diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Io/PadHandler.h b/rpcs3/Emu/Io/PadHandler.h
index fd49f87195..43d9619fb7 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Io/PadHandler.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Io/PadHandler.h
@@ -333,21 +333,54 @@ protected:
 	}
 
 	// Search an unordered map for a string value and return found keycode
-	int FindKeyCode(std::unordered_map<u32, std::string> map, const std::string& name)
+	int FindKeyCode(std::unordered_map<u32, std::string> map, const cfg::string& name, bool fallback = true)
 	{
+		std::string def = name.def;
+		std::string nam = name.to_string();
+		int def_code = -1;
+
 		for (auto it = map.begin(); it != map.end(); ++it)
 		{
-			if (it->second == name) return it->first;
+			if (it->second == nam)
+				return it->first;
+
+			if (fallback && it->second == def)
+				def_code = it->first;
 		}
-		return -1;
+
+		if (fallback)
+		{
+			LOG_ERROR(HLE, "int FindKeyCode for [name = %s] returned with [def_code = %d] for [def = %s]", nam, def_code, def);
+			if (def_code < 0)
+				def_code = 0;
+		}
+
+		return def_code;
 	};
-	long FindKeyCode(std::unordered_map<u64, std::string> map, const std::string& name)
+
+	long FindKeyCode(std::unordered_map<u64, std::string> map, const cfg::string& name, bool fallback = true)
 	{
+		std::string def = name.def;
+		std::string nam = name.to_string();
+		int def_code = -1;
+
 		for (auto it = map.begin(); it != map.end(); ++it)
 		{
-			if (it->second == name) return it->first;
+			if (it->second == nam)
+				return it->first;
+
+			if (fallback && it->second == def)
+				def_code = it->first;
 		}
-		return -1;
+
+		if (fallback)
+		{
+			LOG_ERROR(HLE, "long FindKeyCode for [name = %s] returned with [def_code = %d] for [def = %s]", nam, def_code, def);
+			if (def_code < 0)
+				def_code = 0;
+		}
+
+		return def_code;
 	};
 
 	// Get normalized trigger value based on the range defined by a threshold
diff --git a/rpcs3/evdev_joystick_handler.cpp b/rpcs3/evdev_joystick_handler.cpp
index 582bb3d089..502cb659f3 100644
--- a/rpcs3/evdev_joystick_handler.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/evdev_joystick_handler.cpp
@@ -650,27 +650,21 @@ bool evdev_joystick_handler::bindPadToDevice(std::shared_ptr<Pad> pad, const std
 	std::unordered_map<int, bool> axis_orientations;
 	int i = 0; // increment to know the axis location (17-24). Be careful if you ever add more find_key() calls in here (BUTTON_COUNT = 17)
 
-	auto find_key = [&](const std::string& name)
+	auto find_key = [&](const cfg::string& name)
 	{
-		int key = FindKeyCode(button_list, name);
+		int key = FindKeyCode(axis_list, name, false);
+		if (key >= 0)
+			axis_orientations.emplace(i, false);
+
 		if (key < 0)
 		{
-			key = FindKeyCode(axis_list, name);
+			key = FindKeyCode(rev_axis_list, name, false);
 			if (key >= 0)
-			{
-				axis_orientations.emplace(i, false);
-			}
-		}
-		if (key < 0)
-		{
-			key = FindKeyCode(rev_axis_list, name);
-			if (key >= 0)
-			{
 				axis_orientations.emplace(i, true);
-			}
 		}
+
 		if (key < 0)
-			key = std::stoi(name);
+			key = FindKeyCode(button_list, name);
 
 		i++;
 		return key;
@@ -685,22 +679,22 @@ bool evdev_joystick_handler::bindPadToDevice(std::shared_ptr<Pad> pad, const std
 	);
 
 	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.triangle), CELL_PAD_CTRL_TRIANGLE);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.circle), CELL_PAD_CTRL_CIRCLE);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.cross), CELL_PAD_CTRL_CROSS);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.square), CELL_PAD_CTRL_SQUARE);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.l2), CELL_PAD_CTRL_L2);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.r2), CELL_PAD_CTRL_R2);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.l1), CELL_PAD_CTRL_L1);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.r1), CELL_PAD_CTRL_R1);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.start), CELL_PAD_CTRL_START);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.select), CELL_PAD_CTRL_SELECT);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.l3), CELL_PAD_CTRL_L3);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.r3), CELL_PAD_CTRL_R3);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.ps), 0x100/*CELL_PAD_CTRL_PS*/);// TODO: PS button support
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.up), CELL_PAD_CTRL_UP);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.down), CELL_PAD_CTRL_DOWN);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.left), CELL_PAD_CTRL_LEFT);
-	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.right), CELL_PAD_CTRL_RIGHT);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.circle),   CELL_PAD_CTRL_CIRCLE);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.cross),    CELL_PAD_CTRL_CROSS);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.square),   CELL_PAD_CTRL_SQUARE);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.l2),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_L2);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.r2),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_R2);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.l1),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_L1);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.r1),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_R1);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.start),    CELL_PAD_CTRL_START);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.select),   CELL_PAD_CTRL_SELECT);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.l3),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_L3);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.r3),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_R3);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, find_key(m_pad_config.ps),       0x100/*CELL_PAD_CTRL_PS*/);// TODO: PS button support
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.up),       CELL_PAD_CTRL_UP);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.down),     CELL_PAD_CTRL_DOWN);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.left),     CELL_PAD_CTRL_LEFT);
+	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL1, find_key(m_pad_config.right),    CELL_PAD_CTRL_RIGHT);
 	pad->m_buttons.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2, 0, 0x0); // Reserved
 
 	pad->m_sticks.emplace_back(CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_ANALOG_LEFT_X, find_key(m_pad_config.ls_left), find_key(m_pad_config.ls_right));
diff --git a/rpcs3/mm_joystick_handler.cpp b/rpcs3/mm_joystick_handler.cpp
index 8c6df3eccd..fd10041935 100644
--- a/rpcs3/mm_joystick_handler.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/mm_joystick_handler.cpp
@@ -143,18 +143,13 @@ bool mm_joystick_handler::bindPadToDevice(std::shared_ptr<Pad> pad, const std::s
 	joy_device->device_name = device;
 	joy_device->device_id = id;
 
-	auto find_key = [=](const std::string& name)
+	auto find_key = [=](const cfg::string& name)
 	{
-		long key = FindKeyCode(button_list, name);
+		long key = FindKeyCode(button_list, name, false);
 		if (key < 0)
-			key = FindKeyCode(pov_list, name);
+			key = FindKeyCode(pov_list, name, false);
 		if (key < 0)
 			key = FindKeyCode(axis_list, name);
-		if (key < 0)
-		{
-			LOG_ERROR(HLE, "mmjoystick FindKey(%s) returned value %d", name, key);
-			key = -1;
-		}
 		return key;
 	};