diff --git a/apps/mcdu/src/App.jsx b/apps/mcdu/src/App.jsx
index 7f6eae5e..72047b61 100644
--- a/apps/mcdu/src/App.jsx
+++ b/apps/mcdu/src/App.jsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import './assets/css/App.css';
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import useWebSocket, { ReadyState } from 'react-use-websocket';
 import { McduScreen } from './components/McduScreen';
 import { McduButtons } from './components/McduButtons';
 import { WebsocketContext } from './WebsocketContext';
+import { McduKeyboardEvents } from './McduKeyboardEvents';
 import darkBg from './assets/images/mcdu-a32nx-dark.png';
 import bg from './assets/images/mcdu-a32nx.png';
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ const App = () => {
     // automaticaly upgrate to wss if the page is served over https
     if (window.location.protocol === 'https:') {
         socketUrl = socketUrl.replace('ws', 'wss');
-    };
+    }
 
     const [content, setContent] = useState(
         {
@@ -79,6 +80,13 @@ const App = () => {
         reconnectInterval: 500,
     });
 
+    const { onKeyboardInput } = new McduKeyboardEvents(sendMessage);
+    const rootPanelRef = useRef(null);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        rootPanelRef.current.focus();
+    }, []);
+
     useEffect(() => {
         if (readyState === ReadyState.OPEN) {
             sendMessage('requestUpdate');
@@ -100,7 +108,7 @@ const App = () => {
     }
 
     return (
-        <>
+        <div ref={rootPanelRef} tabIndex={-1} onKeyDown={onKeyboardInput}>
             {!fullscreen && (
                 <>
                     <div className="normal">
@@ -151,7 +159,7 @@ const App = () => {
                     </div>
                 </>
             )}
-        </>
+        </div>
     );
 };
 
diff --git a/apps/mcdu/src/McduKeyboardEvents.js b/apps/mcdu/src/McduKeyboardEvents.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9df866ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mcdu/src/McduKeyboardEvents.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+const McduFunctionalKeys = {
+    Tab: 'DIR',
+    Insert: 'PROG',
+    Home: 'PERF',
+    PageUp: 'INIT',
+    Enter: 'DATA',
+    NumpadEnter: 'DATA',
+    Delete: 'FPLN',
+    End: 'RAD',
+    PageDown: 'FUEL',
+    Escape: 'MENU',
+    ShiftLeft: 'AIRPORT',
+    ArrowLeft: 'PREVPAGE',
+    ArrowRight: 'NEXTPAGE',
+    ArrowUp: 'UP',
+    ArrowDown: 'DOWN',
+    Backspace: 'CLR',
+    Space: 'SP',
+    Minus: 'PLUSMINUS',
+    NumpadSubtract: 'PLUSMINUS',
+    NumpadAdd: 'PLUSMINUS',
+    Period: 'DOT',
+    NumpadDecimal: 'DOT',
+    NumpadDivide: 'DIV',
+    Slash: 'DIV',
+    NumpadMultiply: 'OVFY',
+};
+
+export class McduKeyboardEvents {
+    constructor(socketSender) {
+        this.socketSender = socketSender;
+        this.mcduFunctionalKeys = McduFunctionalKeys;
+    }
+
+    getMcduKey = (keyEvent) => {
+        // match mcdu L/R row input for F keys
+        if (keyEvent.code.match(/F\d+/)) {
+            const fn = parseInt(keyEvent.code.replace('F', ''));
+            return fn <= 6 ? `L${fn}` : `R${fn - 6}`;
+        }
+
+        // match a-z
+        if (keyEvent.code.match(/Key[A-Z]/)) {
+            return keyEvent.code.replace('Key', '').toLocaleUpperCase();
+        }
+
+        // match 0-9
+        if (keyEvent.code.match(/(Digit|Numpad)\d/i)) {
+            return keyEvent.code.replace(/Digit|Numpad/i, '');
+        }
+
+        // match mcdu function keys
+        return this.mcduFunctionalKeys[keyEvent.code];
+    }
+
+    onKeyboardInput = (keyEvent) => {
+        //console.log('event', { key: keyEvent.key, code: keyEvent.code });
+        const key = this.getMcduKey(keyEvent);
+
+        if (key) {
+            keyEvent.preventDefault();
+            keyEvent.stopPropagation();
+        } else {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        //console.log(`mcdu key: ${key}`);
+
+        this.socketSender(`event:left:${key}`);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apps/mcdu/src/index.html b/apps/mcdu/src/index.html
index 21c5a17f..bc852a26 100644
--- a/apps/mcdu/src/index.html
+++ b/apps/mcdu/src/index.html
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
     <div id="root">
         <script type='text/javascript' src="index.js"></script>
         <script>
+            // window close prompt
+            window.onbeforeunload = () => { return false; }
+
             // Workaround for a webkit "feature" where 100vh is not actually 100vh
             function appHeight() {
                 const doc = document.documentElement;