diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index e22376d2ef..a39f4dfd4d 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
    The license applies to all entries newer than 2009-04-28.
 */
 
+2012-04-25 02:20 UTC+0200 Viktor Szakats (harbour syenar.net)
+  * include/harbour.hbx
+  * src/rtl/inkey.c
+    + added HB_KEYCODE( <cChar> ) -> <nExtKey>
+    ; pls review me. It helps replacing ASC() calls in unicode apps
+      where it's used to convert characters (f.e. hotkeys) to keyboard
+      codes.
+
 2012-04-25 00:03 UTC+0200 Viktor Szakats (harbour syenar.net)
   * contrib/hbmisc/udpds.prg
     + updated to be CP agnostic
diff --git a/harbour/include/harbour.hbx b/harbour/include/harbour.hbx
index 512867a9a9..465d66a857 100644
--- a/harbour/include/harbour.hbx
+++ b/harbour/include/harbour.hbx
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ DYNAMIC hb_jsonDecode
 DYNAMIC hb_jsonEncode
 DYNAMIC hb_keyChar
 DYNAMIC hb_keyClear
+DYNAMIC hb_keyCode
 DYNAMIC hb_keyIns
 DYNAMIC hb_keyLast
 DYNAMIC hb_keyNext
diff --git a/harbour/src/rtl/inkey.c b/harbour/src/rtl/inkey.c
index 2c88a0406f..9bdb5db5ee 100644
--- a/harbour/src/rtl/inkey.c
+++ b/harbour/src/rtl/inkey.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
  * The following parts are Copyright of the individual authors.
  * www - http://harbour-project.org
  *
- * Copyright 1999-2001 Viktor Szakats (harbour syenar.net)
+ * Copyright 1999-2012 Viktor Szakats (harbour syenar.net)
  *    HB_KEYPUT()
  *
  * Copyright 2003-2012 Przemyslaw Czerpak <druzus@acn.waw.pl>
@@ -220,6 +220,28 @@ HB_FUNC( HB_SETLASTKEY )
       hb_retni( hb_inkeySetLast( hb_parni( 1 ) ) );
 }
 
+HB_FUNC( HB_KEYCODE )
+{
+   const char * szValue = hb_parc( 1 );
+   int iKey;
+
+   if( szValue )
+   {
+      PHB_CODEPAGE cdp = hb_vmCDP();
+      HB_SIZE nIndex = 0;
+      HB_WCHAR wc;
+
+      if( HB_CDPCHAR_GET( cdp, szValue, hb_parclen( 1 ), &nIndex, &wc ) )
+         iKey = wc >= 128 ? HB_INKEY_NEW_UNICODE( wc ) : wc;
+      else
+         iKey = 0;
+   }
+   else
+      iKey = 0;
+
+   hb_retni( iKey );
+}
+
 HB_FUNC( HB_KEYCHAR )
 {
    char szKeyChr[ HB_MAX_CHAR_LEN ];