diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index b7899c50..70be4791 100755
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 * blocks, objects, threads, gui: optional upvars referencing event data for message, key and scene hat blocks
 * blocks: disabled dropping reporters onto message hat block input slots
 * threads: restricted inter-scene messages to text and numbers
+* objects: assign case-sensitive key symbol to key event hat blocks' upvars
 
 ### 2021-09-29
 * objects, blocks: refactored experimental "When I receive message" hat block
diff --git a/src/objects.js b/src/objects.js
index 8994cf28..0f5f2514 100644
--- a/src/objects.js
+++ b/src/objects.js
@@ -8433,7 +8433,7 @@ StageMorph.prototype.fireKeyEvent = function (key) {
                     varFrame;
                 if (varName) {
                     varFrame = new VariableFrame();
-                    varFrame.addVar(varName, evt);
+                    varFrame.addVar(varName, key); // original, not lowercased
                 }
                 procs.push(this.threads.startProcess(
                     block,