diff --git a/repos/os/run/demo.run b/repos/os/run/demo.run
index 5c2145f0e7..e23f91a7bb 100644
--- a/repos/os/run/demo.run
+++ b/repos/os/run/demo.run
@@ -122,13 +122,11 @@ append config {
 			<domain name="default" color="#ffffff"/>
 			<policy label="" domain="default"/>
 
-			<global-keys>
-				<key name="KEY_SCROLLLOCK" operation="xray" />
-				<key name="KEY_SYSRQ"      operation="kill" />
-				<key name="KEY_PRINT"      operation="kill" />
-				<key name="KEY_F11"        operation="kill" />
-				<key name="KEY_F12"        operation="xray" />
-			</global-keys>
+			<global-key name="KEY_SCROLLLOCK" operation="xray" />
+			<global-key name="KEY_SYSRQ"      operation="kill" />
+			<global-key name="KEY_PRINT"      operation="kill" />
+			<global-key name="KEY_F11"        operation="kill" />
+			<global-key name="KEY_F12"        operation="xray" />
 		</config>
 	</start>
 	<start name="launchpad">
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/README b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/README
index 36ce02bcbe..0e9cfb847b 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/README
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/README
@@ -33,16 +33,13 @@ keyboard shortcuts, namely the X-ray mode and the kill mode. The keys
 for toggling those functions can be defined as follows:
 
 ! <config>
-!   <global-keys>
-!     <key name="KEY_SCROLLLOCK" operation="xray" />
-!     <key name="KEY_PRINT"      operation="kill" />
-!   </global-keys>
+!   <global-key name="KEY_SCROLLLOCK" operation="xray" />
+!   <global-key name="KEY_PRINT"      operation="kill" />
 ! </config>
 
-The '<global-keys>' node contains the policy for handling global keys. Each
-'<key>' subnode expresses a rule for named key. The 'operation' attribute
-refers nitpicker's built-in operations. In the example above, the X-ray
-mode can be activated via the scroll-lock key and the kill mode can be
+Each '<global-key>' node expresses a rule for a named key. The 'operation'
+attribute refers nitpicker's built-in operations. In the example above, the
+X-ray mode can be activated via the scroll-lock key and the kill mode can be
 activated via the print key.
 
 Alternatively to specifying an 'operation' attribute, a key node can contain
@@ -55,10 +52,8 @@ the key specified in the '<key>' node. For the routing of global keys to
 clients, the order of '<key>' nodes is important. If multiple nodes exists for
 different labels, the first match will take effect. For example:
 
-! <global-keys>
-!   <key name="KEY_F11" label="launchpad -> testnit" />
-!   <key name="KEY_F11" label="launchpad" />
-! </global-keys>
+! <global-key name="KEY_F11" label="launchpad -> testnit" />
+! <global-key name="KEY_F11" label="launchpad" />
 
 The "launchpad" client will receive all key sequences starting with F11 unless
 the "launchpad -> testnit" program is running. As soon as testnit gets started
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/global_keys.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/global_keys.cc
index ae2e11d36d..2d4b69c115 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/global_keys.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/global_keys.cc
@@ -33,14 +33,16 @@ void Global_keys::apply_config(Session_list &session_list)
 	for (unsigned i = 0; i < NUM_POLICIES; i++)
 		_policies[i].undefine();
 
+	char const *node_type = "global-key";
+
 	using Genode::Xml_node;
 	try {
-		Xml_node node = Genode::config()->xml_node().sub_node("global-keys").sub_node("key");
+		Xml_node node = Genode::config()->xml_node().sub_node(node_type);
 
-		for (; ; node = node.next("key")) {
+		for (; ; node = node.next(node_type)) {
 
 			if (!node.has_attribute("name")) {
-				PWRN("attribute 'name' missing in <key> config node");
+				PWRN("attribute 'name' missing in <global-key> config node");
 				continue;
 			}