diff --git a/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.cpp b/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbdae64d05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/*
+** Copyright 2004, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
+** Distributed under the terms of the OpenBeOS License.
+*/
+
+
+#include "keyboard.h"
+#include "bios.h"
+
+#include <boot/platform.h>
+
+
+/** Note, checking for keys doesn't seem to work in graphics
+ *	mode, at least in Bochs.
+ */
+
+static uint16
+check_for_key(void)
+{
+	bios_regs regs;
+	regs.eax = 0x0100;
+	call_bios(0x16, &regs);
+
+	// the zero flag is set when there is no key stroke waiting for us
+	if (regs.flags & ZERO_FLAG)
+		return 0;
+
+	// remove the key from the buffer
+	regs.eax = 0;
+	call_bios(0x16, &regs);
+
+	return regs.eax & 0xffff;
+}
+
+
+extern "C" union key
+wait_for_key(void)
+{
+	bios_regs regs;
+	regs.eax = 0;
+	call_bios(0x16, &regs);
+
+	union key key;
+	key.ax = regs.eax & 0xffff;
+
+	return key;
+}
+
+
+extern "C" uint32
+check_for_boot_keys(void)
+{
+	union key key;
+	uint32 options = 0;
+
+	while ((key.ax = check_for_key()) != 0) {
+		dprintf("pressed %lx\n", key.ax);
+		switch (key.code.ascii) {
+			case ' ':
+				options |= BOOT_OPTION_MENU;
+				break;
+			case 0x1b:	// escape
+				options |= BOOT_OPTION_DEBUG_OUTPUT;
+				break;
+			case 0:
+				// evaluate BIOS scan codes
+				// ...
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	dprintf("options = %ld\n", options);
+	panic("\n");
+	return options;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.h b/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7978bdcd89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kernel/boot/platform/bios_ia32/keyboard.h
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#ifndef KEYBOARD_H
+#define KEYBOARD_H
+
+
+#include <SupportDefs.h>
+
+
+union key {
+	uint16 ax;
+	struct {
+		uint8 ascii;
+		uint8 bios;
+	} code;
+};
+
+#define BIOS_KEY_UP 		0x48
+#define BIOS_KEY_DOWN		0x50
+#define BIOS_KEY_LEFT		0x4b
+#define BIOS_KEY_RIGHT		0x4d
+#define BIOS_KEY_HOME		0x47
+#define BIOS_KEY_END		0x4f
+#define BIOS_KEY_PAGE_UP	0x49
+#define BIOS_KEY_PAGE_DOWN	0x51
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+extern union key wait_for_key(void);
+extern uint32 check_for_boot_keys(void);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif	/* KEYBOARD_H */