diff --git a/config/scripts/verify-computer-native.mjs b/config/scripts/verify-computer-native.mjs
index ce3f0b58e31..750d425ef14 100644
--- a/config/scripts/verify-computer-native.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/verify-computer-native.mjs
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ const checks = [
     args: ['native/computer-use-linux/runtime_render_test.py'],
     enabled: true
   },
+  {
+    name: 'Linux keyboard synthesis tests',
+    command: 'python3',
+    args: ['native/computer-use-linux/runtime_keyboard_test.py'],
+    enabled: true
+  },
   {
     name: 'native provider argument guardrails',
     run: verifyNativeArgumentGuardrails,
diff --git a/native/computer-use-linux/runtime.py b/native/computer-use-linux/runtime.py
index fecce949aaa..26b9ba43674 100644
--- a/native/computer-use-linux/runtime.py
+++ b/native/computer-use-linux/runtime.py
@@ -962,11 +962,14 @@ def press_key(raw):
         return
     if Gdk is None:
         raise RuntimeError("GDK is required for non-character key synthesis")
-    Atspi.generate_keyboard_event(Gdk.keyval_from_name(name), None, Atspi.KeySynthType.PRESSRELEASE)
+    Atspi.generate_keyboard_event(Gdk.keyval_from_name(name), None, Atspi.KeySynthType.SYM)
 
 
 def hotkey(raw):
     key_spec = re.sub(r"(?i)commandorcontrol|cmdorctrl", "ctrl", str(raw))
+    if "+" in key_spec:
+        # xdotool treats an upper-case letter as its shifted keysym, so ctrl+A would press ctrl+shift+a.
+        key_spec = "+".join(part.lower() if len(part) == 1 else part for part in key_spec.split("+"))
     xdotool = shutil.which("xdotool")
     if xdotool:
         subprocess.run([xdotool, "key", key_spec], check=True)
diff --git a/native/computer-use-linux/runtime_keyboard_test.py b/native/computer-use-linux/runtime_keyboard_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22e6eef31d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/native/computer-use-linux/runtime_keyboard_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+import types
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest import mock
+
+
+class FakeKeySynthType:
+    PRESSRELEASE = "pressrelease"
+    SYM = "sym"
+    STRING = "string"
+
+
+KEYSYMS = {"Return": 0xFF0D, "Tab": 0xFF09, "Escape": 0xFF1B, "Left": 0xFF51, "Down": 0xFF54}
+
+
+def load_runtime():
+    gi = types.ModuleType("gi")
+    repository = types.ModuleType("gi.repository")
+    gi.require_version = lambda *_: None
+    repository.Atspi = types.SimpleNamespace(KeySynthType=FakeKeySynthType, generate_keyboard_event=None)
+    repository.Gdk = types.SimpleNamespace(keyval_from_name=KEYSYMS.__getitem__)
+    repository.GdkPixbuf = types.SimpleNamespace()
+    gi.repository = repository
+    sys.modules["gi"] = gi
+    sys.modules["gi.repository"] = repository
+
+    path = Path(__file__).with_name("runtime.py")
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("orca_linux_runtime_keyboard_test", path)
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    sys.modules[spec.name] = module
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+runtime = load_runtime()
+
+
+class RuntimeKeyboardTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.events = []
+        patcher = mock.patch.object(
+            runtime.Atspi, "generate_keyboard_event", lambda *args: self.events.append(args)
+        )
+        patcher.start()
+        self.addCleanup(patcher.stop)
+
+    def test_named_keys_synthesize_the_keysym(self):
+        for raw, keysym in (("enter", 0xFF0D), ("Tab", 0xFF09), ("esc", 0xFF1B), ("left", 0xFF51), ("Down", 0xFF54)):
+            self.events.clear()
+            runtime.press_key(raw)
+            self.assertEqual(self.events, [(keysym, None, FakeKeySynthType.SYM)], raw)
+
+    def run_hotkey(self, raw):
+        with mock.patch.object(runtime.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/xdotool"), mock.patch.object(
+            runtime.subprocess, "run"
+        ) as run:
+            runtime.hotkey(raw)
+        return run.call_args.args[0]
+
+    def test_hotkey_lowercases_letters_so_xdotool_does_not_add_shift(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.run_hotkey("CmdOrCtrl+A"), ["/usr/bin/xdotool", "key", "ctrl+a"])
+        self.assertEqual(self.run_hotkey("ctrl+shift+T"), ["/usr/bin/xdotool", "key", "ctrl+shift+t"])
+
+    def test_hotkey_keeps_named_keys(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.run_hotkey("alt+Tab"), ["/usr/bin/xdotool", "key", "alt+Tab"])
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()