diff --git a/src/gui/gui-key.c b/src/gui/gui-key.c
index cdd9f4ee5..8cdd79999 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui-key.c
+++ b/src/gui/gui-key.c
@@ -888,6 +888,9 @@ gui_key_legacy_to_alias (const char *key)
     if (!key)
         return NULL;
 
+    if ((key[0] == '@') && strchr (key, ':'))
+        return strdup (key);
+
     key_raw = gui_key_get_internal_code (key);
     if (!key_raw)
         return NULL;
diff --git a/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-key.cpp b/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-key.cpp
index 82f6663c4..07bbe606f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-key.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-key.cpp
@@ -830,6 +830,8 @@ TEST(GuiKey, LegacyToAlias)
     WEE_TEST_STR(NULL, gui_key_legacy_to_alias (NULL));
     WEE_TEST_STR("", gui_key_legacy_to_alias (""));
 
+    WEE_TEST_STR("@chat:button1", gui_key_legacy_to_alias ("@chat:button1"));
+
     WEE_TEST_STR("", gui_key_legacy_to_alias ("ctrl-"));
     WEE_TEST_STR("", gui_key_legacy_to_alias ("meta-"));
     WEE_TEST_STR("", gui_key_legacy_to_alias ("meta2-"));