diff --git a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_reddit.sh b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_reddit.sh
index bef3f6e..7d50f53 100755
--- a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_reddit.sh
+++ b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_reddit.sh
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 [ -z "$SXMO_SUBREDDITS" ] && SXMO_SUBREDDITS="pine64official pinephoneofficial unixporn postmarketos linux"
 
 menu() {
-	pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 	SUBREDDIT="$(
 		printf %b "Close Menu\n$(echo "$SXMO_SUBREDDITS" | tr " " '\n')" |
 		dmenu -p "Subreddit:" -c -l 10
 	)"
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 	[ "Close Menu" = "$SUBREDDIT" ] && exit 0
 
 	REDDITRESULTS="$(
diff --git a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_timer.sh b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_timer.sh
index 4493049..50ddf2b 100755
--- a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_timer.sh
+++ b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_timer.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ timerrun() {
 }
 
 menu() {
-	pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 	TIMEINPUT="$(
 	echo "
 		1h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ menu() {
 		Close Menu
 	" | awk 'NF' | awk '{$1=$1};1' | dmenu -p Timer -c -l 20
 	)"
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 	[ "Close Menu" = "$TIMEINPUT" ] && exit 0
 	st -f Monospace-50 -e "$0" timerrun "$TIMEINPUT"
 }
diff --git a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_websearch.sh b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_websearch.sh
index 02609fe..fff584a 100755
--- a/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_websearch.sh
+++ b/scripts/appscripts/sxmo_websearch.sh
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 # shellcheck source=scripts/core/sxmo_common.sh
 . "$(dirname "$0")/sxmo_common.sh"
 
-pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 SEARCHQUERY="$(
 	echo "Close Menu" | dmenu -t -p "Search:" -c -l 20
 )"
-pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 [ "Close Menu" = "$SEARCHQUERY" ] && exit 0
 
 echo "$SEARCHQUERY" | grep . || exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_dmenu_with_kb.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_dmenu_with_kb.sh
index 0022009..f59c857 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_dmenu_with_kb.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_dmenu_with_kb.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 
-pidof "$KEYBOARD" >&2 || "$KEYBOARD" &
+sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 OUTPUT="$(cat | dmenu "$@")"
-pkill "$KEYBOARD" >&2
+sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 echo "$OUTPUT"
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_gesturehandler.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_gesturehandler.sh
index 36d6de8..19784ab 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_gesturehandler.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_gesturehandler.sh
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@ if [ "$HANDLE" -ne 0 ]; then
 			sxmo_vol.sh down &
 			;;
 		"showkeyboard")
-			pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+			sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 			;;
 		"hidekeyboard")
-			pkill -9 "$KEYBOARD"
+			sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 			;;
 		"showmenu")
 			pidof dmenu || setsid -f sxmo_appmenu.sh &
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_keyboard.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_keyboard.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..55637a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_keyboard.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+SXMO_NO_ICONS=1 #just to make it a bit faster
+# include common definitions
+# shellcheck source=scripts/core/sxmo_common.sh
+. "$(dirname "$0")/sxmo_common.sh"
+
+open() {
+	#Note: KEYBOARD_ARGS is not quoted by design as it may includes a pipe and further tools
+	# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+	pidof -q "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" $KEYBOARD_ARGS &
+}
+
+close() {
+	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+}
+
+if [ "$1" = "close" ]; then
+	close
+else
+	open
+fi
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_pipecomplete.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_pipecomplete.sh
index 06562be..2791829 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_pipecomplete.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_pipecomplete.sh
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ INPUT="$(cat)"
 STWIN="$(xprop -root | sed -n '/^_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW/ s/.* //p')"
 
 menu() {
-	pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 	RESULT="$(
 		printf %b "$(
 		echo "Close Menu";
 			echo "$INPUT" | grep -Eo '\S+' | tr -d '[:blank:]' | sort | uniq
 		)" | dmenu -p "$PROMPT" -l 10 -i -c
 	)"
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 }
 
 copy() {
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_rotate.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_rotate.sh
index 404190c..0d596fd 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_rotate.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_rotate.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ isrotated() {
 }
 
 rotnormal() {
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 	xrandr -o normal
 	applyptrmatrix 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 	pidof lisgd && pkill lisgd | sxmo_lisgdstart.sh -o 0 &
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ rotnormal() {
 }
 
 rotright() {
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 	xrandr -o right
 	applyptrmatrix 0 1 0 -1 0 1 0 0 1
 	pidof lisgd && pkill lisgd | sxmo_lisgdstart.sh -o 1 &
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ rotright() {
 }
 
 rotleft() {
-	pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+	sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 	xrandr -o left
 	applyptrmatrix 0 -1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
 	pidof lisgd && pkill lisgd | sxmo_lisgdstart.sh -o -1 &
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_surf_linkselect.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_surf_linkselect.sh
index 32d2b94..77e5523 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_surf_linkselect.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_surf_linkselect.sh
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ link_select() {
 		link_normalize "$(xprop -id "$SURF_WINDOW" _SURF_URI | cut -d '"' -f 2)"
 }
 
-pidof "$KEYBOARD" || "$KEYBOARD" &
+sxmo_keyboard.sh open
 VAL="$(link_select)"
-pkill "$KEYBOARD"
+sxmo_keyboard.sh close
 echo "$VAL"
diff --git a/scripts/core/sxmo_xinit.sh b/scripts/core/sxmo_xinit.sh
index 4813e69..561dd3e 100755
--- a/scripts/core/sxmo_xinit.sh
+++ b/scripts/core/sxmo_xinit.sh
@@ -45,10 +45,14 @@ xdefaults() {
 defaultkeyboard() {
 	if command -v svkbd-mobile-intl; then
 		export KEYBOARD=svkbd-mobile-intl
+		export KEYBOARD_ARGS=
 	elif command -v svkbd-mobile-plain; then
 		export KEYBOARD=svkbd-mobile-plain
+		export KEYBOARD_ARGS=
 	else
+		#legacy
 		export KEYBOARD=svkbd-sxmo
+		export KEYBOARD_ARGS=
 	fi
 }