diff --git a/include/ui/console.h b/include/ui/console.h
index 8a86617..d131260 100644
--- a/include/ui/console.h
+++ b/include/ui/console.h
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ static inline int vnc_display_pw_expire(DisplayState *ds, time_t expires)
 #endif
 
 /* curses.c */
+void curses_parse_options(const char *options);
 void curses_display_init(DisplayState *ds, int full_screen);
 
 /* input.c */
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index c2c0823..1e407bd 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -820,9 +820,11 @@ ETEXI
 
 DEF("display", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_display,
     "-display sdl[,frame=on|off][,alt_grab=on|off][,ctrl_grab=on|off]\n"
-    "            [,window_close=on|off]|curses|none|\n"
-    "            gtk[,grab_on_hover=on|off]|\n"
-    "            vnc=<display>[,<optargs>]\n"
+    "            [,window_close=on|off]\n"
+    "         none\n"
+    "         curses[,delay[=<msecs>]]\n"
+    "         gtk[,grab_on_hover=on|off]\n"
+    "         vnc=<display>[,<optargs>]\n"
     "                select display type\n", QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 STEXI
 @item -display @var{type}
diff --git a/ui/curses.c b/ui/curses.c
index b044790..45719a4 100644
--- a/ui/curses.c
+++ b/ui/curses.c
@@ -176,6 +176,82 @@ static void curses_cursor_position(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
 
 static kbd_layout_t *kbd_layout = NULL;
 
+struct KeyEvent {
+    struct KeyEvent *next;
+    int code;
+    bool down;
+};
+
+static struct KeyEvent *firstKeyEvent = NULL;
+static struct KeyEvent *lastKeyEvent = NULL;
+
+static unsigned long long keyEventDelay = 0;
+static QEMUTimer *keyEventTimer = NULL;
+
+static void curses_begin_key_event(void);
+
+static void curses_send_key_event(int code, bool down)
+{
+    qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, code, down);
+}
+
+static void curses_end_key_event(void *opaque)
+{
+    struct KeyEvent *event = firstKeyEvent;
+
+    if ((firstKeyEvent = event->next))
+    {
+        curses_begin_key_event();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        lastKeyEvent = NULL;
+    }
+
+    g_free(event);
+}
+
+static void curses_begin_key_event(void)
+{
+    struct KeyEvent *event = firstKeyEvent;
+
+    if (!keyEventTimer)
+    {
+        keyEventTimer = timer_new_ms(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, curses_end_key_event, NULL);
+    }
+
+    curses_send_key_event(event->code, event->down);
+    timer_mod(keyEventTimer, qemu_clock_get_ms(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) + keyEventDelay);
+}
+
+static void curses_enqueue_key_event(int code, bool down)
+{
+    if (keyEventDelay)
+    {
+        struct KeyEvent *event;
+
+        event = g_malloc(sizeof(*event));
+        event->next = NULL;
+        event->code = code;
+        event->down = down;
+
+        if (lastKeyEvent)
+        {
+            lastKeyEvent->next = event;
+            lastKeyEvent = event;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            firstKeyEvent = lastKeyEvent = event;
+            curses_begin_key_event();
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        curses_send_key_event(code, down);
+    }
+}
+
 static void curses_refresh(DisplayChangeListener *dcl)
 {
     int chr, nextchr, keysym, keycode, keycode_alt;
@@ -276,32 +352,32 @@ static void curses_refresh(DisplayChangeListener *dcl)
             /* since terminals don't know about key press and release
              * events, we need to emit both for each key received */
             if (keycode & SHIFT) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, SHIFT_CODE, true);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(SHIFT_CODE, true);
             }
             if (keycode & CNTRL) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, CNTRL_CODE, true);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(CNTRL_CODE, true);
             }
             if (keycode & ALT) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, ALT_CODE, true);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(ALT_CODE, true);
             }
             if (keycode & ALTGR) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, GREY | ALT_CODE, true);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(GREY | ALT_CODE, true);
             }
 
-            qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, keycode, true);
-            qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, keycode, false);
+            curses_enqueue_key_event(keycode, true);
+            curses_enqueue_key_event(keycode, false);
 
             if (keycode & ALTGR) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, GREY | ALT_CODE, false);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(GREY | ALT_CODE, false);
             }
             if (keycode & ALT) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, ALT_CODE, false);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(ALT_CODE, false);
             }
             if (keycode & CNTRL) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, CNTRL_CODE, false);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(CNTRL_CODE, false);
             }
             if (keycode & SHIFT) {
-                qemu_input_event_send_key_number(NULL, SHIFT_CODE, false);
+                curses_enqueue_key_event(SHIFT_CODE, false);
             }
         } else {
             keysym = curses2qemu[chr];
@@ -349,6 +425,51 @@ static void curses_keyboard_setup(void)
     }
 }
 
+void curses_parse_options(const char *options)
+{
+    keyEventDelay = 0;
+
+    while (*options)
+    {
+        const char *next;
+        char *end;
+
+        if (!strstart(options, ",", &next))
+        {
+            break;
+        }
+        options = next;
+
+        if (strstart(options, "delay", &next))
+        {
+            options = next;
+            keyEventDelay = 20;
+
+            if (strstart(options, "=", &next))
+            {
+                options = next;
+
+                if (parse_uint(options, &keyEventDelay, &end, 10))
+                {
+                    break;
+                }
+                options = end;
+            }
+        }
+
+        else
+        {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (*options)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: invalid Curses display option: %s\n", options);
+        exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
 static const DisplayChangeListenerOps dcl_ops = {
     .dpy_name        = "curses",
     .dpy_text_update = curses_update,
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 709d8cd..bd6c583 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2300,6 +2300,7 @@ static DisplayType select_display(const char *p)
     } else if (strstart(p, "curses", &opts)) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_CURSES
         display = DT_CURSES;
+        curses_parse_options(opts);
 #else
         fprintf(stderr, "Curses support is disabled\n");
         exit(1);