diff --git a/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c b/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
index eb439ef393..7b42d7358f 100644
--- a/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
+++ b/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@
 typedef enum
 {
     KEYBOARD_HARDWARE = 0x01,
-    KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE = 0x02,
-    KEYBOARD_IGNOREMODIFIERS = 0x04
+    KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL = 0x02,
+    KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE = 0x04,
+    KEYBOARD_IGNOREMODIFIERS = 0x08
 } SDL_KeyboardFlags;
 
 #define KEYBOARD_SOURCE_MASK (KEYBOARD_HARDWARE | KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE)
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ struct SDL_Keyboard
     Uint8 keystate[SDL_NUM_SCANCODES];
     SDL_Keycode keymap[SDL_NUM_SCANCODES];
     SDL_bool autorelease_pending;
+    Uint64 hardware_timestamp;
 };
 
 static SDL_Keyboard SDL_keyboard;
@@ -875,7 +877,9 @@ static int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(Uint64 timestamp, SDL_KeyboardFlags flags
         keycode = keyboard->keymap[scancode];
     }
 
-    if (source == KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE) {
+    if (source == KEYBOARD_HARDWARE) {
+        keyboard->hardware_timestamp = SDL_GetTicks();
+    } else if (source == KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE) {
         keyboard->autorelease_pending = SDL_TRUE;
     }
 
@@ -978,20 +982,25 @@ int SDL_SendKeyboardUnicodeKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint32 ch)
 
     if (mod & SDL_KMOD_SHIFT) {
         /* If the character uses shift, press shift down */
-        SDL_SendKeyboardKey(timestamp, SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT);
+        SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
     }
 
     /* Send a keydown and keyup for the character */
-    SDL_SendKeyboardKey(timestamp, SDL_PRESSED, code);
-    SDL_SendKeyboardKey(timestamp, SDL_RELEASED, code);
+    SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_PRESSED, code, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
+    SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_RELEASED, code, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
 
     if (mod & SDL_KMOD_SHIFT) {
         /* If the character uses shift, release shift */
-        SDL_SendKeyboardKey(timestamp, SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT);
+        SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
     }
     return 0;
 }
 
+int SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode)
+{
+    return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, state, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
+}
+
 int SDL_SendKeyboardKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode)
 {
     return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_HARDWARE, state, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
@@ -1004,7 +1013,7 @@ int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyAndKeycode(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode sc
 
 int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyAutoRelease(Uint64 timestamp, SDL_Scancode scancode)
 {
-    return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE, SDL_PRESSED, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
+    return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(timestamp, KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL | KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE, SDL_PRESSED, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
 }
 
 int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyIgnoreModifiers(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode)
@@ -1037,7 +1046,14 @@ SDL_bool SDL_HardwareKeyboardKeyPressed(void)
             return SDL_TRUE;
         }
     }
-    return SDL_FALSE;
+
+    if (keyboard->hardware_timestamp) {
+        /* Keep hardware keyboard "active" for 250 ms */
+        if (SDL_GetTicks() >= keyboard->hardware_timestamp + 250) {
+            keyboard->hardware_timestamp = 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return keyboard->hardware_timestamp ? SDL_TRUE : SDL_FALSE;
 }
 
 int SDL_SendKeyboardText(const char *text)
diff --git a/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h b/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h
index 9381932c70..b8e76df68f 100644
--- a/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h
+++ b/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ extern int SDL_SetKeyboardFocus(SDL_Window *window);
  */
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardUnicodeKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint32 ch);
 
+/* Send a key from a virtual key source, like an on-screen keyboard */
+extern int SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode);
+
 /* Send a keyboard key event */
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardKey(Uint64 timestamp, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode);
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyAutoRelease(Uint64 timestamp, SDL_Scancode scancode);
diff --git a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
index dbc07a7ba2..4d0b96a54a 100644
--- a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
+++ b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
@@ -485,8 +485,8 @@ static void SDLCALL SDL_HideHomeIndicatorHintChanged(void *userdata, const char
             size_t deleteLength = SDL_utf8strlen([[committedText substringFromIndex:matchLength] UTF8String]);
             while (deleteLength > 0) {
                 /* Send distinct down and up events for each backspace action */
-                SDL_SendKeyboardKey(0, SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
-                SDL_SendKeyboardKey(0, SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
+                SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(0, SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
+                SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(0, SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
                 --deleteLength;
             }
         }