExampleTest.php
@@ -52,6 +52,20 @@ public function testPeriodicExampleWithClosedInputAndOutputQuitsImmediatelyWitho
         $this->assertEquals('', $output);
     }
 
+    public function testBindingsExampleWithPipedInputEndsBecauseInputEnds()
+    {
+        $output = $this->execExample('echo test | php 04-bindings.php');
+
+        $this->assertContains('you just said: test (4)' . PHP_EOL, $output);
+    }
+
+    public function testBindingsExampleWithPipedInputEndsWithSpecialBindingsReplacedBecauseInputEnds()
+    {
+        $output = $this->execExample('echo hello | php 04-bindings.php');
+
+        $this->assertContains('you just said: hellö (6)' . PHP_EOL, $output);
+    }
+
     public function testStubShowStdinIsReadableByDefault()
     {
         $output = $this->execExample('php ../tests/stub/01-check-stdin.php');
diff --git a/tests/ReadlineTest.php b/tests/ReadlineTest.php
index ad7760a..2fe9eb0 100644
--- a/tests/ReadlineTest.php
+++ b/tests/ReadlineTest.php
@@ -943,6 +943,44 @@ public function testAutocompleteShowsLimitedNumberOfAvailableOptionsWhenMultiple
         $this->assertContains("\na  b  c  d  e  f  g  (+19 others)\n", $buffer);
     }
 
+    public function testBindCustomFunctionOverwritesInput()
+    {
+        $this->readline->on('a', $this->expectCallableOnceWith('a'));
+
+        $this->input->emit('data', array("a"));
+
+        $this->assertEquals('', $this->readline->getInput());
+    }
+
+    public function testBindCustomFunctionOverwritesInputButKeepsRest()
+    {
+        $this->readline->on('e', $this->expectCallableOnceWith('e'));
+
+        $this->input->emit('data', array("test"));
+
+        $this->assertEquals('tst', $this->readline->getInput());
+    }
+
+    public function testBindCustomFunctionCanOverwriteInput()
+    {
+        $readline = $this->readline;
+        $readline->on('a', function () use ($readline) {
+            $readline->addInput('ä');
+        });
+
+        $this->input->emit('data', array("hallo"));
+
+        $this->assertEquals('hällo', $this->readline->getInput());
+    }
+
+    public function testBindCustomFunctionCanOverwriteAutocompleteBehavior()
+    {
+        $this->readline->on("\t", $this->expectCallableOnceWith("\t"));
+        $this->readline->setAutocomplete($this->expectCallableNever());
+
+        $this->input->emit('data', array("\t"));
+    }
+
     public function testEmitEmptyInputOnEnter()
     {
         $this->readline->on('data', $this->expectCallableOnceWith("\n"));