diff --git a/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c b/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
index 7abefde9d..5a14f85bf 100644
--- a/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
+++ b/src/events/SDL_keyboard.c
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 /* Global keyboard information */
 
 #define KEYBOARD_HARDWARE    0x01
-#define KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE 0x02
+#define KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL     0x02
+#define KEYBOARD_AUTORELEASE 0x04
 
 typedef struct SDL_Keyboard SDL_Keyboard;
 
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ struct SDL_Keyboard
     Uint8 keystate[SDL_NUM_SCANCODES];
     SDL_Keycode keymap[SDL_NUM_SCANCODES];
     SDL_bool autorelease_pending;
+    Uint32 hardware_timestamp;
 };
 
 static SDL_Keyboard SDL_keyboard;
@@ -865,7 +867,9 @@ static int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(Uint8 source, Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode s
         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;
     }
 
@@ -965,20 +969,25 @@ int SDL_SendKeyboardUnicodeKey(Uint32 ch)
 
     if (mod & KMOD_SHIFT) {
         /* If the character uses shift, press shift down */
-        SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT);
+        SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
     }
 
     /* Send a keydown and keyup for the character */
-    SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_PRESSED, code);
-    SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_RELEASED, code);
+    SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_PRESSED, code, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
+    SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_RELEASED, code, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
 
     if (mod & KMOD_SHIFT) {
         /* If the character uses shift, release shift */
-        SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT);
+        SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_LSHIFT, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
     }
     return 0;
 }
 
+int SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode)
+{
+    return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_VIRTUAL, state, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
+}
+
 int SDL_SendKeyboardKey(Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode)
 {
     return SDL_SendKeyboardKeyInternal(KEYBOARD_HARDWARE, state, scancode, SDLK_UNKNOWN);
@@ -1007,6 +1016,13 @@ void SDL_ReleaseAutoReleaseKeys(void)
         }
         keyboard->autorelease_pending = SDL_FALSE;
     }
+
+    if (keyboard->hardware_timestamp) {
+        /* Keep hardware keyboard "active" for 250 ms */
+        if (SDL_TICKS_PASSED(SDL_GetTicks(), keyboard->hardware_timestamp + 250)) {
+            keyboard->hardware_timestamp = 0;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 SDL_bool SDL_HardwareKeyboardKeyPressed(void)
@@ -1019,7 +1035,8 @@ SDL_bool SDL_HardwareKeyboardKeyPressed(void)
             return SDL_TRUE;
         }
     }
-    return SDL_FALSE;
+
+    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 f234e8e36..16a5fad2e 100644
--- a/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h
+++ b/src/events/SDL_keyboard_c.h
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ extern void SDL_SetKeyboardFocus(SDL_Window *window);
  */
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardUnicodeKey(Uint32 ch);
 
+/* Send a key from a virtual key source, like an on-screen keyboard */
+extern int SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode);
+
 /* Send a keyboard key event */
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardKey(Uint8 state, SDL_Scancode scancode);
 extern int SDL_SendKeyboardKeyAutoRelease(SDL_Scancode scancode);
diff --git a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
index 604de7d16..ba49d6c14 100644
--- a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
+++ b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitviewcontroller.m
@@ -467,8 +467,8 @@ SDL_HideHomeIndicatorHintChanged(void *userdata, const char *name, const char *o
             size_t deleteLength = SDL_utf8strlen([[committedText substringFromIndex:matchLength] UTF8String]);
             while (deleteLength > 0) {
                 /* Send distinct down and up events for each backspace action */
-                SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
-                SDL_SendKeyboardKey(SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
+                SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(SDL_PRESSED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
+                SDL_SendVirtualKeyboardKey(SDL_RELEASED, SDL_SCANCODE_BACKSPACE);
                 --deleteLength;
             }
         }