diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 15b0e55c..b54016de 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@
 ### Deprecated
 ### Removed
 ### Fixed
+
+* Crash in `foot --server` on key press, after another `footclient`
+  has terminated very early (for example, by trying to launch a
+  non-existing shell/client).
+
+
 ### Security
 ### Contributors
 
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 50336679..3aa8b004 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -1406,7 +1406,7 @@ key_press_release(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, uint32_t serial,
         seat->kbd.xkb_keymap, key, layout_idx, 0, &raw_syms);
 
     const struct key_binding_set *bindings = key_binding_for(
-        seat->wayl->key_binding_manager, term, seat);
+        seat->wayl->key_binding_manager, term->conf, seat);
     xassert(bindings != NULL);
 
     if (pressed) {
@@ -2335,7 +2335,7 @@ wl_pointer_button(void *data, struct wl_pointer *wl_pointer,
                     /* Seat has keyboard - use mouse bindings *with* modifiers */
 
                     const struct key_binding_set *bindings = key_binding_for(
-                        wayl->key_binding_manager, term, seat);
+                        wayl->key_binding_manager, term->conf, seat);
                     xassert(bindings != NULL);
 
                     xkb_mod_mask_t mods;
diff --git a/key-binding.c b/key-binding.c
index 2135abbc..1876a885 100644
--- a/key-binding.c
+++ b/key-binding.c
@@ -80,17 +80,14 @@ key_binding_new_for_seat(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
 }
 
 void
-key_binding_new_for_term(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
-                         const struct terminal *term)
+key_binding_new_for_conf(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
+                         const struct wayland *wayl, const struct config *conf)
 {
-    const struct config *conf = term->conf;
-    const struct wayland *wayl = term->wl;
-
     tll_foreach(wayl->seats, it) {
         struct seat *seat = &it->item;
 
         struct key_set *existing =
-            (struct key_set *)key_binding_for(mgr, term, seat);
+            (struct key_set *)key_binding_for(mgr, conf, seat);
 
         if (existing != NULL) {
             existing->conf_ref_count++;
@@ -116,21 +113,19 @@ key_binding_new_for_term(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
         /* Chances are high this set will be requested next */
         mgr->last_used_set = &tll_back(mgr->binding_sets);
 
-        LOG_DBG("new (term): set=%p, seat=%p, conf=%p, ref-count=1",
+        LOG_DBG("new (conf): set=%p, seat=%p, conf=%p, ref-count=1",
                 (void *)&tll_back(mgr->binding_sets),
                 (void *)set.seat, (void *)set.conf);
     }
 
-    LOG_DBG("new (term): total number of sets: %zu",
+    LOG_DBG("new (conf): total number of sets: %zu",
             tll_length(mgr->binding_sets));
 }
 
 struct key_binding_set * NOINLINE
-key_binding_for(struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term,
+key_binding_for(struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf,
                 const struct seat *seat)
 {
-    const struct config *conf = term->conf;
-
     struct key_set *last_used = mgr->last_used_set;
     if (last_used != NULL &&
         last_used->conf == conf &&
@@ -192,11 +187,8 @@ key_binding_remove_seat(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
 }
 
 void
-key_binding_unref_term(struct key_binding_manager *mgr,
-                       const struct terminal *term)
+key_binding_unref(struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf)
 {
-    const struct config *conf = term->conf;
-
     tll_foreach(mgr->binding_sets, it) {
         struct key_set *set = &it->item;
 
diff --git a/key-binding.h b/key-binding.h
index 448500c1..f607644f 100644
--- a/key-binding.h
+++ b/key-binding.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ typedef tll(struct key_binding) key_binding_list_t;
 
 struct terminal;
 struct seat;
+struct wayland;
 
 struct key_binding_set {
     key_binding_list_t key;
@@ -127,20 +128,21 @@ void key_binding_manager_destroy(struct key_binding_manager *mgr);
 void key_binding_new_for_seat(
     struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct seat *seat);
 
-void key_binding_new_for_term(
-    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term);
+void key_binding_new_for_conf(
+    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct wayland *wayl,
+    const struct config *conf);
 
-/* Returns the set of key bindings associated with this seat/term pair */
+/* Returns the set of key bindings associated with this seat/conf pair */
 struct key_binding_set *key_binding_for(
-    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term,
+    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf,
     const struct seat *seat);
 
 /* Remove all key bindings tied to the specified seat */
 void key_binding_remove_seat(
     struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct seat *seat);
 
-void key_binding_unref_term(
-    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term);
+void key_binding_unref(
+    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf);
 
 void key_binding_load_keymap(
     struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct seat *seat);
diff --git a/pgo/pgo.c b/pgo/pgo.c
index 3073c27c..7f6f758b 100644
--- a/pgo/pgo.c
+++ b/pgo/pgo.c
@@ -178,15 +178,16 @@ static bool kbd_initialized = false;
 
 struct key_binding_set *
 key_binding_for(
-    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term,
+    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf,
     const struct seat *seat)
 {
     return &kbd;
 }
 
 void
-key_binding_new_for_term(
-    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term)
+key_binding_new_for_conf(
+    struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct wayland *wayl,
+    const struct config *conf)
 {
     if (!kbd_initialized) {
         kbd_initialized = true;
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ key_binding_new_for_term(
 }
 
 void
-key_binding_unref_term(struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct terminal *term)
+key_binding_unref(struct key_binding_manager *mgr, const struct config *conf)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index 0763fb52..3445b89f 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -1089,6 +1089,11 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct reaper *reaper,
         goto close_fds;
     }
 
+    /* Need to register *very* early (before the first “goto err”), to
+     * ensure term_destroy() doesn’t unref a key-binding we haven’t
+     * yet ref:d */
+    key_binding_new_for_conf(wayl->key_binding_manager, wayl, conf);
+
     int ptmx_flags;
     if ((ptmx_flags = fcntl(ptmx, F_GETFL)) < 0 ||
         fcntl(ptmx, F_SETFL, ptmx_flags | O_NONBLOCK) < 0)
@@ -1266,8 +1271,6 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct reaper *reaper,
 
     memcpy(term->colors.table, term->conf->colors.table, sizeof(term->colors.table));
 
-    key_binding_new_for_term(wayl->key_binding_manager, term);
-
     /* Initialize the Wayland window backend */
     if ((term->window = wayl_win_init(term, token)) == NULL)
         goto err;
@@ -1583,7 +1586,7 @@ term_destroy(struct terminal *term)
     if (term == NULL)
         return 0;
 
-    key_binding_unref_term(term->wl->key_binding_manager, term);
+    key_binding_unref(term->wl->key_binding_manager, term->conf);
 
     tll_foreach(term->wl->terms, it) {
         if (it->item == term) {
@@ -2885,7 +2888,7 @@ term_mouse_grabbed(const struct terminal *term, const struct seat *seat)
     get_current_modifiers(seat, &mods, NULL, 0);
 
     const struct key_binding_set *bindings =
-        key_binding_for(term->wl->key_binding_manager, term, seat);
+        key_binding_for(term->wl->key_binding_manager, term->conf, seat);
     const xkb_mod_mask_t override_modmask = bindings->selection_overrides;
     bool override_mods_pressed = (mods & override_modmask) == override_modmask;