diff --git a/flow/component.js b/flow/component.js
index 381943edaf7..71867ba3c71 100644
--- a/flow/component.js
+++ b/flow/component.js
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ declare interface Component {
   // apply v-on object
   _g: (data: any, value: any) => VNodeData;
   // check custom keyCode
-  _k: (eventKeyCode: number, key: string, builtInAlias: number | Array<number> | void) => boolean;
+  _k: (eventKeyCode: number, key: string, builtInAlias?: number | Array<number>, eventKeyName?: string) => ?boolean;
   // resolve scoped slots
   _u: (scopedSlots: ScopedSlotsData, res?: Object) => { [key: string]: Function };
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/codegen/events.js b/src/compiler/codegen/events.js
index 67ae0368b65..b15d93160d3 100644
--- a/src/compiler/codegen/events.js
+++ b/src/compiler/codegen/events.js
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ function genFilterCode (key: string): string {
   if (keyVal) {
     return `$event.keyCode!==${keyVal}`
   }
-  const alias = keyCodes[key]
-  return `_k($event.keyCode,${JSON.stringify(key)}${alias ? ',' + JSON.stringify(alias) : ''})`
+  const code = keyCodes[key]
+  return (
+    `_k($event.keyCode,` +
+    `${JSON.stringify(key)},` +
+    `${JSON.stringify(code)},` +
+    `$event.key)`
+  )
 }
diff --git a/src/core/instance/render-helpers/check-keycodes.js b/src/core/instance/render-helpers/check-keycodes.js
index 7d878009d10..8e77f29b9e4 100644
--- a/src/core/instance/render-helpers/check-keycodes.js
+++ b/src/core/instance/render-helpers/check-keycodes.js
@@ -1,19 +1,27 @@
 /* @flow */
 
 import config from 'core/config'
+import { hyphenate } from 'shared/util'
 
 /**
  * Runtime helper for checking keyCodes from config.
+ * exposed as Vue.prototype._k
+ * passing in eventKeyName as last argument separately for backwards compat
  */
 export function checkKeyCodes (
   eventKeyCode: number,
   key: string,
-  builtInAlias: number | Array<number> | void
-): boolean {
+  builtInAlias?: number | Array<number>,
+  eventKeyName?: string
+): ?boolean {
   const keyCodes = config.keyCodes[key] || builtInAlias
-  if (Array.isArray(keyCodes)) {
-    return keyCodes.indexOf(eventKeyCode) === -1
-  } else {
-    return keyCodes !== eventKeyCode
+  if (keyCodes) {
+    if (Array.isArray(keyCodes)) {
+      return keyCodes.indexOf(eventKeyCode) === -1
+    } else {
+      return keyCodes !== eventKeyCode
+    }
+  } else if (eventKeyName) {
+    return hyphenate(eventKeyName) !== key
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/features/directives/on.spec.js b/test/unit/features/directives/on.spec.js
index 5dd0f1ce409..b65ec37948e 100644
--- a/test/unit/features/directives/on.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/features/directives/on.spec.js
@@ -205,6 +205,18 @@ describe('Directive v-on', () => {
     expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it('should support automatic key name inference', () => {
+    vm = new Vue({
+      el,
+      template: `<input @keyup.arrow-right="foo">`,
+      methods: { foo: spy }
+    })
+    triggerEvent(vm.$el, 'keyup', e => {
+      e.key = 'ArrowRight'
+    })
+    expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   // ctrl, shift, alt, meta
   it('should support system modifers', () => {
     vm = new Vue({
diff --git a/test/unit/modules/compiler/codegen.spec.js b/test/unit/modules/compiler/codegen.spec.js
index 4eb804c3d36..6eaa3d18663 100644
--- a/test/unit/modules/compiler/codegen.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/modules/compiler/codegen.spec.js
@@ -243,17 +243,17 @@ describe('codegen', () => {
   it('generate events with keycode', () => {
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @input.enter="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13,$event.key))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
     // multiple keycodes (delete)
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @input.delete="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"delete",[8,46]))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"delete",[8,46],$event.key))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
     // multiple keycodes (chained)
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @keydown.enter.delete="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13)&&_k($event.keyCode,"delete",[8,46]))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13,$event.key)&&_k($event.keyCode,"delete",[8,46],$event.key))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
     // number keycode
     assertCodegen(
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ describe('codegen', () => {
     // custom keycode
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @input.custom="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"custom"))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"input":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"custom",undefined,$event.key))return null;onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
   })
 
@@ -286,12 +286,12 @@ describe('codegen', () => {
   it('generate events with generic modifiers and keycode correct order', () => {
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @keydown.enter.prevent="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13))return null;$event.preventDefault();onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13,$event.key))return null;$event.preventDefault();onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
 
     assertCodegen(
       '<input @keydown.enter.stop="onInput">',
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13))return null;$event.stopPropagation();onInput($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keydown":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13,$event.key))return null;$event.stopPropagation();onInput($event)}}})}`
     )
   })
 
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ describe('codegen', () => {
     // with modifiers
     assertCodegen(
       `<input @keyup.enter="e=>current++">`,
-      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keyup":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13))return null;(e=>current++)($event)}}})}`
+      `with(this){return _c('input',{on:{"keyup":function($event){if(!('button' in $event)&&_k($event.keyCode,"enter",13,$event.key))return null;(e=>current++)($event)}}})}`
     )
   })