diff --git a/src/key-grab.scm b/src/key-grab.scm
index 6d8a0cb..c15336a 100644
--- a/src/key-grab.scm
+++ b/src/key-grab.scm
@@ -89,22 +89,23 @@
   (let* ((fwin (get-input-focus-window dpy)) ;; can be pointer-root and none
 	 (path (reverse (if (or (equal? fwin none)
 				(equal? fwin pointer-root))
-			    '()
+			    (list (default-root-window dpy))
 			    (window-path dpy fwin))))
+	 ;; find all that match the first key and are registered for a
+	 ;; window on the path
 	 (grabs (flatten
-		 (filter
-		  (lambda (x) x)
-		  (map (lambda (win)
-			 (filter
-			  (lambda (grab)
-			    (let ((first (car (key-grab:keys grab))))
-			      (and (equal? win (key-grab:window grab))
-				   (enum-set=? (key:modifiers first)
-					       (key-event-state event))
-				   (equal? (key:keycode first)
-					   (key-event-keycode event)))))
-			  grabs))
-		       path))))
+		 (map (lambda (win)
+			(filter
+			 (lambda (grab)
+			   (let ((first (car (key-grab:keys grab))))
+			     (and (equal? win (key-grab:window grab))
+				  (enum-set=? (key:modifiers first)
+					      (key-event-state event))
+				  (equal? (key:keycode first)
+					  (key-event-keycode event)))))
+			 grabs))
+		      path)))
+	 ;; make an alist mapping a grab to the keys that are not entered
 	 (grabs-rests (map (lambda (g)
 			     (cons g (cdr (key-grab:keys g))))
 			   grabs))
@@ -112,7 +113,6 @@
 		    (let ((dones (map car (filter (lambda (grab-rest)
 						    (null? (cdr grab-rest)))
 						  grabs-rests))))
-		      (mdisplay "winner? dones: " dones "\n")
 		      (let loop ((dones dones))
 			(if (null? dones)
 			    #f
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@
 	    dpy (default-root-window dpy) (event-mask key-press)
 	    (lambda (event-channel)
 	      (let loop ((grabs-rests grabs-rests))
-		(mdisplay "grabs-rests: " grabs-rests "\n")
 		(and (not (null? grabs-rests))
 		     (or (winner? grabs-rests)
 			 (let ((e (receive event-channel)))