diff --git a/spec/tooltip-manager-spec.coffee b/spec/tooltip-manager-spec.coffee
index 40ac6d746..75b15eb48 100644
--- a/spec/tooltip-manager-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/tooltip-manager-spec.coffee
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ describe "TooltipManager", ->
       describe "when a title is specified", ->
         it "appends the key binding corresponding to the command to the title", ->
           atom.keymaps.add 'test',
-            '.bar': 'ctrl-x ctrl-z': 'test-command'
             '.foo': 'ctrl-x ctrl-y': 'test-command'
+            '.bar': 'ctrl-x ctrl-z': 'test-command'
 
           manager.add element, title: "Title", keyBindingCommand: 'test-command'
 
@@ -52,3 +52,15 @@ describe "TooltipManager", ->
           hover element, ->
             tooltipElement = document.body.querySelector(".tooltip")
             expect(tooltipElement).toHaveText "⌃X ⌃Y"
+
+      describe "when a keyBindingTarget is specified", ->
+        it "looks up the key binding relative to the target", ->
+          atom.keymaps.add 'test',
+            '.bar': 'ctrl-x ctrl-z': 'test-command'
+            '.foo': 'ctrl-x ctrl-y': 'test-command'
+
+          manager.add element, keyBindingCommand: 'test-command', keyBindingTarget: element
+
+          hover element, ->
+            tooltipElement = document.body.querySelector(".tooltip")
+            expect(tooltipElement).toHaveText "⌃X ⌃Y"
diff --git a/src/tooltip-manager.coffee b/src/tooltip-manager.coffee
index ca7e81f05..129a41fc6 100644
--- a/src/tooltip-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/tooltip-manager.coffee
@@ -15,10 +15,9 @@ class TooltipManager
   add: (target, options) ->
     requireBootstrapTooltip()
 
-    {keyBindingCommand} = options
+    {keyBindingCommand, keyBindingTarget} = options
 
     if keyBindingCommand?
-      keyBindingTarget = target unless typeof target is 'string'
       bindings = atom.keymaps.findKeyBindings(command: keyBindingCommand, target: keyBindingTarget)
       if options.title?
         options.title += " " + getKeystroke(bindings)