diff --git a/gtk/src/gtk_binding.cpp b/gtk/src/gtk_binding.cpp
index 0df9a680..d1c21139 100644
--- a/gtk/src/gtk_binding.cpp
+++ b/gtk/src/gtk_binding.cpp
@@ -172,6 +172,62 @@ Binding::is_negative (void)
     return JOY_DIRECTION_UNMASK (value) == AXIS_NEG;
 }
 
+Binding::Binding (const char *raw_string)
+{
+    value = 0;
+
+    if (!raw_string)
+        return;
+
+    char substr[80];
+    if (sscanf (raw_string, "Keyboard %79s", substr) == 1)
+    {
+        bool ctrl = false;
+        bool shift = false;
+        bool alt= false;
+        unsigned int keyval = 0;
+        char *key;
+
+        key = strtok (substr, "+");
+        while (key)
+        {
+            if (strstr (key, "Alt"))
+                alt = true;
+            else if (strstr (key, "Ctrl"))
+                ctrl = true;
+            else if (strstr (key, "Shift"))
+                shift = true;
+            else
+            {
+                keyval = gdk_keyval_from_name (key);
+            }
+
+            key = strtok (NULL, "+");
+        }
+
+        value = Binding(keyval, ctrl, shift, alt).value;
+    }
+    else if (!strncmp (raw_string, "Joystick", 8))
+    {
+        unsigned int axis;
+        unsigned int button;
+        unsigned int percent;
+        unsigned int device;
+        char posneg;
+        const char *substr = &raw_string[8];
+
+        if (sscanf (substr, "%u Axis #%u %c %u", &device, &axis, &posneg, &percent) == 4)
+        {
+            value = Binding(device - 1, JOY_AXIS (axis, posneg == '+' ? AXIS_POS : AXIS_NEG), percent).value;
+        }
+        else if (sscanf (substr, "%u Button %u", &device, &button) == 2)
+        {
+            value = Binding(device - 1, button, 0).value;
+        }
+
+    }
+}
+
 void
 Binding::to_string (char *str)
 {
diff --git a/gtk/src/gtk_binding.h b/gtk/src/gtk_binding.h
index de8a2270..fc54349f 100644
--- a/gtk/src/gtk_binding.h
+++ b/gtk/src/gtk_binding.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 #define AXIS_POS                    1
 #define AXIS_NEG                    0
-#define JOY_AXIS(axis, button)      (512 + ((axis) * 2 + (button)))
+#define JOY_AXIS(axis, direction)   (512 + ((axis) * 2 + (direction)))
 #define JOY_AXIS_UNMASK(bin)        ((((bin) & 0x0000ffff) - 512) / 2)
 #define JOY_DIRECTION_UNMASK(bin)   ((((bin) & 0x0000ffff) - 512) % 2)
 #define BINDING_KEY                 0x10000000
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class Binding
         Binding (GdkEventKey *event);
         Binding (unsigned int);
         Binding (void);
+        Binding (const char *str);
         void to_string (char *str);
         unsigned int hex (void);   
         unsigned int base_hex (void);
diff --git a/gtk/src/gtk_config.cpp b/gtk/src/gtk_config.cpp
index 4555567f..07938421 100644
--- a/gtk/src/gtk_config.cpp
+++ b/gtk/src/gtk_config.cpp
@@ -127,14 +127,11 @@ xml_out_float (xmlTextWriterPtr xml, const char *name, float value)
 }
 
 static void
-xml_out_binding (xmlTextWriterPtr xml, const char *name, unsigned int value)
+xml_out_binding (xmlTextWriterPtr xml, const char *name, const char *value)
 {
-    char string[1024];
-    snprintf (string, 1024, "%u", value);
-
     xmlTextWriterStartElement (xml, BAD_CAST ("binding"));
     xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute (xml, BAD_CAST ("name"), BAD_CAST (name));
-    xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute (xml, BAD_CAST ("binding"), BAD_CAST (string));
+    xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute (xml, BAD_CAST ("binding"), BAD_CAST (value));
     xmlTextWriterEndElement (xml);
 }
 
@@ -478,7 +475,8 @@ Snes9xConfig::save_config_file (void)
 
         for (int j = 0; j < NUM_JOYPAD_LINKS; j++)
         {
-            xml_out_binding (xml, b_links[j].snes9x_name, joypad[j].hex ());
+            joypad[j].to_string (buffer);
+            xml_out_binding (xml, b_links[j].snes9x_name, buffer);
         }
 
         xmlTextWriterEndElement (xml); /* joypad */
@@ -486,9 +484,10 @@ Snes9xConfig::save_config_file (void)
 
     for (int i = NUM_JOYPAD_LINKS; b_links[i].snes9x_name; i++)
     {
+        shortcut[i - NUM_JOYPAD_LINKS].to_string (buffer);
         xml_out_binding (xml,
                          b_links[i].snes9x_name,
-                         shortcut[i - NUM_JOYPAD_LINKS].hex ());
+                         buffer);
     }
 
     xmlTextWriterEndElement (xml); /* controls */
@@ -1015,7 +1014,7 @@ Snes9xConfig::parse_binding (xmlNodePtr node, int joypad_number)
             type = (char *) attr->children->content;
     }
 
-    b = Binding ((unsigned int) strtoul (type, NULL, 10));
+    b = Binding (type);
 
     if (joypad_number > -1 && joypad_number < NUM_JOYPAD_LINKS)
     {