diff --git a/src/client/cl_keyboard.c b/src/client/cl_keyboard.c
index 6fde0d59..f1def4a1 100644
--- a/src/client/cl_keyboard.c
+++ b/src/client/cl_keyboard.c
@@ -1091,13 +1091,6 @@ Key_Init(void)
 void
 Char_Event(int key)
 {
-	/* console key is hardcoded, so the user can never unbind it */
-	if ((key == '^') || (key == '~') || (key == '`'))
-	{
-		Con_ToggleConsole_f();
-		return;
-	}
-
 	switch (cls.key_dest)
 	{
 		/* Chat */
@@ -1202,8 +1195,8 @@ Key_Event(int key, qboolean down, qboolean special)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* Toogle console though Shift + Escape */
-	if (down && keydown[K_SHIFT] && key == K_ESCAPE)
+	/* Toogle console through Shift + Escape or special K_CONSOLE key */
+	if ( down && ( key == K_CONSOLE || (keydown[K_SHIFT] && key == K_ESCAPE) ) )
 	{
 		Con_ToggleConsole_f();
 		return;
diff --git a/src/client/header/keyboard.h b/src/client/header/keyboard.h
index 95a766e4..24870135 100644
--- a/src/client/header/keyboard.h
+++ b/src/client/header/keyboard.h
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ enum QKEYS {
 	K_SC_NONUSHASH,
 	K_SC_SEMICOLON,
 	K_SC_APOSTROPHE,
-	K_SC_GRAVE, // console key
+	K_SC_GRAVE,
 	K_SC_COMMA,
 	K_SC_PERIOD,
 	K_SC_SLASH,
@@ -285,6 +285,12 @@ enum QKEYS {
 	K_SC_CURRENCYUNIT,
 	K_SC_CURRENCYSUBUNIT,
 
+	// hardcoded pseudo-key to open the console, emitted when pressing the "console key"
+	// (SDL_SCANCODE_GRAVE, the one between Esc, 1 and Tab) on layouts that don't
+	// have a relevant char there (unlike Brazilian which has quotes there which you
+	// want to be able to type in the console) - the user can't bind this key.
+	K_CONSOLE,
+
 	K_LAST
 };
 
diff --git a/src/client/input/sdl.c b/src/client/input/sdl.c
index d750d197..1f6f00fd 100644
--- a/src/client/input/sdl.c
+++ b/src/client/input/sdl.c
@@ -455,6 +455,8 @@ IN_Update(void)
 	static qboolean left_trigger = false;
 	static qboolean right_trigger = false;
 
+	static int consoleKeyCode = 0;
+
 	/* Get and process an event */
 	while (SDL_PollEvent(&event))
 	{
@@ -501,10 +503,15 @@ IN_Update(void)
 				break;
 
 			case SDL_TEXTINPUT:
-				if ((event.text.text[0] >= ' ') && (event.text.text[0] <= '~'))
+			{
+				int c = event.text.text[0];
+				// also make sure we don't get the char that corresponds to the
+				// "console key" (like "^" or "`") as text input
+				if ((c >= ' ') && (c <= '~') && c != consoleKeyCode)
 				{
-					Char_Event(event.text.text[0]);
+					Char_Event(c);
 				}
+			}
 
 				break;
 
@@ -535,7 +542,23 @@ IN_Update(void)
 				else
 				{
 					SDL_Keycode kc = event.key.keysym.sym;
-					if ((kc >= SDLK_SPACE) && (kc < SDLK_DELETE))
+					if(sc == SDL_SCANCODE_GRAVE && kc != '\'' && kc != '"')
+					{
+						// special case/hack: open the console with the "console key"
+						// (beneath Esc, left of 1, above Tab)
+						// but not if the keycode for this is a quote (like on Brazilian
+						// keyboards) - otherwise you couldn't type them in the console
+						if((event.key.keysym.mod & (KMOD_CAPS|KMOD_SHIFT|KMOD_ALT|KMOD_CTRL|KMOD_GUI)) == 0)
+						{
+							// also, only do this if no modifiers like shift or AltGr or whatever are pressed
+							// so kc will most likely be the ascii char generated by this and can be ignored
+							// in case SDL_TEXTINPUT above (so we don't get ^ or whatever as text in console)
+							// (can't just check for mod == 0 because numlock is a KMOD too)
+							Key_Event(K_CONSOLE, down, true);
+							consoleKeyCode = kc;
+						}
+					}
+					else if ((kc >= SDLK_SPACE) && (kc < SDLK_DELETE))
 					{
 						Key_Event(kc, down, false);
 					}