diff --git a/scripts/tests/e3/rules.lua b/scripts/tests/e3/rules.lua
index 6d3e56d1a..b262f99a6 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/e3/rules.lua
+++ b/scripts/tests/e3/rules.lua
@@ -953,12 +953,11 @@ function test_bug2083()
     -- this is a bit weird, but the bug was caused by market code
     -- being called in two places. We want to make sure this doesn't happen
     for k, v in pairs(rules) do
-        set_key("xm09", true)
-    	if 'table' == type(v) then
+        if 'table' == type(v) then
            cb = v['update']
-	   if 'function' == type(cb) then
+            if 'function' == type(cb) then
               cb()
-	   end
+            end
         end
      end
 
diff --git a/src/attributes/key.c b/src/attributes/key.c
index 75958a6fb..1808c561f 100644
--- a/src/attributes/key.c
+++ b/src/attributes/key.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <util/log.h>
 #include <storage.h>
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -76,25 +77,83 @@ static int keys_size(int n) {
     return 4096;
 }
 
+static int read_flags(gamedata *data, int *keys, int n) {
+    int i;
+    for (i = 0; i != n; ++i) {
+        int key;
+        READ_INT(data->store, &key);
+        keys[i * 2] = key;
+        keys[i * 2 + 1] = 1;
+    }
+    return n;
+}
+
+#ifdef KEYVAL_VERSION
+static int read_keyval(gamedata *data, int *keys, int n) {
+    int i;
+    for (i = 0; i != n; ++i) {
+        int key, val;
+        READ_INT(data->store, &key);
+        READ_INT(data->store, &val);
+        keys[i * 2] = key;
+        keys[i * 2 + 1] = val;
+    }
+    return n;
+}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef FIXATKEYS_VERSION
+static int read_keyval_orig(gamedata *data, int *keys, int n) {
+    int i, j = 0, dk = -1;
+    for (i = 0; i != n; ++i) {
+        int key, val;
+        READ_INT(data->store, &key);
+        READ_INT(data->store, &val);
+        if (key > dk) {
+            keys[j * 2] = key;
+            keys[j * 2 + 1] = val;
+            dk = key;
+            ++j;
+        }
+    }
+    return j;
+}
+#endif
+
 static int a_readkeys(variant *var, void *owner, gamedata *data) {
-    int i, n, *keys;
+    int i, n, ksn, *keys;
 
     READ_INT(data->store, &n);
     assert(n < 4096 && n >= 0);
     if (n == 0) {
         return AT_READ_FAIL;
     }
-    keys = malloc(sizeof(int)*(keys_size(n) * 2 + 1));
-    *keys = n;
-    for (i = 0; i != n; ++i) {
-        READ_INT(data->store, keys + i * 2 + 1);
-        if (data->version >= KEYVAL_VERSION) {
-            READ_INT(data->store, keys + i * 2 + 2);
-        }
-        else {
-            keys[i * 2 + 2] = 1;
+    ksn = keys_size(n);
+    keys = malloc((ksn * 2 + 1) * sizeof(int));
+    if (data->version >= FIXATKEYS_VERSION) {
+        n = read_keyval(data, keys + 1, n);
+    }
+    else if (data->version >= KEYVAL_VERSION) {
+        int m = read_keyval_orig(data, keys + 1, n);
+        if (n != m) {
+            int ksm = keys_size(m);
+            if (ksm != ksn) {
+                int *nkeys = (int *)realloc(keys, (ksm * 2 + 1) * sizeof(int));
+                if (nkeys != NULL) {
+                    keys = nkeys;
+                }
+                else {
+                    log_error("a_readkeys allocation failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+                    return AT_READ_FAIL;
+                }
+            }
+            n = m;
         }
     }
+    else {
+        n = read_flags(data, keys + 1, n);
+    }
+    keys[0] = n;
     if (data->version < SORTKEYS_VERSION) {
         int e = 1;
         for (i = 1; i != n; ++i) {
diff --git a/src/bindings.c b/src/bindings.c
index d72bddac2..bdf03afdf 100755
--- a/src/bindings.c
+++ b/src/bindings.c
@@ -153,15 +153,6 @@ int tolua_itemlist_next(lua_State * L)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int tolua_getkey(lua_State * L)
-{
-    const char *name = tolua_tostring(L, 1, 0);
-    int flag = atoi36(name);
-
-    lua_pushboolean(L, key_get(global.attribs, flag));
-    return 1;
-}
-
 static int tolua_translate(lua_State * L)
 {
     const char *str = tolua_tostring(L, 1, 0);
@@ -175,20 +166,6 @@ static int tolua_translate(lua_State * L)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int tolua_setkey(lua_State * L)
-{
-    const char *name = tolua_tostring(L, 1, 0);
-    int value = (int)tolua_tonumber(L, 3, 0);
-    int flag = atoi36(name);
-    if (value) {
-        key_set(&global.attribs, flag, value);
-    }
-    else {
-        key_unset(&global.attribs, flag);
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
 static int tolua_random(lua_State * L)
 {
     lua_pushinteger(L, rng_int());
@@ -1003,8 +980,6 @@ int tolua_bindings_open(lua_State * L, const dictionary *inifile)
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "update_owners", tolua_update_owners);
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "learn_skill", tolua_learn_skill);
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "create_curse", tolua_create_curse);
-        tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "get_key", tolua_getkey);
-        tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "set_key", tolua_setkey);
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "translate", &tolua_translate);
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "spells", tolua_get_spells);
         tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "equip_newunits", tolua_equip_newunits);
diff --git a/src/jsonconf.c b/src/jsonconf.c
index fcd6f5c78..51116691f 100644
--- a/src/jsonconf.c
+++ b/src/jsonconf.c
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ static void json_keyword(cJSON *json, struct locale *lang) {
     }
     for (child = json->child; child; child = child->next) {
         keyword_t kwd = findkeyword(child->string);
-        if (kwd != NOKEYWORD) {
+        if (kwd != NOKEYWORD && keywords[kwd]) {
             if (child->type == cJSON_String) {
                 init_keyword(lang, kwd, child->valuestring);
                 locale_setstring(lang, mkname("keyword", keywords[kwd]), child->valuestring);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 750d406f6..eee2ec0f5 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -767,10 +767,6 @@ void free_gamedata(void)
     free_borders();
     free_alliances();
 
-    while (global.attribs) {
-        a_remove(&global.attribs, global.attribs);
-    }
-
     while (planes) {
         plane *pl = planes;
         planes = planes->next;
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index 94abcb7f4..e104d4a1a 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ extern "C" {
 
     /* globale settings des Spieles */
     typedef struct settings {
-        struct attrib *attribs;
         void *vm_state;
     } settings;
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index b51e82734..51585f26c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -1392,7 +1392,13 @@ int read_game(gamedata *data)
     else {
         READ_STR(store, NULL, 0);
     }
-    read_attribs(data, &global.attribs, NULL);
+
+    if (data->version < FIXATKEYS_VERSION) {
+        attrib *a = NULL;
+        read_attribs(data, &a, NULL);
+        a_removeall(&a, NULL);
+    }
+
     READ_INT(store, &turn);
     log_debug(" - reading turn %d", turn);
     rng_init(turn + config_get_int("game.seed", 0));
@@ -1614,9 +1620,6 @@ int write_game(gamedata *data) {
     WRITE_INT(store, game_id());
     WRITE_SECTION(store);
 
-    write_attribs(store, global.attribs, NULL);
-    WRITE_SECTION(store);
-
     WRITE_INT(store, turn);
     WRITE_INT(store, 0 /* max_unique_id */);
     WRITE_INT(store, nextborder);
diff --git a/src/keyword.c b/src/keyword.c
index 47fcc3c8e..e2b5b4775 100644
--- a/src/keyword.c
+++ b/src/keyword.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 const char * keyword(keyword_t kwd)
 {
     static char result[32]; /* FIXME: static return value */
-    if (kwd==NOKEYWORD) {
+    if (kwd==NOKEYWORD || keywords[kwd] == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
     if (!result[0]) {
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ void init_keywords(const struct locale *lang) {
 keyword_t findkeyword(const char *s) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i != MAXKEYWORDS; ++i) {
-        if (strcmp(s, keywords[i]) == 0) {
+        if (keywords[i] && (strcmp(s, keywords[i]) == 0)) {
             return (keyword_t)i;
         }
     }
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ const char *keywords[MAXKEYWORDS] = {
     "work",
     "attack",
     "steal",
-    "deprecated_besiege",
+    NULL,
     "name",
     "use",
     "describe",
diff --git a/src/tests.c b/src/tests.c
index 6395b4fcb..ddd6f7cf5 100644
--- a/src/tests.c
+++ b/src/tests.c
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ struct locale * test_create_locale(void) {
             locale_setstring(loc, combatstatus[i], combatstatus[i] + 7);
         }
         for (i = 0; i != MAXKEYWORDS; ++i) {
-            locale_setstring(loc, mkname("keyword", keywords[i]), keywords[i]);
+            if (keywords[i]) {
+                locale_setstring(loc, mkname("keyword", keywords[i]), keywords[i]);
+            }
         }
         for (i = 0; i != MAXPARAMS; ++i) {
             locale_setstring(loc, parameters[i], parameters[i]);
diff --git a/src/util/gamedata.h b/src/util/gamedata.h
index 22c1d9052..2dd4e1342 100644
--- a/src/util/gamedata.h
+++ b/src/util/gamedata.h
@@ -36,10 +36,11 @@
 #define FAMILIAR_FIX_VERSION 359 /* familiar links are fixed */
 #define SKILLSORT_VERSION 360 /* u->skills is sorted */
 #define LANDDISPLAY_VERSION 360 /* r.display is now in r.land.display */
+#define FIXATKEYS_VERSION 361 /* remove global.attribs, fix at_keys */
 /* unfinished: */
 #define CRYPT_VERSION 400 /* passwords are encrypted */
 
-#define RELEASE_VERSION LANDDISPLAY_VERSION /* current datafile */
+#define RELEASE_VERSION FIXATKEYS_VERSION /* current datafile */
 #define MIN_VERSION UIDHASH_VERSION      /* minimal datafile we support */
 #define MAX_VERSION RELEASE_VERSION /* change this if we can need to read the future datafile, and we can do so */