diff --git a/src/common/KeyMap.cxx b/src/common/KeyMap.cxx
index c69dd6023..69ecd7593 100644
--- a/src/common/KeyMap.cxx
+++ b/src/common/KeyMap.cxx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 //============================================================================
 
 #include "KeyMap.hxx"
+#include "Logger.hxx"
 #include "jsonDefinitions.hxx"
 #include <map>
 
@@ -198,35 +199,48 @@ int KeyMap::loadMapping(const json& mappings, const EventMode mode) {
   int i = 0;
 
   for (const json& mapping: mappings) {
-    add(
-      mapping.at("event").get<Event::Type>(),
-      mode,
-      mapping.at("key").get<StellaKey>(),
-      mapping.contains("mod") ? mapping.at("mod").get<StellaMod>() : StellaMod::KBDM_NONE
-    );
+    try {
+      add(
+        mapping.at("event").get<Event::Type>(),
+        mode,
+        mapping.at("key").get<StellaKey>(),
+        mapping.contains("mod") ? mapping.at("mod").get<StellaMod>() : StellaMod::KBDM_NONE
+      );
 
-    i++;
+      i++;
+    } catch (json::exception) {
+      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mapping");
+    }
   }
 
   return i;
 }
-/*
-int KeyMap::loadMapping(string& list, const EventMode mode)
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+json KeyMap::convertLegacyMapping(string list)
 {
+  json convertedMapping = json::array();
+
   // Since istringstream swallows whitespace, we have to make the
   // delimiters be spaces
   std::replace(list.begin(), list.end(), '|', ' ');
   std::replace(list.begin(), list.end(), ':', ' ');
   std::replace(list.begin(), list.end(), ',', ' ');
   istringstream buf(list);
-  int event, key, mod, i = 0;
+  int event, key, mod;
 
-  while (buf >> event && buf >> key && buf >> mod && ++i)
-    add(Event::Type(event), mode, key, mod);
+  while (buf >> event && buf >> key && buf >> mod) {
+    json mapping = json::object();
 
-  return i;
+    mapping["event"] = Event::Type(event);
+    mapping["key"] = StellaKey(key);
+    mapping["mod"] = StellaMod(mod);
+
+    convertedMapping.push_back(mapping);
+  }
+
+  return convertedMapping;
 }
-*/
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void KeyMap::eraseMode(const EventMode mode)
diff --git a/src/common/KeyMap.hxx b/src/common/KeyMap.hxx
index 28e5f3bab..b5805225f 100644
--- a/src/common/KeyMap.hxx
+++ b/src/common/KeyMap.hxx
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ class KeyMap
     nlohmann::json saveMapping(const EventMode mode) const;
     int loadMapping(const nlohmann::json& mapping, const EventMode mode);
 
+    static nlohmann::json convertLegacyMapping(string list);
+
     /** Erase all mappings for given mode */
     void eraseMode(const EventMode mode);
     /** Erase given event's mapping for given mode */
diff --git a/src/common/PJoystickHandler.cxx b/src/common/PJoystickHandler.cxx
index f045d292a..206c98c4c 100644
--- a/src/common/PJoystickHandler.cxx
+++ b/src/common/PJoystickHandler.cxx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ PhysicalJoystickHandler::PhysicalJoystickHandler(
 
   for (const json& mapping: mappings) {
     if (!mapping.contains("name")) {
-      Logger::error("igmoring bad joystick mapping");
+      Logger::error("ignoring bad joystick mapping");
       continue;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.cxx b/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.cxx
index 983c0192e..108a620b9 100644
--- a/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.cxx
+++ b/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.cxx
@@ -49,38 +49,15 @@ PhysicalKeyboardHandler::PhysicalKeyboardHandler(OSystem& system, EventHandler&
   // Compare if event list version has changed so that key maps became invalid
   if (version == Event::VERSION)
   {
-    try {
-      myKeyMap.loadMapping(json::parse(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_emu")), EventMode::kCommonMode);
-    } catch (json::exception) {
-      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings for mode: common");
-    }
-
-    try {
-      myKeyMap.loadMapping(json::parse(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_joy")), EventMode::kJoystickMode);
-    } catch (json::exception) {
-      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings for mode: joystick");
-    }
-
-    try {
-      myKeyMap.loadMapping(json::parse(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_pad")), EventMode::kPaddlesMode);
-    } catch (json::exception) {
-      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings for mode: paddles");
-    }
-
-    try {
-      myKeyMap.loadMapping(json::parse(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_key")), EventMode::kKeypadMode);
-    } catch (json::exception) {
-      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings for mode: keypad");
-    }
-
-    try {
-      myKeyMap.loadMapping(json::parse(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_ui")), EventMode::kMenuMode);
-    } catch (json::exception) {
-      Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings for mode: UI");
-    }
+    loadSerializedMappings(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_emu"), EventMode::kCommonMode);
+    loadSerializedMappings(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_joy"), EventMode::kJoystickMode);
+    loadSerializedMappings(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_pad"), EventMode::kPaddlesMode);
+    loadSerializedMappings(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_key"), EventMode::kKeypadMode);
+    loadSerializedMappings(myOSystem.settings().getString("keymap_ui"), EventMode::kMenuMode);
 
     updateDefaults = true;
   }
+
   myKeyMap.enableMod() = myOSystem.settings().getBool("modcombo");
 
   setDefaultMapping(Event::NoType, EventMode::kEmulationMode, updateDefaults);
@@ -90,6 +67,26 @@ PhysicalKeyboardHandler::PhysicalKeyboardHandler(OSystem& system, EventHandler&
 #endif // DEBUG
 }
 
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+void PhysicalKeyboardHandler::loadSerializedMappings(const string& serializedMapping, EventMode mode)
+{
+  json mapping;
+
+  try {
+    mapping = json::parse(serializedMapping);
+  } catch (json::exception) {
+    Logger::info("converting legacy keyboard mappings");
+
+    mapping = KeyMap::convertLegacyMapping(serializedMapping);
+  }
+
+  try {
+    myKeyMap.loadMapping(mapping, mode);
+  } catch (json::exception) {
+    Logger::error("ignoring bad keyboard mappings");
+  }
+}
+
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 bool PhysicalKeyboardHandler::isMappingUsed(EventMode mode, const EventMapping& map) const
 {
diff --git a/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.hxx b/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.hxx
index 2bb72107a..b285f619b 100644
--- a/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.hxx
+++ b/src/common/PKeyboardHandler.hxx
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class PhysicalKeyboardHandler
 
     PhysicalKeyboardHandler(OSystem& system, EventHandler& handler);
 
+    void loadSerializedMappings(const string& serializedMappings, EventMode mode);
+
     void setDefaultMapping(Event::Type type, EventMode mode, bool updateDefaults = false);
 
     /** define mappings for current controllers */