diff --git a/components/compositing/compositor.rs b/components/compositing/compositor.rs
index f09eb6b51a8..a556bf958b4 100644
--- a/components/compositing/compositor.rs
+++ b/components/compositing/compositor.rs
@@ -358,8 +358,10 @@ impl<Window: WindowMethods> IOCompositor<Window> {
                 }
             }
 
-            (Msg::KeyEvent(key, modified), ShutdownState::NotShuttingDown) => {
-                self.window.handle_key(key, modified);
+            (Msg::KeyEvent(key, state, modified), ShutdownState::NotShuttingDown) => {
+                if state == KeyState::Pressed {
+                    self.window.handle_key(key, modified);
+                }
             }
 
             (Msg::SetCursor(cursor), ShutdownState::NotShuttingDown) => {
diff --git a/components/compositing/compositor_task.rs b/components/compositing/compositor_task.rs
index 7eaf56798a2..e2f21d0910e 100644
--- a/components/compositing/compositor_task.rs
+++ b/components/compositing/compositor_task.rs
@@ -91,9 +91,7 @@ impl ScriptListener for Box<CompositorProxy+'static+Send> {
     }
 
     fn send_key_event(&mut self, key: Key, state: KeyState, modifiers: KeyModifiers) {
-        if state == KeyState::Pressed {
-            self.send(Msg::KeyEvent(key, modifiers));
-        }
+        self.send(Msg::KeyEvent(key, state, modifiers));
     }
 }
 
@@ -218,7 +216,7 @@ pub enum Msg {
     /// composite should happen. (See the `scrolling` module.)
     ScrollTimeout(u64),
     /// Sends an unconsumed key event back to the compositor.
-    KeyEvent(Key, KeyModifiers),
+    KeyEvent(Key, KeyState, KeyModifiers),
     /// Changes the cursor.
     SetCursor(Cursor),
     /// Informs the compositor that the paint task for the given pipeline has exited.
diff --git a/components/compositing/constellation.rs b/components/compositing/constellation.rs
index c59184f8631..6b71bcc1c78 100644
--- a/components/compositing/constellation.rs
+++ b/components/compositing/constellation.rs
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ impl<LTF: LayoutTaskFactory, STF: ScriptTaskFactory> Constellation<LTF, STF> {
                     CompositorEvent::KeyEvent(key, state, mods))).unwrap();
             },
             None => self.compositor_proxy.clone_compositor_proxy()
-                        .send(CompositorMsg::KeyEvent(key, mods))
+                        .send(CompositorMsg::KeyEvent(key, state, mods))
         }
 
     }