diff --git a/data/keyboards/de.yaml b/data/keyboards/de.yaml
index f71ea5283d0ba2d1aec8196f42c673d3e5d73142..4693e95e452d84c9cb9c041c643e8601c0770caa 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/de.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/de.yaml
@@ -25,22 +25,22 @@ views:
         - "Q W E R T Z U I O P"
         - "A S D F G H J K L"
         - "Shift_L   Y X C V B N M  BackSpace"
-        - "show_numbers show_eschars preferences         space        ! ? Return"
+        - "show_numbers show_dechars preferences         space        ! ? Return"
     numbers:
         - "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0"
         - "@ # € % & - _ + ( )"
         - "show_symbols   , \" ' : = < >  BackSpace"
-        - "show_letters show_eschars preferences         space        , . Return"
+        - "show_letters show_dechars preferences         space        , . Return"
     symbols:
         - "~ ` ´ | · √ µ ÷ × ¶"
         - "© ® £ $ ¥ ^ ° * { }"
         - "show_numbers   \\ / § π τ [ ]  BackSpace"
-        - "show_letters show_eschars preferences         space        , . Return"
-    eschars:
+        - "show_letters show_dechars preferences         space        , . Return"
+    dechars:
         - "ä è é ö ü Ä È É Ö Ü"
         - "à â ê î ô À Â È Î Ô"
         - "show_numbers  « » ç Ç æ œ ß  BackSpace"
-        - "show_letters show_eschars preferences         space        „ “ Return"
+        - "show_letters show_dechars preferences         space        „ “ Return"
 
 buttons:
     Shift_L:
@@ -73,17 +73,16 @@ buttons:
             set_view: "symbols"
         outline: "altline"
         label: "*/="
-    show_eschars:
+    show_dechars:
         action:
             locking:
-                lock_view: "eschars"
+                lock_view: "dechars"
                 unlock_view: "base"
         outline: "altline"
         label: "äÄ"
     space:
         outline: "spaceline"
-        label: " "
-        keysym: "space"
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "key-enter"
diff --git a/data/keyboards/el.yaml b/data/keyboards/el.yaml
index 437c6bb06ba160abf4e64ddcab19c34d66e0141d..70ec7be51c550a722814a37c091aa6ae4764d1b7 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/el.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/el.yaml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "altline"
@@ -86,111 +87,112 @@ buttons:
         label: "αι"
     period:
         outline: "altline"
-        label: "."
+        text: "."
     space:
         outline: spaceline
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     aring:
-        label: "å"
+        text: "å"
     Aring:
-        label: "Å"
+        text: "Å"
     oslash:
-        label: "ø"
+        text: "ø"
     Oslash:
-        label: "Ø"
+        text: "Ø"
     ae:
-        label: "æ"
+        text: "æ"
     AE:
-        label: "Æ"
+        text: "Æ"
     asterisk:
-        label: "*"
+        text: "*"
     asciitilde:
-        label: "~"
+        text: "~"
     quoteleft:
-        label: "`"
+        text: "`"
     bar:
-        label: "|"
+        text: "|"
     U00B7:
-        label: "·"
+        text: "·"
     squareroot:
-        label: "√"
+        text: "√"
     Greek_pi:
-        label: "π"
+        text: "π"
     division:
-        label: "÷"
+        text: "÷"
     multiply:
-        label: "×"
+        text: "×"
     paragraph:
-        label: "¶"
+        text: "¶"
     Greek_tau:
-        label: "τ"
+        text: "τ"
     copyright:
-        label: "©"
+        text: "©"
     numbersign:
-        label: "#"
+        text: "#"
     U00AE:
-        label: "®"
+        text: "®"
     at:
-        label: "@"
+        text: "@"
     dollar:
-        label: "$"
+        text: "$"
     U00A3:
-        label: "£"
+        text: "£"
     percent:
-        label: "%"
+        text: "%"
     EuroSign:
-        label: "€"
+        text: "€"
     ampersand:
-        label: "&"
+        text: "&"
     U00A5:
-        label: "¥"
+        text: "¥"
     minus:
-        label: "-"
+        text: "-"
     asciicircum:
-        label: "^"
+        text: "^"
     underscore:
-        label: "_"
+        text: "_"
     degree:
-        label: "°"
+        text: "°"
     plus:
-        label: "+"
+        text: "+"
     equal:
-        label: "="
+        text: "="
     parenleft:
-        label: "("
+        text: "("
     parenright:
-        label: ")"
+        text: ")"
     braceleft:
-        label: "{"
+        text: "{"
     braceright:
-        label: "}"
+        text: "}"
     comma:
-        label: ","
+        text: ","
     backslash:
-        label: "\\"
+        text: "\\"
     slash:
-        label: "/"
+        text: "/"
     quotedbl:
-        label: "\""
+        text: "\""
     quoteright:
-        label: "'"
+        text: "'"
     less:
-        label: "<"
+        text: "<"
     greater:
-        label: ">"
+        text: ">"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
+        text: ":"
     semicolon:
-        label: ";"
+        text: ";"
     exclam:
-        label: "!"
+        text: "!"
     question:
-        label: "?"
+        text: "?"
     bracketleft:
-        label: "["
+        text: "["
     bracketright:
-        label: "]"
+        text: "]"
 
diff --git a/data/keyboards/es.yaml b/data/keyboards/es.yaml
index 7628e982c11346d92b3d5595d5cdf09ea2239229..2d0212020c17a6228cb5a87c0d86ce66c3553ec5 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/es.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/es.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "default"
@@ -80,14 +81,14 @@ buttons:
 
     period:
         outline: "default"
-        label: "."
+        text: "."
     space:
         outline: "spaceline"
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
-    "\"":
-        keysym: "quotedbl"
+        text: ":"
+
diff --git a/data/keyboards/fi.yaml b/data/keyboards/fi.yaml
index e894902db05369d6e0e2ab5dfdb187660e792338..ce38007d5aad2a4a2cf577fe9c6877f8f9ecce76 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/fi.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/fi.yaml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "altline"
@@ -69,108 +70,109 @@ buttons:
         outline: altline
     space:
         outline: spaceline
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     aring:
-        label: "å"
+        text: "å"
     Aring:
-        label: "Å"
+        text: "Å"
     ouml:
-        label: "ö"
+        text: "ö"
     Ouml:
-        label: "Ö"
+        text: "Ö"
     auml:
-        label: "ä"
+        text: "ä"
     Auml:
-        label: "Ä"
+        text: "Ä"
     asterisk:
-        label: "*"
+        text: "*"
     asciitilde:
-        label: "~"
+        text: "~"
     quoteleft:
-        label: "`"
+        text: "`"
     bar:
-        label: "|"
+        text: "|"
     U00B7:
-        label: "·"
+        text: "·"
     squareroot:
-        label: "√"
+        text: "√"
     Greek_pi:
-        label: "π"
+        text: "π"
     division:
-        label: "÷"
+        text: "÷"
     multiply:
-        label: "×"
+        text: "×"
     paragraph:
-        label: "¶"
+        text: "¶"
     Greek_tau:
-        label: "τ"
+        text: "τ"
     copyright:
-        label: "©"
+        text: "©"
     numbersign:
-        label: "#"
+        text: "#"
     U00AE:
-        label: "®"
+        text: "®"
     at:
-        label: "@"
+        text: "@"
     dollar:
-        label: "$"
+        text: "$"
     U00A3:
-        label: "£"
+        text: "£"
     percent:
-        label: "%"
+        text: "%"
     EuroSign:
-        label: "€"
+        text: "€"
     ampersand:
-        label: "&"
+        text: "&"
     U00A5:
-        label: "¥"
+        text: "¥"
     minus:
-        label: "-"
+        text: "-"
     asciicircum:
-        label: "^"
+        text: "^"
     underscore:
-        label: "_"
+        text: "_"
     degree:
-        label: "°"
+        text: "°"
     plus:
-        label: "+"
+        text: "+"
     equal:
-        label: "="
+        text: "="
     parenleft:
-        label: "("
+        text: "("
     parenright:
-        label: ")"
+        text: ")"
     braceleft:
-        label: "{"
+        text: "{"
     braceright:
-        label: "}"
+        text: "}"
     comma:
-        label: ","
+        text: ","
     backslash:
-        label: "\\"
+        text: "\\"
     slash:
-        label: "/"
+        text: "/"
     quotedbl:
-        label: "\""
+        text: "\""
     quoteright:
-        label: "'"
+        text: "'"
     less:
-        label: "<"
+        text: "<"
     greater:
-        label: ">"
+        text: ">"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
+        text: ":"
     semicolon:
-        label: ";"
+        text: ";"
     exclam:
-        label: "!"
+        text: "!"
     question:
-        label: "?"
+        text: "?"
     bracketleft:
-        label: "["
+        text: "["
     bracketright:
-        label: "]"
+        text: "]"
 
diff --git a/data/keyboards/it.yaml b/data/keyboards/it.yaml
index ca68c78a8af9a8d01cc1ed43a9aff030b9eef465..54b6f19f67c18135952049ed6cc001ad18b46343 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/it.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/it.yaml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "default"
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ buttons:
     Return:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     colon:
         label: ":"
     "\"":
diff --git a/data/keyboards/jp+kana.yaml b/data/keyboards/jp+kana.yaml
index b606d6d0be348c79bd11825165819a992063deb9..e0f35cbdd5365adc451c33de9f3c4b66378599dc 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/jp+kana.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/jp+kana.yaml
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ buttons:
     space:
         outline: "default-wide"
         label: "␣"
-        keysym: "U3000"
+        text: "　"
     # switch to number view
     numbers:
         action:
diff --git a/data/keyboards/no.yaml b/data/keyboards/no.yaml
index 3326bc0c224ddb6e9aee1d0c475dde0e53f28af4..7a502501be9ffbbeda4fd3421561990ba641f9a5 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/no.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/no.yaml
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ views:
         - "show_numbers preferences         space        .    Return"
     numbers:
         - "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0"
-        - "at numbersign dollar percent ampersand minus underscore plus parenleft parenright"
-        - "show_symbols   comma quotedbl quoteright colon semicolon exclam question  BackSpace"
+        - "@ # $ % & - _ + ( )"
+        - "show_symbols   , \" ' : ; ! ?  BackSpace"
         - "show_letters preferences         space        .    Return"
     symbols:
-        - "asciitilde quoteleft bar U00B7 squareroot Greek_pi Greek_tau division multiply paragraph"
-        - "copyright U00AE U00A3 EuroSign U00A5 asciicircum degree asterisk braceleft braceright"
-        - "show_numbers   backslash slash less greater equal bracketleft bracketright  BackSpace"
+        - "~ ` | U00B7 squareroot Greek_pi Greek_tau division multiply paragraph"
+        - "copyright U00AE U00A3 EuroSign U00A5 asciicircum degree * { }"
+        - "show_numbers   \\ / < > = [ ]  BackSpace"
         - "show_letters preferences         space        .    Return"
 
 buttons:
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "altline"
@@ -69,108 +70,37 @@ buttons:
         outline: altline
     space:
         outline: spaceline
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
-    aring:
-        label: "å"
-    Aring:
-        label: "Å"
-    oslash:
-        label: "ø"
-    Oslash:
-        label: "Ø"
-    ae:
-        label: "æ"
-    AE:
-        label: "Æ"
-    asterisk:
-        label: "*"
-    asciitilde:
-        label: "~"
-    quoteleft:
-        label: "`"
-    bar:
-        label: "|"
+        keysym: "Return"
     U00B7:
-        label: "·"
+        text: "·"
     squareroot:
-        label: "√"
+        text: "√"
     Greek_pi:
-        label: "π"
+        text: "π"
     division:
-        label: "÷"
+        text: "÷"
     multiply:
-        label: "×"
+        text: "×"
     paragraph:
-        label: "¶"
+        text: "¶"
     Greek_tau:
-        label: "τ"
+        text: "τ"
     copyright:
-        label: "©"
-    numbersign:
-        label: "#"
+        text: "©"
     U00AE:
-        label: "®"
-    at:
-        label: "@"
-    dollar:
-        label: "$"
+        text: "®"
     U00A3:
-        label: "£"
-    percent:
-        label: "%"
+        text: "£"
     EuroSign:
-        label: "€"
-    ampersand:
-        label: "&"
+        text: "€"
     U00A5:
-        label: "¥"
-    minus:
-        label: "-"
+        text: "¥"
     asciicircum:
-        label: "^"
-    underscore:
-        label: "_"
+        text: "^"
     degree:
-        label: "°"
-    plus:
-        label: "+"
-    equal:
-        label: "="
-    parenleft:
-        label: "("
-    parenright:
-        label: ")"
-    braceleft:
-        label: "{"
-    braceright:
-        label: "}"
-    comma:
-        label: ","
-    backslash:
-        label: "\\"
-    slash:
-        label: "/"
-    quotedbl:
-        label: "\""
-    quoteright:
-        label: "'"
-    less:
-        label: "<"
-    greater:
-        label: ">"
-    colon:
-        label: ":"
-    semicolon:
-        label: ";"
-    exclam:
-        label: "!"
-    question:
-        label: "?"
-    bracketleft:
-        label: "["
-    bracketright:
-        label: "]"
+        text: "°"
 
diff --git a/data/keyboards/number.yaml b/data/keyboards/number.yaml
index 07cc2531dec0e4b108b945eae4836570969ae07b..2f145aeb246137a877dc07b4bd7fc4786f621d93 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/number.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/number.yaml
@@ -22,22 +22,24 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     space:
         outline: spaceline
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: outline7
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     asterisk:
-        label: "*"
+        text: "*"
     numbersign:
-        label: "#"
+        text: "#"
     minus:
-        label: "-"
+        text: "-"
     plus:
-        label: "+"
+        text: "+"
     parenleft:
-        label: "("
+        text: "("
     parenright:
-        label: ")"
+        text: ")"
 
diff --git a/data/keyboards/se.yaml b/data/keyboards/se.yaml
index 28a476bb6f7e9c4d631ca517afda72df4dbbd179..dae7663fb9c35169150653ad62c572adee2904bb 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/se.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/se.yaml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "altline"
@@ -69,96 +70,97 @@ buttons:
         outline: altline
     space:
         outline: spaceline
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     asterisk:
-        label: "*"
+        text: "*"
     asciitilde:
-        label: "~"
+        text: "~"
     quoteleft:
-        label: "`"
+        text: "`"
     bar:
-        label: "|"
+        text: "|"
     U00B7:
-        label: "·"
+        text: "·"
     squareroot:
-        label: "√"
+        text: "√"
     Greek_pi:
-        label: "π"
+        text: "π"
     division:
-        label: "÷"
+        text: "÷"
     multiply:
-        label: "×"
+        text: "×"
     paragraph:
-        label: "¶"
+        text: "¶"
     Greek_tau:
-        label: "τ"
+        text: "τ"
     copyright:
-        label: "©"
+        text: "©"
     numbersign:
-        label: "#"
+        text: "#"
     U00AE:
-        label: "®"
+        text: "®"
     at:
-        label: "@"
+        text: "@"
     dollar:
-        label: "$"
+        text: "$"
     U00A3:
-        label: "£"
+        text: "£"
     percent:
-        label: "%"
+        text: "%"
     EuroSign:
-        label: "€"
+        text: "€"
     ampersand:
-        label: "&"
+        text: "&"
     U00A5:
-        label: "¥"
+        text: "¥"
     minus:
-        label: "-"
+        text: "-"
     asciicircum:
-        label: "^"
+        text: "^"
     underscore:
-        label: "_"
+        text: "_"
     degree:
-        label: "°"
+        text: "°"
     plus:
-        label: "+"
+        text: "+"
     equal:
-        label: "="
+        text: "="
     parenleft:
-        label: "("
+        text: "("
     parenright:
-        label: ")"
+        text: ")"
     braceleft:
-        label: "{"
+        text: "{"
     braceright:
-        label: "}"
+        text: "}"
     comma:
-        label: ","
+        text: ","
     backslash:
-        label: "\\"
+        text: "\\"
     slash:
-        label: "/"
+        text: "/"
     quotedbl:
-        label: "\""
+        text: "\""
     quoteright:
-        label: "'"
+        text: "'"
     less:
-        label: "<"
+        text: "<"
     greater:
-        label: ">"
+        text: ">"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
+        text: ":"
     semicolon:
-        label: ";"
+        text: ";"
     exclam:
-        label: "!"
+        text: "!"
     question:
-        label: "?"
+        text: "?"
     bracketleft:
-        label: "["
+        text: "["
     bracketright:
-        label: "]"
+        text: "]"
 
diff --git a/data/keyboards/us.yaml b/data/keyboards/us.yaml
index 60c9dfb6ff5fe18d74cad4de5677bc0fa7d14fe7..4d195ba156a4bf8d8fa1da2f14bec60ff0aae26d 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/us.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/us.yaml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "special"
@@ -72,14 +73,13 @@ buttons:
         label: "*/="
     period:
         outline: "special"
-        label: "."
+        text: "."
     space:
         outline: "spaceline"
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
-    "\"":
-        keysym: "quotedbl"
+        text: ":"
diff --git a/data/keyboards/us_wide.yaml b/data/keyboards/us_wide.yaml
index 9942182d1bc402102647a04d099ffa04e9efd69f..1c1cc54ee3218ed708c63df57aad5833f2385a63 100644
--- a/data/keyboards/us_wide.yaml
+++ b/data/keyboards/us_wide.yaml
@@ -18,22 +18,22 @@ views:
         - "q w e r t y u i o p"
         - "a s d f g h j k l"
         - "Shift_L   z x c v b n m  BackSpace"
-        - "show_numbers preferences         space        period Return"
+        - "show_numbers preferences         space        . Return"
     upper:
         - "Q W E R T Y U I O P"
         - "A S D F G H J K L"
         - "Shift_L   Z X C V B N M  BackSpace"
-        - "show_numbers preferences         space        period Return"
+        - "show_numbers preferences         space        . Return"
     numbers:
         - "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0"
         - "@ # $ % & - _ + ( )"
         - "show_symbols   , \" ' colon ; ! ?  BackSpace"
-        - "show_letters preferences         space        period Return"
+        - "show_letters preferences         space        . Return"
     symbols:
         - "~ ` | · √ π τ ÷ × ¶"
         - "© ® £ € ¥ ^ ° * { }"
         - "show_numbers_from_symbols   \\ / < > = [ ]  BackSpace"
-        - "show_letters preferences         space        period Return"
+        - "show_letters preferences         space        . Return"
 
 buttons:
     Shift_L:
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ buttons:
     BackSpace:
         outline: "altline"
         icon: "edit-clear-symbolic"
+        keysym: "BackSpace"
     preferences:
         action: "show_prefs"
         outline: "special"
@@ -70,16 +71,15 @@ buttons:
             set_view: "symbols"
         outline: "altline"
         label: "*/="
-    period:
+    ".":
         outline: "special"
-        label: "."
+        text: "."
     space:
         outline: "spaceline"
-        label: " "
+        text: " "
     Return:
         outline: "wide"
         icon: "key-enter"
+        keysym: "Return"
     colon:
-        label: ":"
-    "\"":
-        keysym: "quotedbl"
+        text: ":"
diff --git a/src/data.rs b/src/data.rs
index f7ca6865675b3f8d59e473328617f87404491714..503716caa52dcd1b90e4c80922a781d66e9d89d6 100644
--- a/src/data.rs
+++ b/src/data.rs
@@ -234,22 +234,28 @@ struct Bounds {
 /// Buttons are embedded in a single string
 type ButtonIds = String;
 
+/// All info about a single button
+/// Buttons can have multiple instances though.
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
 struct ButtonMeta {
-    /// Action other than keysym (conflicts with keysym)
+    /// Special action to perform on activation. Conflicts with keysym, text.
     action: Option<Action>,
-    /// The name of the outline. If not present, will be "default"
-    outline: Option<String>,
-    /// FIXME: start using it
+    /// The name of the XKB keysym to emit on activation.
+    /// Conflicts with action, text
     keysym: Option<String>,
-    /// If not present, will be derived from the button ID
+    /// The text to submit on activation. Will be derived from ID if not present
+    /// Conflicts with action, keysym
+    text: Option<String>,
+    /// If not present, will be derived from text or the button ID
     label: Option<String>,
     /// Conflicts with label
     icon: Option<String>,
+    /// The name of the outline. If not present, will be "default"
+    outline: Option<String>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq, Clone)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
 enum Action {
     #[serde(rename="locking")]
@@ -454,50 +460,27 @@ fn create_action<H: WarningHandler>(
         xkb::keysym_from_name(name, xkb::KEYSYM_NO_FLAGS) != xkb::KEY_NoSymbol
     }
     
-    let keysyms = match &symbol_meta.action {
-        // Non-submit action
-        Some(_) => Vec::new(),
-        // Submit action
-        None => match &symbol_meta.keysym {
-            // Keysym given explicitly
-            Some(keysym) => vec!(match keysym_valid(keysym.as_str()) {
-                true => keysym.clone(),
-                false => {
-                    warning_handler.handle(&format!(
-                        "Keysym name invalid: {}",
-                        keysym,
-                    ));
-                    "space".into() // placeholder
-                },
-            }),
-            // Keysyms left open to derive
-            // TODO: when button name is meant diretly as xkb keysym name,
-            // mark it so, e.g. with a "#"
-            None => match keysym_valid(name) {
-                // Button name is actually a valid xkb name
-                true => vec!(String::from(name)),
-                // Button name is not a valid xkb name,
-                // so assume it's a literal string to be submitted
-                false => {
-                    if name.chars().count() == 0 {
-                        // A name read from yaml with no valid Unicode.
-                        // Highly improbable, but let's be safe.
-                        warning_handler.handle(&format!(
-                            "Key {} doesn't have any characters",
-                            name,
-                        ));
-                        vec!("space".into()) // placeholder
-                    } else {
-                        name.chars().map(|codepoint| {
-                            let codepoint_string = codepoint.to_string();
-                            match keysym_valid(codepoint_string.as_str()) {
-                                true => codepoint_string,
-                                false => format!("U{:04X}", codepoint as u32),
-                            }
-                        }).collect()
-                    }
-                },
-            },
+    enum SubmitData {
+        Action(Action),
+        Text(String),
+        Keysym(String),
+    };
+    
+    let submission = match (
+        &symbol_meta.action,
+        &symbol_meta.keysym,
+        &symbol_meta.text
+    ) {
+        (Some(action), None, None) => SubmitData::Action(action.clone()),
+        (None, Some(keysym), None) => SubmitData::Keysym(keysym.clone()),
+        (None, None, Some(text)) => SubmitData::Text(text.clone()),
+        (None, None, None) => SubmitData::Text(name.into()),
+        _ => {
+            warning_handler.handle(&format!(
+                "Button {} has more than one of (action, keysym, text)",
+                name
+            ));
+            SubmitData::Text("".into())
         },
     };
 
@@ -518,14 +501,16 @@ fn create_action<H: WarningHandler>(
         }
     }
 
-    match &symbol_meta.action {
-        Some(Action::SetView(view_name)) => ::action::Action::SetLevel(
+    match submission {
+        SubmitData::Action(
+            Action::SetView(view_name)
+        ) => ::action::Action::SetLevel(
             filter_view_name(
                 name, view_name.clone(), &view_names,
                 warning_handler,
             )
         ),
-        Some(Action::Locking {
+        SubmitData::Action(Action::Locking {
             lock_view, unlock_view
         }) => ::action::Action::LockLevel {
             lock: filter_view_name(
@@ -541,11 +526,44 @@ fn create_action<H: WarningHandler>(
                 warning_handler,
             ),
         },
-        Some(Action::ShowPrefs) => ::action::Action::ShowPreferences,
-        None => ::action::Action::Submit {
+        SubmitData::Action(
+            Action::ShowPrefs
+        ) => ::action::Action::ShowPreferences,
+        SubmitData::Keysym(keysym) => ::action::Action::Submit {
             text: None,
-            keys: keysyms.into_iter().map(::action::KeySym).collect(),
+            keys: vec!(::action::KeySym(
+                match keysym_valid(keysym.as_str()) {
+                    true => keysym.clone(),
+                    false => {
+                        warning_handler.handle(&format!(
+                            "Keysym name invalid: {}",
+                            keysym,
+                        ));
+                        "space".into() // placeholder
+                    },
+                }
+            )),
         },
+        SubmitData::Text(text) => ::action::Action::Submit {
+            text: {
+                CString::new(text.clone())
+                    .map_err(|e| {
+                        warning_handler.handle(&format!(
+                            "Text {} contains problems: {:?}",
+                            text,
+                            e
+                        ));
+                        e
+                    }).ok()
+            },
+            keys: text.chars().map(|codepoint| {
+                let codepoint_string = codepoint.to_string();
+                ::action::KeySym(match keysym_valid(codepoint_string.as_str()) {
+                    true => codepoint_string,
+                    false => format!("U{:04X}", codepoint as u32),
+                })
+            }).collect(),
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -572,6 +590,18 @@ fn create_button<H: WarningHandler>(
     } else if let Some(icon) = &button_meta.icon {
         ::layout::Label::IconName(CString::new(icon.as_str())
             .expect("Bad icon"))
+    } else if let Some(text) = &button_meta.text {
+        ::layout::Label::Text(
+            CString::new(text.as_str())
+                .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                    warning_handler.handle(&format!(
+                        "Text {} is invalid: {}",
+                        text,
+                        e,
+                    ));
+                    CString::new("").unwrap()
+                })
+        )
     } else {
         ::layout::Label::Text(cname.clone())
     };
@@ -642,6 +672,7 @@ mod tests {
                         icon: None,
                         keysym: None,
                         action: None,
+                        text: None,
                         label: Some("test".into()),
                         outline: None,
                     }
@@ -785,6 +816,7 @@ mod tests {
                     ".".into() => ButtonMeta {
                         icon: None,
                         keysym: None,
+                        text: None,
                         action: None,
                         label: Some("test".into()),
                         outline: None,
@@ -795,7 +827,7 @@ mod tests {
                 &mut PanicWarn,
             ),
             ::action::Action::Submit {
-                text: None,
+                text: Some(CString::new(".").unwrap()),
                 keys: vec!(::action::KeySym("U002E".into())),
             },
         );