diff --git a/book/src/editor.md b/book/src/editor.md
index b5544a06297a..b9516dd546e5 100644
--- a/book/src/editor.md
+++ b/book/src/editor.md
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 | `clipboard-provider` | Which API to use for clipboard interaction. One of `pasteboard` (MacOS), `wayland`, `x-clip`, `x-sel`, `win-32-yank`, `termux`, `tmux`, `windows`, `termcode`, `none`, or a custom command set. | Platform and environment specific. |
 | `editor-config` | Whether to read settings from [EditorConfig](https://editorconfig.org) files | `true` |
 | `rainbow-brackets` | Whether to render rainbow colors for matching brackets. Requires tree-sitter `rainbows.scm` queries for the language. | `false` |
+| `load-default-keymap` | Whether to load the default before applying the keymap from your config file. Useful for using non qwerty keyboard layouts. | `true` |
 
 ### `[editor.clipboard-provider]` Section
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/config.rs b/helix-term/src/config.rs
index bcba8d8e1d45..5190784cee50 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/config.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/config.rs
@@ -66,14 +66,6 @@ impl Config {
             local.and_then(|file| toml::from_str(&file).map_err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig));
         let res = match (global_config, local_config) {
             (Ok(global), Ok(local)) => {
-                let mut keys = keymap::default();
-                if let Some(global_keys) = global.keys {
-                    merge_keys(&mut keys, global_keys)
-                }
-                if let Some(local_keys) = local.keys {
-                    merge_keys(&mut keys, local_keys)
-                }
-
                 let editor = match (global.editor, local.editor) {
                     (None, None) => helix_view::editor::Config::default(),
                     (None, Some(val)) | (Some(val), None) => {
@@ -84,6 +76,19 @@ impl Config {
                         .map_err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig)?,
                 };
 
+                let mut keys = if editor.load_default_keymap {
+                    keymap::default()
+                } else {
+                    keymap::empty()
+                };
+
+                if let Some(global_keys) = global.keys {
+                    merge_keys(&mut keys, global_keys)
+                }
+                if let Some(local_keys) = local.keys {
+                    merge_keys(&mut keys, local_keys)
+                }
+
                 Config {
                     theme: local.theme.or(global.theme),
                     keys,
@@ -96,17 +101,25 @@ impl Config {
                 return Err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig(err))
             }
             (Ok(config), Err(_)) | (Err(_), Ok(config)) => {
-                let mut keys = keymap::default();
+                let editor = config.editor.map_or_else(
+                    || Ok(helix_view::editor::Config::default()),
+                    |val| val.try_into().map_err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig),
+                )?;
+
+                let mut keys = if editor.load_default_keymap {
+                    keymap::default()
+                } else {
+                    keymap::empty()
+                };
+
                 if let Some(keymap) = config.keys {
                     merge_keys(&mut keys, keymap);
                 }
+
                 Config {
                     theme: config.theme,
                     keys,
-                    editor: config.editor.map_or_else(
-                        || Ok(helix_view::editor::Config::default()),
-                        |val| val.try_into().map_err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig),
-                    )?,
+                    editor,
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/keymap.rs b/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
index d8227b500ee7..4736a7c393db 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use std::{
     sync::Arc,
 };
 
-pub use default::default;
+pub use default::{default, empty};
 use macros::key;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Default)]
diff --git a/helix-term/src/keymap/default.rs b/helix-term/src/keymap/default.rs
index 5bbbd3f40429..3e742f6f87bc 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/keymap/default.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/keymap/default.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
+use crate::keymap::KeyTrieNode;
+
 use super::macros::keymap;
 use super::{KeyTrie, Mode};
 use helix_core::hashmap;
@@ -410,3 +412,11 @@ pub fn default() -> HashMap<Mode, KeyTrie> {
         Mode::Insert => insert,
     )
 }
+
+pub fn empty() -> HashMap<Mode, KeyTrie> {
+    hashmap!(
+        Mode::Normal => KeyTrie::Node(KeyTrieNode::new("", HashMap::new(), Vec::new())),
+        Mode::Select => KeyTrie::Node(KeyTrieNode::new("", HashMap::new(), Vec::new())),
+        Mode::Insert => KeyTrie::Node(KeyTrieNode::new("", HashMap::new(), Vec::new())),
+    )
+}
diff --git a/helix-view/src/editor.rs b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
index cd8560e09ae9..45a4fda897e2 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
@@ -381,6 +381,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub editor_config: bool,
     /// Whether to render rainbow colors for matching brackets. Defaults to `false`.
     pub rainbow_brackets: bool,
+    // Whether to load the default keymap
+    pub load_default_keymap: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Deserialize, Serialize, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
@@ -1061,6 +1063,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             clipboard_provider: ClipboardProvider::default(),
             editor_config: true,
             rainbow_brackets: false,
+            load_default_keymap: true,
         }
     }
 }