diff --git a/kernel/sms/kbd.asm b/kernel/sms/kbd.asm
index 8a3a178..cfb60fe 100644
--- a/kernel/sms/kbd.asm
+++ b/kernel/sms/kbd.asm
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ smskbdFetchKCA:
 	; Port A TH output, low
 	ld	a, 0b11011101
 	out	(0x3f), a
-	nop
-	nop
+	push	hl		; nop, pairs with a pop later
 	in	a, (0xdc)
 	; bit 3:0 are our dest bits 3:0. handy...
 	and	0b00001111
@@ -28,8 +27,7 @@ smskbdFetchKCA:
 	; Port A TH output, high
 	ld	a, 0b11111101
 	out	(0x3f), a
-	nop
-	nop
+	pop	hl		; nop, and matches with push
 	in	a, (0xdc)
 	; bit 3:0 are our dest bits 7:4
 	rlca \ rlca \ rlca \ rlca
@@ -59,8 +57,7 @@ smskbdFetchKCB:
 	; Port B TH output, low
 	ld	a, 0b01110111
 	out	(0x3f), a
-	nop
-	nop
+	push	hl	; nop, matches with pop later
 	in	a, (0xdc)
 	; bit 7:6 are our dest bits 1:0
 	rlca \ rlca
@@ -75,8 +72,7 @@ smskbdFetchKCB:
 	; Port B TH output, high
 	ld	a, 0b11110111
 	out	(0x3f), a
-	nop
-	nop
+	pop	hl	; nop, matches earlier push
 	in	a, (0xdc)
 	; bit 7:6 are our dest bits 5:4
 	rrca \ rrca