diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyDefinition.cs b/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyDefinition.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea97a28bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyDefinition.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007-2017 The OpenRA Developers (see AUTHORS)
+ * This file is part of OpenRA, which is free software. It is made
+ * available to you under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of
+ * the License, or (at your option) any later version. For more
+ * information, see COPYING.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+
+namespace OpenRA
+{
+	public sealed class HotkeyDefinition
+	{
+		public readonly string Name;
+		public readonly Hotkey Default = Hotkey.Invalid;
+		public readonly string Description = "";
+		public readonly HashSet<string> Types = new HashSet<string>();
+
+		public HotkeyDefinition(string name, MiniYaml node)
+		{
+			Name = name;
+
+			if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(node.Value))
+				Default = FieldLoader.GetValue<Hotkey>("value", node.Value);
+
+			var descriptionNode = node.Nodes.FirstOrDefault(n => n.Key == "Description");
+			if (descriptionNode != null)
+				Description = descriptionNode.Value.Value;
+
+			var typesNode = node.Nodes.FirstOrDefault(n => n.Key == "Types");
+			if (typesNode != null)
+				Types = FieldLoader.GetValue<HashSet<string>>("Types", typesNode.Value.Value);
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyManager.cs b/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..421fec1aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/HotkeyManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007-2017 The OpenRA Developers (see AUTHORS)
+ * This file is part of OpenRA, which is free software. It is made
+ * available to you under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of
+ * the License, or (at your option) any later version. For more
+ * information, see COPYING.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using OpenRA.FileSystem;
+
+namespace OpenRA
+{
+	public sealed class HotkeyManager
+	{
+		readonly KeySettings settings;
+		readonly Dictionary<string, HotkeyDefinition> keys = new Dictionary<string, HotkeyDefinition>();
+
+		public HotkeyManager(IReadOnlyFileSystem fileSystem, KeySettings settings, Manifest manifest)
+		{
+			this.settings = settings;
+
+			var keyDefinitions = MiniYaml.Load(fileSystem, manifest.Hotkeys, null);
+			foreach (var kd in keyDefinitions)
+				keys[kd.Key] = new HotkeyDefinition(kd.Key, kd.Value);
+		}
+
+		internal Func<Hotkey> GetHotkeyReference(string name)
+		{
+			var ret = settings.GetHotkeyReference(name);
+			if (ret != null)
+				return ret;
+
+			HotkeyDefinition keyDefinition;
+			if (keys.TryGetValue(name, out keyDefinition))
+				return () => keyDefinition.Default;
+
+			// Not a mod-defined hotkey, so try and parse as a hardcoded definition
+			Hotkey key;
+			if (!Hotkey.TryParse(name, out key))
+				key = Hotkey.Invalid;
+
+			return () => key;
+		}
+
+		public void Set(string name, Hotkey value)
+		{
+			var field = settings.GetType().GetField(name + "Key");
+			if (field == null)
+				return;
+
+			field.SetValue(settings, value);
+		}
+
+		public HotkeyReference this[string name]
+		{
+			get
+			{
+				return new HotkeyReference(GetHotkeyReference(name));
+			}
+		}
+
+		public IEnumerable<HotkeyDefinition> Definitions { get { return keys.Values; } }
+	}
+}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Input/HotkeyReference.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Input/HotkeyReference.cs
index 83f75d66fa..9c38112706 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Input/HotkeyReference.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Input/HotkeyReference.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			getValue = Invalid;
 		}
 
+		internal HotkeyReference(Func<Hotkey> getValue)
+		{
+			this.getValue = getValue;
+		}
+
 		public HotkeyReference(string name, KeySettings settings)
 		{
 			// Try parsing the value as a reference to a named hotkey
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
index fd0df0f62f..8914b631e1 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Rules, ServerTraits,
 			Sequences, ModelSequences, Cursors, Chrome, Assemblies, ChromeLayout,
 			Weapons, Voices, Notifications, Music, Translations, TileSets,
-			ChromeMetrics, MapCompatibility, Missions;
+			ChromeMetrics, MapCompatibility, Missions, Hotkeys;
 
 		public readonly IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string> Packages;
 		public readonly IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string> MapFolders;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 		readonly string[] reservedModuleNames = { "Metadata", "Folders", "MapFolders", "Packages", "Rules",
 			"Sequences", "ModelSequences", "Cursors", "Chrome", "Assemblies", "ChromeLayout", "Weapons",
-			"Voices", "Notifications", "Music", "Translations", "TileSets", "ChromeMetrics", "Missions",
+			"Voices", "Notifications", "Music", "Translations", "TileSets", "ChromeMetrics", "Missions", "Hotkeys",
 			"ServerTraits", "LoadScreen", "Fonts", "SupportsMapsFrom", "SoundFormats", "SpriteFormats",
 			"RequiresMods", "PackageFormats" };
 
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			TileSets = YamlList(yaml, "TileSets");
 			ChromeMetrics = YamlList(yaml, "ChromeMetrics");
 			Missions = YamlList(yaml, "Missions");
+			Hotkeys = YamlList(yaml, "Hotkeys");
 
 			ServerTraits = YamlList(yaml, "ServerTraits");
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
index ee55a79e4e..8f84960d40 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public readonly ISpriteLoader[] SpriteLoaders;
 		public readonly ISpriteSequenceLoader SpriteSequenceLoader;
 		public readonly IModelSequenceLoader ModelSequenceLoader;
+		public readonly HotkeyManager Hotkeys;
 		public ILoadScreen LoadScreen { get; private set; }
 		public CursorProvider CursorProvider { get; private set; }
 		public FS ModFiles;
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			ModelSequenceLoader = (IModelSequenceLoader)modelCtor.Invoke(new[] { this });
 			ModelSequenceLoader.OnMissingModelError = s => Log.Write("debug", s);
 
+			Hotkeys = new HotkeyManager(ModFiles, Game.Settings.Keys, Manifest);
+
 			defaultRules = Exts.Lazy(() => Ruleset.LoadDefaults(this));
 			defaultTileSets = Exts.Lazy(() =>
 			{
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
index 4aab0ea06b..125d4a5b74 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
@@ -261,6 +261,8 @@
     <Compile Include="UtilityCommands\RegisterModCommand.cs" />
     <Compile Include="UtilityCommands\UnregisterModCommand.cs" />
     <Compile Include="UtilityCommands\ClearInvalidModRegistrationsCommand.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="HotkeyManager.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="HotkeyDefinition.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="FileSystem\Folder.cs" />