diff --git a/Nasal/controls.nas b/Nasal/controls.nas
index b4152389a..40abd7946 100644
--- a/Nasal/controls.nas
+++ b/Nasal/controls.nas
@@ -513,6 +513,16 @@ var speedup = func(speed_up)
         t = (t < 32) ? t*2 : 32;
     }
     setprop("/sim/speed-up", t);
+    
+    # reformat as a string, this is borrowed from replay.xml
+    
+		if (t<0.9)
+		{
+			t=1/t; # invert the value
+			t = "1/" ~ t; # convert to a string and show inverted
+		}
+        
+    gui.popupTip("Time speed-up: " ~ t ~ "x");
 }
 
 # mouse-mode handling 
@@ -540,11 +550,18 @@ var cycleMouseMode = func(node)
     if (getprop('/sim/view-name-popup') == 0)
       return;
     
-    if (mode == 1) {
-        setprop("/sim/messages/copilot", "Mouse is controlling flight controls. Press TAB to change.");
-    } elsif (mode == 2) {
-        setprop("/sim/messages/copilot","Mouse is controlling view direction. Press TAB to change.");
+    if (mode == 0) {
+      fgcommand("clear-message", props.Node.new({ "id":"mouse-mode" }));
+      return;
     }
+    
+    var msg = "";
+    if (mode == 1)
+        msg = "Mouse is controlling flight controls. Press TAB to change.";
+    else
+        msg = "Mouse is controlling view direction. Press TAB to change.";
+    
+  	fgcommand("show-message", props.Node.new({ "label": msg, "id":"mouse-mode" }));
 }
 
 addcommand("cycle-mouse-mode", cycleMouseMode);
diff --git a/keyboard.xml b/keyboard.xml
index 7986e10d5..d70516828 100644
--- a/keyboard.xml
+++ b/keyboard.xml
@@ -653,12 +653,10 @@ top down before the key bindings are parsed.
  <key n="65">
   <name>A</name>
   <desc>Decrease speed-up</desc>
-  <binding>
-   <command>property-adjust</command>
-   <property>/sim/speed-up</property>
-   <min>1</min>
-   <step type="double">-1</step>
-  </binding>
+	<binding>
+		<command>nasal</command>
+		<script>controls.speedup(-1);</script>
+	</binding>
  </key>
 
  <key n="66">
@@ -853,12 +851,10 @@ top down before the key bindings are parsed.
  <key n="97">
   <name>a</name>
   <desc>Increase speed-up</desc>
-  <binding>
-   <command>property-adjust</command>
-   <property>/sim/speed-up</property>
-   <min>1</min>
-   <step type="double">1</step>
-  </binding>
+	<binding>
+		<command>nasal</command>
+		<script>controls.speedup(1);</script>
+	</binding>
  </key>
 
  <key n="98">