diff --git a/src/core/keybindings.c b/src/core/keybindings.c
index 8caa02cc9..25553a9e9 100644
--- a/src/core/keybindings.c
+++ b/src/core/keybindings.c
@@ -752,6 +752,8 @@ display_get_keybinding (MetaDisplay  *display,
 {
   int i;
 
+  mask = mask & 0xff & ~display->ignored_modifier_mask;
+
   i = display->n_key_bindings - 1;
   while (i >= 0)
     {
@@ -915,7 +917,6 @@ meta_display_get_keybinding_action (MetaDisplay  *display,
   if (keycode == (unsigned int)display->overlay_key_combo.keycode)
     return META_KEYBINDING_ACTION_OVERLAY_KEY;
 
-  mask = mask & 0xff & ~display->ignored_modifier_mask;
   binding = display_get_keybinding (display, keycode, mask);
 
   if (binding)
@@ -1299,7 +1300,6 @@ meta_display_grab_accelerator (MetaDisplay *display,
   guint mask = 0;
   MetaVirtualModifier modifiers = 0;
   GSList *l;
-  int i;
 
   if (!meta_ui_parse_accelerator (accelerator, &keysym, &keycode, &modifiers))
     {
@@ -1316,10 +1316,8 @@ meta_display_grab_accelerator (MetaDisplay *display,
   if (keycode == 0)
     return META_KEYBINDING_ACTION_NONE;
 
-  for (i = 0; i < display->n_key_bindings; i++)
-    if (display->key_bindings[i].keycode == keycode &&
-        display->key_bindings[i].mask == mask)
-      return META_KEYBINDING_ACTION_NONE;
+  if (display_get_keybinding (display, keycode, mask))
+    return META_KEYBINDING_ACTION_NONE;
 
   for (l = display->screens; l; l = l->next)
     {
@@ -1357,9 +1355,9 @@ gboolean
 meta_display_ungrab_accelerator (MetaDisplay *display,
                                  guint        action)
 {
+  MetaKeyBinding *binding;
   MetaKeyGrab *grab;
   char *key;
-  int i;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (action != META_KEYBINDING_ACTION_NONE, FALSE);
 
@@ -1368,27 +1366,26 @@ meta_display_ungrab_accelerator (MetaDisplay *display,
   if (!grab)
     return FALSE;
 
-  for (i = 0; i < display->n_key_bindings; i++)
-    if (display->key_bindings[i].keysym == grab->combo->keysym &&
-        display->key_bindings[i].keycode == grab->combo->keycode &&
-        display->key_bindings[i].modifiers == grab->combo->modifiers)
-      {
-        GSList *l;
-        for (l = display->screens; l; l = l->next)
-          {
-            MetaScreen *screen = l->data;
-            meta_change_keygrab (display, screen->xroot, FALSE,
-                                 display->key_bindings[i].keysym,
-                                 display->key_bindings[i].keycode,
-                                 display->key_bindings[i].mask);
-          }
+  binding = display_get_keybinding (display,
+                                    grab->combo->keycode,
+                                    grab->combo->modifiers);
+  if (binding)
+    {
+      GSList *l;
+      for (l = display->screens; l; l = l->next)
+        {
+          MetaScreen *screen = l->data;
+          meta_change_keygrab (display, screen->xroot, FALSE,
+                               binding->keysym,
+                               binding->keycode,
+                               binding->mask);
+        }
 
-        display->key_bindings[i].keysym = 0;
-        display->key_bindings[i].keycode = 0;
-        display->key_bindings[i].modifiers = 0;
-        display->key_bindings[i].mask = 0;
-        break;
-      }
+      binding->keysym = 0;
+      binding->keycode = 0;
+      binding->modifiers = 0;
+      binding->mask = 0;
+    }
 
   g_hash_table_remove (external_grabs, key);
   g_free (key);
@@ -1673,7 +1670,7 @@ process_event (MetaKeyBinding       *bindings,
                MetaWindow           *window,
                ClutterKeyEvent      *event)
 {
-  int i;
+  MetaKeyBinding *binding;
 
   /* we used to have release-based bindings but no longer. */
   if (event->type == CLUTTER_KEY_RELEASE)
@@ -1683,34 +1680,32 @@ process_event (MetaKeyBinding       *bindings,
    * TODO: This would be better done with a hash table;
    * it doesn't suit to use O(n) for such a common operation.
    */
-  for (i=0; i<n_bindings; i++)
-    {
-      MetaKeyHandler *handler = bindings[i].handler;
+  binding = display_get_keybinding (display,
+                                    event->hardware_keycode,
+                                    event->modifier_state);
+  if (!binding ||
+      (!window && binding->flags & META_KEY_BINDING_PER_WINDOW) ||
+      meta_compositor_filter_keybinding (display->compositor, screen, binding))
+    goto not_found;
 
-      if ((!window && handler->flags & META_KEY_BINDING_PER_WINDOW) ||
-          (event->hardware_keycode != bindings[i].keycode) ||
-          (event->modifier_state != bindings[i].mask) ||
-          meta_compositor_filter_keybinding (display->compositor, screen, &bindings[i]))
-        continue;
+  if (binding->handler == NULL)
+    meta_bug ("Binding %s has no handler\n", binding->name);
+  else
+    meta_topic (META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS,
+                "Running handler for %s\n",
+                binding->name);
 
-      if (handler == NULL)
-        meta_bug ("Binding %s has no handler\n", bindings[i].name);
-      else
-        meta_topic (META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS,
-                    "Running handler for %s\n",
-                    bindings[i].name);
+  /* Global keybindings count as a let-the-terminal-lose-focus
+   * due to new window mapping until the user starts
+   * interacting with the terminal again.
+   */
+  display->allow_terminal_deactivation = TRUE;
 
-      /* Global keybindings count as a let-the-terminal-lose-focus
-       * due to new window mapping until the user starts
-       * interacting with the terminal again.
-       */
-      display->allow_terminal_deactivation = TRUE;
+  invoke_handler (display, screen, binding->handler, window, event, binding);
 
-      invoke_handler (display, screen, handler, window, event, &bindings[i]);
-
-      return TRUE;
-    }
+  return TRUE;
 
+ not_found:
   meta_topic (META_DEBUG_KEYBINDINGS,
               "No handler found for this event in this binding table\n");
   return FALSE;