diff --git a/src/client.hh b/src/client.hh
index 8b2d3444..83c6651c 100644
--- a/src/client.hh
+++ b/src/client.hh
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ class Window;
 class String;
 class Context;
 
+enum class MenuCommand
+{
+    SelectPrev,
+    SelectNext,
+    Close,
+};
+
 class Client : public SafeCountable
 {
 public:
@@ -23,7 +30,9 @@ public:
     virtual String prompt(const String& prompt, const Context& context,
                           Completer completer = complete_nothing) = 0;
     virtual Key    get_key() = 0;
-    virtual int    menu(const memoryview<String>& choices) = 0;
+
+    virtual void   show_menu(const memoryview<String>& choices) = 0;
+    virtual void   menu_ctrl(MenuCommand command) = 0;
 };
 
 struct prompt_aborted {};
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 4e09568a..f26e5ac8 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -699,7 +699,8 @@ public:
 
     bool has_key_left() const { return m_pos < m_keys.size(); }
 
-    int menu(const memoryview<String>& choices) { return 0; }
+    void show_menu(const memoryview<String>&) {}
+    void menu_ctrl(MenuCommand) {}
 
 private:
     const KeyList& m_keys;
@@ -749,6 +750,45 @@ void exec_string(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     exec_keys(keys, context);
 }
 
+int menu_select(const memoryview<String>& choices, Client& client)
+{
+    int selected = 0;
+    client.show_menu(choices);
+    while (true)
+    {
+        Key key = client.get_key();
+        if (key == Key(Key::Modifiers::Control, 'n') or
+            key == Key(Key::Modifiers::None, 'j'))
+        {
+            client.menu_ctrl(MenuCommand::SelectNext);
+            selected = std::min(selected+1, (int)choices.size()-1);
+        }
+        if (key == Key(Key::Modifiers::Control, 'p') or
+            key == Key(Key::Modifiers::None, 'k'))
+        {
+            client.menu_ctrl(MenuCommand::SelectPrev);
+            selected = std::max(selected-1, 0);
+        }
+        if (key == Key(Key::Modifiers::Control, 'm'))
+        {
+            client.menu_ctrl(MenuCommand::Close);
+            return selected;
+        }
+        if (key == Key(Key::Modifiers::None, 27))
+        {
+            client.menu_ctrl(MenuCommand::Close);
+            return -1;
+        }
+        if (key.modifiers == Key::Modifiers::None and
+            key.key >= '0' and key.key <= '9')
+        {
+            client.menu_ctrl(MenuCommand::Close);
+            return key.key - '0' - 1;
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 void menu(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
 {
     ParametersParser parser(params, { { "auto-single", false } });
@@ -767,8 +807,7 @@ void menu(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     for (int i = 0; i < count; i += 2)
         choices.push_back(parser[i]);
 
-    int i = context.client().menu(choices);
-
+    int i = menu_select(choices, context.client()) + 1;
     if (i > 0 and i < (count / 2) + 1)
         CommandManager::instance().execute(parser[(i-1)*2+1], context);
 }
diff --git a/src/ncurses.cc b/src/ncurses.cc
index cde33183..6809c3dd 100644
--- a/src/ncurses.cc
+++ b/src/ncurses.cc
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 #include "window.hh"
 #include "register_manager.hh"
 
-#include <ncurses.h>
-#include <menu.h>
 #include <map>
 
 #define CTRL(x) x - 'a' + 1
@@ -13,6 +11,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 {
 
 NCursesClient::NCursesClient()
+    : m_menu(nullptr)
 {
     // setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     initscr();
@@ -317,50 +316,46 @@ void NCursesClient::print_status(const String& status)
     refresh();
 }
 
-int NCursesClient::menu(const memoryview<String>& choices)
+void NCursesClient::show_menu(const memoryview<String>& choices)
 {
-    std::vector<ITEM*> items;
-    std::vector<String> counts;
-    for (int i = 0; i < choices.size(); ++i)
-        counts.push_back(int_to_str(i+1));
-    for (int i = 0; i < choices.size(); ++i)
-       items.push_back(new_item(counts[i].c_str(), choices[i].c_str()));
-    items.push_back(NULL);
-    MENU* menu = new_menu(&items[0]);
+    assert(m_menu == nullptr);
+    m_choices = std::vector<String>(choices.begin(), choices.end());
+    for (int i = 0; i < m_choices.size(); ++i)
+        m_counts.push_back(int_to_str(i+1));
+    for (int i = 0; i < m_choices.size(); ++i)
+        m_items.push_back(new_item(m_counts[i].c_str(), m_choices[i].c_str()));
+    m_items.push_back(NULL);
+    m_menu = new_menu(&m_items[0]);
     int max_x,max_y;
     getmaxyx(stdscr, max_y, max_x);
-    int pos_y = max_y - std::min(10, (int)choices.size()) - 1;
-    set_menu_sub(menu, derwin(stdscr, max_y - pos_y - 1, max_x, pos_y, 0));
-    post_menu(menu);
+    int pos_y = max_y - std::min(10, (int)m_choices.size()) - 1;
+    set_menu_sub(m_menu, derwin(stdscr, max_y - pos_y - 1, max_x, pos_y, 0));
+    post_menu(m_menu);
+}
 
-    int res = -1;
-    while (true)
+void NCursesClient::menu_ctrl(MenuCommand command)
+{
+    switch(command)
     {
-       int c = getch();
-       if ('0' <= c and c <= '9')
-       {
-           res = c - '0';
-           break;
-       }
-       if (c == KEY_DOWN or c == CTRL('n'))
-           menu_driver(menu, REQ_DOWN_ITEM);
-       if (c == KEY_UP or c == CTRL('p'))
-           menu_driver(menu, REQ_UP_ITEM);
-       if (c == 27)
-           break;
-       if (c == '\r')
-       {
-           res = item_index(current_item(menu)) + 1;
-           break;
-       }
+        case MenuCommand::SelectNext:
+            menu_driver(m_menu, REQ_DOWN_ITEM);
+            break;
+        case MenuCommand::SelectPrev:
+            menu_driver(m_menu, REQ_UP_ITEM);
+            break;
+        case MenuCommand::Close:
+        {
+            unpost_menu(m_menu);
+            free_menu(m_menu);
+            for (auto item : m_items)
+               if (item)
+                   free_item(item);
+            m_menu = nullptr;
+            m_items.clear();
+            m_counts.clear();
+            break;
+        }
     }
-
-    unpost_menu(menu);
-    for (auto item : items)
-       if (item)
-           free_item(item);
-    free_menu(menu);
-    return res;
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/ncurses.hh b/src/ncurses.hh
index 36a2de81..61e140d8 100644
--- a/src/ncurses.hh
+++ b/src/ncurses.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef ncurses_hh_INCLUDED
 #define ncurses_hh_INCLUDED
 
+#include <ncurses.h>
+#include <menu.h>
+
 #include "client.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
@@ -21,7 +24,13 @@ public:
     String prompt(const String& prompt, const Context& context, Completer completer);
     Key    get_key();
 
-    int    menu(const memoryview<String>& choices);
+    void show_menu(const memoryview<String>& choices);
+    void menu_ctrl(MenuCommand command);
+private:
+    MENU* m_menu;
+    std::vector<ITEM*> m_items;
+    std::vector<String> m_counts;
+    std::vector<String> m_choices;
 };
 
 }