diff --git a/include/vmctl.h b/include/vmctl.h
index 53bcb36..04e8f6c 100644
--- a/include/vmctl.h
+++ b/include/vmctl.h
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ void     vmctl_close(vmctl_t* v);                /* safe on NULL     */
 #define VMCTL_BTN_BACK    6
 #define VMCTL_BTN_TASK    7
 
+#define VMCTL_KEY_CODE_MAX        0x2ff   /* highest supported evdev key code (inclusive) */
+#define VMCTL_KEYS_SNAPSHOT_BYTES ((VMCTL_KEY_CODE_MAX + 1) / 8)  /* bytes for vmctl_keys_snapshot */
+
 /* ===== Event batch (value-type, stack; build ONLY via builders — ev[] is not API) ===== */
 #define VMCTL_BATCH_MAX  64
 typedef struct {
@@ -78,6 +81,19 @@ int vmctl_btn   (vmctl_t* v, int btn,  int down);        /* VMCTL_BTN_* */
 int vmctl_key   (vmctl_t* v, int evdev_code, int down);  /* Linux KEY_* */
 int vmctl_scroll(vmctl_t* v, int axis, double value);    /* VMCTL_SCROLL_* */
 
+/* ===== Held-state receipt (read-only) =====
+ * "held" = key/button state as THIS handle last actuated it, not guest truth.
+ * It is the actuator's record of its own last output (sensing the guest belongs
+ * to the sensors layer, not here). Updated only after a successful send; the
+ * send path NEVER reads this map (no dedup, no auto-release, no autorepeat). */
+
+int      vmctl_key_held     (vmctl_t* v, int evdev_code);   /* Linux KEY_*; 1=down 0=up */
+int      vmctl_btn_held     (vmctl_t* v, int btn);          /* VMCTL_BTN_*; 1=down 0=up */
+int      vmctl_keys_snapshot(vmctl_t* v, unsigned char* bits, size_t nbytes);
+                                          /* copy key down-bits (EVIOCGKEY-style);
+                                             returns bytes written, -1 on bad args */
+unsigned vmctl_btns_snapshot(vmctl_t* v); /* VMCTL_BTN_* down-bits as a mask (bits 0..7) */
+
 /* ===== Power/lifecycle actuation (requires a QMP connection; -1 if there is none) ===== */
 int vmctl_powerdown(vmctl_t* v);   /* system_powerdown (ACPI soft-off) */
 int vmctl_reset    (vmctl_t* v);   /* system_reset                     */
diff --git a/src/vmctl/include/driver.h b/src/vmctl/include/driver.h
index 3f78977..8dfd5ee 100644
--- a/src/vmctl/include/driver.h
+++ b/src/vmctl/include/driver.h
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ struct vmctl {
     int              ui_fd_a;   /* uinput driver: device A; -1 for QMP      */
     int              ui_fd_b;   /* uinput driver: device B (BOTH); -1       */
     int              ptr_mode;  /* uinput driver: VMCTL_PTR_*; 0 for QMP    */
+
+    /* Held-state receipt: key/btn down-bits as THIS handle last actuated them
+     * (not guest truth). Written only after a successful send in
+     * vmctl_batch_send; the send path never reads them. Zero-initialised by
+     * calloc at open = all up. Single-threaded (one handle owner): no locks. */
+    unsigned char    keys_held[VMCTL_KEYS_SNAPSHOT_BYTES]; /* evdev-indexed key down-bits  */
+    unsigned         btns_held;                            /* VMCTL_BTN_* 0..7 down-bits   */
 };
 
 /* driver factories (called from open.c per cfg->driver) */
diff --git a/src/vmctl/open.c b/src/vmctl/open.c
index 06c7c65..3a9e109 100644
--- a/src/vmctl/open.c
+++ b/src/vmctl/open.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "driver.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 vmctl_t* vmctl_open(const vmctl_config* cfg) {
     if (!cfg) return NULL;
@@ -60,7 +61,35 @@ void vmctl_batch_scroll(vmctl_batch* b, int axis, double value) {
 
 int vmctl_batch_send(vmctl_t* v, vmctl_batch* b) {
     if (b->count == 0) return 0;
-    return v->ops.send(v, b);
+    int rc = v->ops.send(v, b);
+    if (rc != 0) return rc;   /* not sent = not recorded; never touch the receipt */
+
+    /* Record the actuated key/btn down-bits (write-only; the send path above
+     * never reads this map). abs/rel/scroll have no held state. */
+    for (int i = 0; i < b->count; i++) {
+        const vmctl_event* e = &b->ev[i];
+        int down = e->value ? 1 : 0;
+        switch (e->kind) {
+        case VMCTL_EV_KEY: {
+            int code = e->code;
+            if (code < 0 || code > VMCTL_KEY_CODE_MAX) break;   /* out of range: ignore */
+            unsigned char mask = (unsigned char)(1u << (code & 7));
+            if (down) v->keys_held[code >> 3] |= mask;
+            else      v->keys_held[code >> 3] &= (unsigned char)~mask;
+            break;
+        }
+        case VMCTL_EV_BTN: {
+            int btn = e->code;
+            if (btn < 0 || btn >= 8) break;                     /* out of range: ignore */
+            unsigned mask = 1u << btn;
+            if (down) v->btns_held |= mask;
+            else      v->btns_held &= ~mask;
+            break;
+        }
+        default: break;   /* abs/rel/scroll: no-op for receipt */
+        }
+    }
+    return rc;
 }
 
 /* ===== Single-event wrappers ===== */
@@ -99,3 +128,29 @@ int vmctl_scroll(vmctl_t* v, int axis, double value) {
     vmctl_batch_scroll(&b, axis, value);
     return vmctl_batch_send(v, &b);
 }
+
+/* ===== Held-state receipt (read-only) =====
+ * Reads of the actuator's own last output; never mutate driver state. The
+ * in-range predicate matches the write path in vmctl_batch_send. */
+
+int vmctl_key_held(vmctl_t* v, int evdev_code) {
+    if (!v || evdev_code < 0 || evdev_code > VMCTL_KEY_CODE_MAX) return 0;
+    return (v->keys_held[evdev_code >> 3] >> (evdev_code & 7)) & 1;
+}
+
+int vmctl_btn_held(vmctl_t* v, int btn) {
+    if (!v || btn < 0 || btn >= 8) return 0;
+    return (int)((v->btns_held >> btn) & 1u);
+}
+
+int vmctl_keys_snapshot(vmctl_t* v, unsigned char* bits, size_t nbytes) {
+    if (!v || !bits) return -1;
+    size_t n = nbytes < VMCTL_KEYS_SNAPSHOT_BYTES ? nbytes : VMCTL_KEYS_SNAPSHOT_BYTES;
+    memcpy(bits, v->keys_held, n);
+    return (int)n;
+}
+
+unsigned vmctl_btns_snapshot(vmctl_t* v) {
+    if (!v) return 0;
+    return v->btns_held;
+}