diff --git a/spec/atom/binding-set-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/binding-set-spec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed131a387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/atom/binding-set-spec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+$ = require 'jquery'
+_ = require 'underscore'
+BindingSet = require 'binding-set'
+
+describe "BindingSet", ->
+  bindingSet = null
+  beforeEach ->
+    bindingSet = new BindingSet('*', 'x': 'foo')
+
+  describe ".eventMatchesPattern(event, pattern)", ->
+    event = (key, attrs={}) ->
+      defaultAttrs =
+        ctrlKey: false
+        altKey: false
+        shiftKey: false
+        metaKey: false
+
+      attrs.which = key.toUpperCase().charCodeAt(0)
+      $.Event 'keydown', _.extend({}, defaultAttrs, attrs)
+
+    it "handles patterns with modifiers", ->
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('q'), 'q')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('0', altKey: true), '<alt-0>')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('0', metaKey: true), '<meta-0>')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('0', ctrlKey: true), '<ctrl-0>')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('a', shiftKey: true), '<shift-a>')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('a', shiftKey: true), 'A')).toBeTruthy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('0', altKey: true, ctrlKey: true, metaKey: true, shiftKey: true), '<meta-ctrl-alt-shift-0>')).toBeTruthy()
+
+      # # negative examples
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('a'), '<shift-a>')).toBeFalsy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('a', shiftKey: true), 'a')).toBeFalsy()
+      expect(bindingSet.eventMatchesPattern(event('d'), 'k')).toBeFalsy()
+
diff --git a/src/atom/binding-set.coffee b/src/atom/binding-set.coffee
index 39d331dcc..c248a97c4 100644
--- a/src/atom/binding-set.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/binding-set.coffee
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ class BindingSet
       pattern.which == event.which
 
   parseKeyPattern: (pattern) ->
-    [modifiers..., key] = pattern.split '+'
+    pattern = pattern.replace(/<|>/g, "")
+    [modifiers..., key] = pattern.split '-'
+
+    modifiers.push 'shift' if key == key.toUpperCase() and key.toUpperCase() != key.toLowerCase()
 
     if @namedKeys[key]
       charCode = @namedKeys[key]