diff --git a/chameleonic.p8 b/chameleonic.p8
index 0cd441e..b2715b2 100644
--- a/chameleonic.p8
+++ b/chameleonic.p8
@@ -117,22 +117,46 @@ end
 kbd={}
 add(real_modules,kbd)
 function kbd:init()
- self.prev_real=btn()
+ self.real=btn()
  self.down=0
 end
 
 function kbd:update()
- local now=btn()
- local pressed=now&~self.prev_real
- self.down&=now
- self.down|=pressed
- self.prev_real=now
+ -- figure out what keys are _really_ pressed
+ local now_real=btn()
+ local was_real=self.real
+ self.real=now_real
+
+ -- add keys that are really pressed 
+ -- if they weren't really pressed before
+ -- (they may have been force-
+ --  released by :release())
+ local real_pressed=(~was_real)&now_real
+
+ local now_down=(self.down&now_real)|real_pressed
+ local was_down=self.down
+ self.down=now_down
+
+ -- deduce pressed/released by changes in down
+ local pressed=(~was_down)&now_down
+ local released=(~now_down)&was_down
+
+ self.pressed=pressed
+ self.released=released
 end
 
 function kbd:btn(i)
  return self.down&(1<<i)!=0
 end
 
+function kbd:btnp(i)
+ return self.pressed&(1<<i)!=0
+end
+
+function kbd:btnr(i)
+ return self.released&(1<<i)!=0
+end
+
 function kbd:release(i)
  self.down&=~(1<<i)
 end
@@ -624,33 +648,41 @@ function player:update()
   end
 
   if kbd:btn(0) then 
-   if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,-1,0,0,2) then
-    self.todo=f4({{orientx=-1,orienty=0,px=-2},{px=-7},{x=self.x-1}})
-   else
-    self.orientx=-1
-    self.orienty=0
-   end
+   self.orientx=-1
+   self.orienty=0
   elseif kbd:btn(1) then
-   if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,1,0,0,2) then
-    self.todo=f4({{orientx=1,orienty=0,px=2},{px=7},{x=self.x+1}})
-   else
-    self.orientx=1
-    self.orienty=0
-   end
+   self.orientx=1
+   self.orienty=0
   elseif kbd:btn(2) then
-   if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,0,-1,0,2) then
-    self.todo=f4({{orienty=-1,py=-2},{py=-7},{y=self.y-1}})
-   else
-    self.orienty=-1
-   end
+   self.orienty=-1
   elseif kbd:btn(3) then
-   if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,0,1,0,2) then
-    self.todo=f4({{orienty=1,py=2},{py=7},{y=self.y+1}})
-   else
-    self.orienty=1
+   self.orienty=1
+  end
+
+  if kbd:btn(4) then
+   if kbd:btnp(4) and self.rope!=nil then 
+    self.rope:destroy()
+    kbd:release(4)
    end
-  elseif kbd:btn(4) then
-   if self.rope==nil then
+   -- wait for user to release it
+  else
+   if kbd:btn(0) then 
+    if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,-1,0,0,2) then
+     self.todo=f4({{orientx=-1,orienty=0,px=-2},{px=-7},{x=self.x-1}})
+    end
+   elseif kbd:btn(1) then
+    if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,1,0,0,2) then
+     self.todo=f4({{orientx=1,orienty=0,px=2},{px=7},{x=self.x+1}})
+    end
+   elseif kbd:btn(2) then
+    if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,0,-1,0,2) then
+     self.todo=f4({{orienty=-1,py=-2},{py=-7},{y=self.y-1}})
+    end
+   elseif kbd:btn(3) then
+    if level:can_move(true,self.x,self.y,0,1,0,2) then
+     self.todo=f4({{orienty=1,py=2},{py=7},{y=self.y+1}})
+    end
+   elseif self.rope==nil and kbd:btnr(4) then
     local rx,ry,rx2,ry2=self:_rope_pos()
     local dx,dy=12*self.orientx,12*self.orienty
     if (dy!=0) dx=0
@@ -660,19 +692,16 @@ function player:update()
      update=function()
       return self.rope==nil or self.rope:latched()
      end
-    },{},{}}
-   else
-    self.rope:tug()
-    self.todo={{},{},{}}
-   end
-  elseif kbd:btn(5) then
-   if self.rope!=nil then
-    self.rope:destroy()
+    }}
+   elseif kbd:btnp(5) then
+    if self.rope!=nil then
+     self.rope:tug()
+    end
    end
   end
  end
 
-  if (self.rope) self.rope:prevent_highlight(#self.todo>0) 
+ if (self.rope) self.rope:prevent_highlight(#self.todo>0) 
  _apply(self,self.todo)
 
  if self.rope then
@@ -686,9 +715,6 @@ function player:update()
 
   if self.rope:done() then
    self.rope=nil
-   add(self.todo,{})
-   add(self.todo,{})
-   add(self.todo,{})
   end
  end
 end