diff --git a/client/app/scripts/actions/app-actions.js b/client/app/scripts/actions/app-actions.js
index 36274ce29..61327d4bb 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/actions/app-actions.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/actions/app-actions.js
@@ -13,6 +13,22 @@ import AppStore from '../stores/app-store';
 
 const log = debug('scope:app-actions');
 
+export function showHelp() {
+  AppDispatcher.dispatch({type: ActionTypes.SHOW_HELP});
+}
+
+export function hideHelp() {
+  AppDispatcher.dispatch({type: ActionTypes.HIDE_HELP});
+}
+
+export function toggleHelp() {
+  if (AppStore.getShowingHelp()) {
+    hideHelp();
+  } else {
+    showHelp();
+  }
+}
+
 export function selectMetric(metricId) {
   AppDispatcher.dispatch({
     type: ActionTypes.SELECT_METRIC,
@@ -219,7 +235,9 @@ export function enterNode(nodeId) {
 
 export function hitEsc() {
   const controlPipe = AppStore.getControlPipe();
-  if (controlPipe && controlPipe.get('status') === 'PIPE_DELETED') {
+  if (AppStore.getShowingHelp()) {
+    hideHelp();
+  } else if (controlPipe && controlPipe.get('status') === 'PIPE_DELETED') {
     AppDispatcher.dispatch({
       type: ActionTypes.CLICK_CLOSE_TERMINAL,
       pipeId: controlPipe.get('id')
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/app.js b/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
index da50a2acb..ab9babe27 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import Logo from './logo';
 import AppStore from '../stores/app-store';
 import Footer from './footer.js';
 import Sidebar from './sidebar.js';
+import HelpPanel from './help-panel';
 import Status from './status.js';
 import Topologies from './topologies.js';
 import TopologyOptions from './topology-options.js';
 import { getApiDetails, getTopologies } from '../utils/web-api-utils';
 import { pinNextMetric, hitEsc, unpinMetric,
-  selectMetric } from '../actions/app-actions';
+  selectMetric, toggleHelp } from '../actions/app-actions';
 import Details from './details';
 import Nodes from './nodes';
 import MetricSelector from './metric-selector';
@@ -22,10 +23,6 @@ import { showingDebugToolbar, toggleDebugToolbar,
   DebugToolbar } from './debug-toolbar.js';
 
 const ESC_KEY_CODE = 27;
-const D_KEY_CODE = 68;
-const Q_KEY_CODE = 81;
-const RIGHT_ANGLE_KEY_IDENTIFIER = 'U+003C';
-const LEFT_ANGLE_KEY_IDENTIFIER = 'U+003E';
 const keyPressLog = debug('scope:app-key-press');
 
 /* make sure these can all be shallow-checked for equality for PureRenderMixin */
@@ -47,6 +44,7 @@ function getStateFromStores() {
     availableCanvasMetrics: AppStore.getAvailableCanvasMetrics(),
     nodeDetails: AppStore.getNodeDetails(),
     nodes: AppStore.getNodes(),
+    showingHelp: AppStore.getShowingHelp(),
     selectedNodeId: AppStore.getSelectedNodeId(),
     selectedMetric: AppStore.getSelectedMetric(),
     topologies: AppStore.getTopologies(),
@@ -65,12 +63,14 @@ export default class App extends React.Component {
     super(props, context);
     this.onChange = this.onChange.bind(this);
     this.onKeyPress = this.onKeyPress.bind(this);
+    this.onKeyUp = this.onKeyUp.bind(this);
     this.state = getStateFromStores();
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
     AppStore.addListener(this.onChange);
-    window.addEventListener('keyup', this.onKeyPress);
+    window.addEventListener('keypress', this.onKeyPress);
+    window.addEventListener('keyup', this.onKeyUp);
 
     getRouter().start({hashbang: true});
     if (!AppStore.isRouteSet()) {
@@ -80,24 +80,43 @@ export default class App extends React.Component {
     getApiDetails();
   }
 
+  componentWillUnmount() {
+    window.removeEventListener('keypress', this.onKeyPress);
+    window.removeEventListener('keyup', this.onKeyUp);
+  }
+
   onChange() {
     this.setState(getStateFromStores());
   }
 
-  onKeyPress(ev) {
-    keyPressLog('onKeyPress', 'keyCode', ev.keyCode, ev);
+  onKeyUp(ev) {
+    // don't get esc in onKeyPress
     if (ev.keyCode === ESC_KEY_CODE) {
       hitEsc();
-    } else if (ev.keyIdentifier === RIGHT_ANGLE_KEY_IDENTIFIER) {
+    }
+  }
+
+  onKeyPress(ev) {
+    //
+    // keyup gives 'key'
+    // keypress gives 'char'
+    // Distinction is important for international keyboard layouts where there
+    // is often a different {key: char} mapping.
+    //
+    keyPressLog('onKeyPress', 'keyCode', ev.keyCode, ev);
+    const char = String.fromCharCode(ev.charCode);
+    if (char === '<') {
       pinNextMetric(-1);
-    } else if (ev.keyIdentifier === LEFT_ANGLE_KEY_IDENTIFIER) {
+    } else if (char === '>') {
       pinNextMetric(1);
-    } else if (ev.keyCode === Q_KEY_CODE) {
+    } else if (char === 'q') {
       unpinMetric();
       selectMetric(null);
-    } else if (ev.keyCode === D_KEY_CODE) {
+    } else if (char === 'd') {
       toggleDebugToolbar();
       this.forceUpdate();
+    } else if (char === '?') {
+      toggleHelp();
     }
   }
 
@@ -112,6 +131,9 @@ export default class App extends React.Component {
     return (
       <div className="app">
         {showingDebugToolbar() && <DebugToolbar />}
+
+        {this.state.showingHelp && <HelpPanel />}
+
         {showingDetails && <Details nodes={this.state.nodes}
           controlStatus={this.state.controlStatus}
           details={this.state.nodeDetails} />}
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js b/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
index 590c7db01..904b22018 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import moment from 'moment';
 import { getUpdateBufferSize } from '../utils/update-buffer-utils';
 import { contrastModeUrl, isContrastMode } from '../utils/contrast-utils';
 import { clickDownloadGraph, clickForceRelayout, clickPauseUpdate,
-  clickResumeUpdate } from '../actions/app-actions';
+  clickResumeUpdate, toggleHelp } from '../actions/app-actions';
 import { basePathSlash } from '../utils/web-api-utils';
 
 export default function Footer(props) {
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ export default function Footer(props) {
         <a className="footer-icon" href="https://gitreports.com/issue/weaveworks/scope" target="_blank" title="Report an issue">
           <span className="fa fa-bug" />
         </a>
+        <a className="footer-icon" onClick={toggleHelp} title="Show help">
+          <span className="fa fa-question" />
+        </a>
       </div>
 
     </div>
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js b/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42564a249
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+const GENERAL_SHORTCUTS = [
+  {key: 'esc', label: 'Close active panel'},
+  {key: '?', label: 'Toggle shortcut menu'},
+];
+
+const CANVAS_METRIC_SHORTCUTS = [
+  {key: '<', label: 'Select and pin previous metric'},
+  {key: '>', label: 'Select and pin next metric'},
+  {key: 'q', label: 'Unpin current metric'},
+];
+
+function renderShortcuts(cuts) {
+  return (
+    <div>
+      {cuts.map(({key, label}) => (
+        <div key={key} className="help-panel-shortcut">
+          <div className="key"><kbd>{key}</kbd></div>
+          <div className="label">{label}</div>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export default class HelpPanel extends React.Component {
+  render() {
+    return (
+      <div className="help-panel">
+        <div className="help-panel-header">
+          <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts</h2>
+        </div>
+        <div className="help-panel-main">
+          <h3>General</h3>
+          {renderShortcuts(GENERAL_SHORTCUTS)}
+          <h3>Canvas Metrics</h3>
+          {renderShortcuts(CANVAS_METRIC_SHORTCUTS)}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/terminal.js b/client/app/scripts/components/terminal.js
index 591a5d59a..ff062659e 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/terminal.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/terminal.js
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ export default class Terminal extends React.Component {
 
     if (this.term) {
       log('destroy terminal');
+      this.term.blur();
       this.term.destroy();
       this.term = null;
     }
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js b/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
index a6b3f5912..b6290f2fb 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const ACTION_TYPES = [
   'DO_CONTROL_SUCCESS',
   'ENTER_EDGE',
   'ENTER_NODE',
+  'HIDE_HELP',
   'LEAVE_EDGE',
   'LEAVE_NODE',
   'PIN_METRIC',
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@ const ACTION_TYPES = [
   'RECEIVE_API_DETAILS',
   'RECEIVE_ERROR',
   'ROUTE_TOPOLOGY',
-  'SELECT_METRIC'
+  'SELECT_METRIC',
+  'SHOW_HELP'
 ];
 
 export default _.zipObject(ACTION_TYPES, ACTION_TYPES);
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
index 9f11ac536..646e11f10 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ let routeSet = false;
 let controlPipes = makeOrderedMap(); // pipeId -> controlPipe
 let updatePausedAt = null; // Date
 let websocketClosed = true;
+let showingHelp = false;
 
 let selectedMetric = null;
 let pinnedMetric = selectedMetric;
@@ -149,6 +150,10 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
     };
   }
 
+  getShowingHelp() {
+    return showingHelp;
+  }
+
   getActiveTopologyOptions() {
     // options for current topology, sub-topologies share options with parent
     if (currentTopology && currentTopology.get('parentId')) {
@@ -449,6 +454,16 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
         this.__emitChange();
         break;
       }
+      case ActionTypes.SHOW_HELP: {
+        showingHelp = true;
+        this.__emitChange();
+        break;
+      }
+      case ActionTypes.HIDE_HELP: {
+        showingHelp = false;
+        this.__emitChange();
+        break;
+      }
       case ActionTypes.DESELECT_NODE: {
         closeNodeDetails();
         this.__emitChange();
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/utils/router-utils.js b/client/app/scripts/utils/router-utils.js
index 6878b5ac6..df39d11d8 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/utils/router-utils.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/utils/router-utils.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export function updateRoute() {
   const urlStateString = window.location.hash
     .replace('#!/state/', '')
     .replace('#!/', '') || '{}';
-  const prevState = JSON.parse(urlStateString);
+  const prevState = JSON.parse(decodeURIComponent(urlStateString));
 
   if (shouldReplaceState(prevState, state)) {
     // Replace the top of the history rather than pushing on a new item.
diff --git a/client/app/styles/main.less b/client/app/styles/main.less
index fe9d46fe1..35b49aa91 100644
--- a/client/app/styles/main.less
+++ b/client/app/styles/main.less
@@ -1080,6 +1080,70 @@ h2 {
   }
 }
 
+//
+// Help panel!
+//
+
+@help-panel-width: 400px;
+@help-panel-height: 380px;
+.help-panel {
+  position: absolute;
+  -webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
+  top: 50%;
+  left: 50%;
+  width: @help-panel-width;
+  height: @help-panel-height;
+  margin-left: @help-panel-width / -2;
+  margin-top: @help-panel-height / -2;
+  z-index: 2048;
+  background-color: white;
+  .shadow-2;
+
+  &-header {
+    background-color: @weave-blue;
+    padding: 36px;
+    color: white;
+
+    h2 {
+      margin: 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  &-main {
+    padding: 12px 36px 36px;
+  }
+
+  h3 {
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    font-size: 90%;
+    color: #8383ac;
+    padding: 4px 0;
+  }
+
+  &-shortcut {
+    kbd {
+      display: inline-block;
+      padding: 3px 5px;
+      font-size: 11px;
+      line-height: 10px;
+      color: #555;
+      vertical-align: middle;
+      background-color: #fcfcfc;
+      border: solid 1px #ccc;
+      border-bottom-color: #bbb;
+      border-radius: 3px;
+      box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 #bbb;
+    }
+    div.key {
+      width: 100px;
+      display: inline-block;
+    }
+    div.label {
+      display: inline-block;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 //
 // Debug panel!
 //