diff --git a/collects/mred/mred.ss b/collects/mred/mred.ss
index 9d1446cda8..3309ac0506 100644
--- a/collects/mred/mred.ss
+++ b/collects/mred/mred.ss
@@ -320,4 +320,5 @@
 	   current-ps-cmap-file-paths
 	   hide-cursor-until-moved
            system-position-ok-before-cancel?
-           label-string?))
+           label-string?
+           key-code-symbol?))
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/check.ss b/collects/mred/private/check.ss
index d46c1996d1..030901fd28 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/check.ss
+++ b/collects/mred/private/check.ss
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@
 	   "const.ss")
   (provide (protect (all-defined)))
 
+  (define (key-code-symbol? x)
+    (and (member x '(start cancel clear shift control menu pause
+                           capital prior next end home left up right down
+                           escape select print execute snapshot insert help 
+                           numpad0 numpad1 numpad2 numpad3 numpad4 numpad5
+                           numpad6 numpad7 numpad8 numpad9 numpad-enter 
+                           multiply add separator subtract decimal divide 
+                           f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 f7 f8 f9 f10 f11 f12 f13 f14
+                           f15 f16 f17 f18 f19 f20 f21 f22 f23 f24 
+                           numlock scroll wheel-up wheel-down release press))
+         #t))
+  
   (define (who->name who)
     (cond
      [(symbol? who) who]
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/gui/key-event-class.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/gui/key-event-class.scrbl
index d4be50baed..9e0ddf419b 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/gui/key-event-class.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/gui/key-event-class.scrbl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ For a key-press event, a virtual key code is provided by
 See also @|mousekeydiscuss|.
 
 
-@defconstructor[([key-code (or/c char? symbol?) #\nul]
+@defconstructor[([key-code (or/c char? key-code-symbol?) #\nul]
                  [shift-down any/c #f]
                  [control-down any/c #f]
                  [meta-down any/c #f]
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Under Mac OS X, if a control-key press is combined with a mouse button
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-key-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol?)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol?)]{
 
 Gets the virtual key code for the key event. The virtual key code is
  either a character or a special key symbol, one of the following:
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ See also @method[key-event% get-other-shift-key-code].
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-key-release-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol?)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol?)]{
 
 Gets the virtual key code for a key-release event; the result is
  @scheme['press] for a key-press event. See @method[key-event%
@@ -199,28 +199,28 @@ Returns @scheme[#t] if the Meta (X), Alt (Windows), or Command (Mac OS
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-other-altgr-key-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol? false/c)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)]{
 
 See @method[key-event% get-other-shift-key-code].
 
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-other-caps-key-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol? false/c)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)]{
 
 See @method[key-event% get-other-shift-key-code].
 
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-other-shift-altgr-key-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol? false/c)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)]{
 
 See @method[key-event% get-other-shift-key-code].
 
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-other-shift-key-code)
-           (or/c char? symbol? false/c)]{
+           (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)]{
 
 Since keyboard mappings vary, it is sometimes useful in key mappings
  for a program to know the result that the keyboard would have
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ Under Mac OS X, if a control-key press is combined with a mouse button
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-key-code [code (or/c char? symbol?)])
+@defmethod[(set-key-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol?)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the virtual key code for the event, either a character or one of
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ Sets the virtual key code for the event, either a character or one of
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-key-release-code [code (or/c char? symbol?)])
+@defmethod[(set-key-release-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol?)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the virtual key code for a release event, either a character or
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ Sets whether the Meta (X), Alt (Windows), or Command (Mac OS X) key
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-other-altgr-key-code [code (or/c char? symbol? false/c)])
+@defmethod[(set-other-altgr-key-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ get-other-altgr-key-code].
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-other-caps-key-code [code (or/c char? symbol? false/c)])
+@defmethod[(set-other-caps-key-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-other-shift-altgr-key-code [code (or/c char? symbol? false/c)])
+@defmethod[(set-other-shift-altgr-key-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
 
 }
 
-@defmethod[(set-other-shift-key-code [code (or/c char? symbol? false/c)])
+@defmethod[(set-other-shift-key-code [code (or/c char? key-code-symbol? false/c)])
            void?]{
 
 Sets the key code produced by @method[key-event%
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/gui/miscwin-funcs.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/gui/miscwin-funcs.scrbl
index 69fc36a6cf..897a3600fa 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/gui/miscwin-funcs.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/gui/miscwin-funcs.scrbl
@@ -472,4 +472,9 @@ See also @scheme[get-resource].}
 
 @defproc[(label-string? [v any/c]) boolean?]{
   Returns @scheme[#t] if @scheme[v] is a string whose length is less than or equal to @scheme[200].                                             
+}
+
+@defproc[(key-code-symbol? [v any/c]) boolean?]{
+  Returns @scheme[#t] if the argument is a symbol that can be returned by
+  @scheme[key-event%]'s method @method[key-event% get-key-code].
 }
\ No newline at end of file