diff --git a/includes/interface.h b/includes/interface.h
index e1d7e6f22..a49f75f9e 100644
--- a/includes/interface.h
+++ b/includes/interface.h
@@ -154,8 +154,6 @@ extern char search_expr[256];
 extern char *tag_names[TAG_MAX];
 extern int tag_votes[TAG_MAX];
 
-extern int Z_keysym;
-
 extern int zoom_en;
 extern int zoom_x, zoom_y;
 extern int zoom_wx, zoom_wy;
diff --git a/src/interface.c b/src/interface.c
index 0efc7809b..2aef3632b 100644
--- a/src/interface.c
+++ b/src/interface.c
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ char search_expr[256] = "";
 char *tag_names[TAG_MAX];
 int tag_votes[TAG_MAX];
 
-int Z_keysym = 'z';
-
 int zoom_en = 0;
 int zoom_x=(XRES-ZSIZE_D)/2, zoom_y=(YRES-ZSIZE_D)/2;
 int zoom_wx=0, zoom_wy=0;
@@ -1763,10 +1761,9 @@ int sdl_poll(void)
 			sdl_ascii=event.key.keysym.unicode;
 			if (event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_CAPSLOCK)
 				sdl_caps = 1;
-			if (event.key.keysym.unicode=='z' || event.key.keysym.unicode=='Z')
+			if (event.key.keysym.sym=='z')
 			{
 				sdl_zoom_trig = 1;
-				Z_keysym = event.key.keysym.sym;
 			}
 			if ( event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_PLUS)
 			{
@@ -1816,7 +1813,7 @@ int sdl_poll(void)
 		case SDL_KEYUP:
 			if (event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_CAPSLOCK)
 				sdl_caps = 0;
-			if (event.key.keysym.sym == Z_keysym)
+			if (event.key.keysym.sym == 'z')
 				sdl_zoom_trig = 0;
 			if (event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_RIGHT || event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_LEFT)
 			{
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 6667f7710..84e440ca6 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -2108,7 +2108,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		if (!sdl_zoom_trig && zoom_en==1)
 			zoom_en = 0;
 
-		if (sdl_key==Z_keysym && zoom_en==2)
+		if (sdl_key=='z' && zoom_en==2)
 			zoom_en = 1;
 
 		if (load_mode)