diff --git a/share/functions/fish_key_reader.fish b/share/functions/fish_key_reader.fish
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a955e13f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/share/functions/fish_key_reader.fish
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# check if command fish_key_reader works and is the same version that
+# came with this fish. This will happen one time.
+command -s fish_key_reader > /dev/null
+and command fish_key_reader --version 2>&1 | string match -rq $FISH_VERSION
+# if alias doesn't define the function here, this is an autoloaded "nothing".
+# the command (if there is one) will be used by default.
+or alias fish_key_reader=(string escape $__fish_bin_dir/fish_key_reader)