diff --git a/repo/Wikibase.hooks.php b/repo/Wikibase.hooks.php
index 845c2dc8aa..dee97bf990 100644
--- a/repo/Wikibase.hooks.php
+++ b/repo/Wikibase.hooks.php
@@ -396,10 +396,6 @@ public static function onWikibaseDefaultSettings( array &$settings ) {
 				// set to true will always delete empty items
 				'apiDeleteEmpty' => false,
 
-				// Defaults to turn off use of keys
-				// set to true will always return the key form
-				'apiUseKeys' => true,
-
 				// Set API in debug mode
 				// do not turn on in production!
 				'apiInDebug' => false,
@@ -411,7 +407,7 @@ public static function onWikibaseDefaultSettings( array &$settings ) {
 				'apiDebugWithRights' => false,
 				'apiDebugWithTokens' => false,
 
-				// Which formats to use with keys when there are a "usekeys" in the URL
+				// Which formats to inject keys into
 				// undefined entries are interpreted as false
 				'formatsWithKeys' => array(
 					'json' => true,
@@ -424,7 +420,6 @@ public static function onWikibaseDefaultSettings( array &$settings ) {
 					'xmlfm' => false,
 					'yaml' => true,
 					'yamlfm' => true,
-					'raw' => true,
 					'rawfm' => true,
 					'txtfm' => true,
 					'dbg' => true,
diff --git a/repo/includes/api/Api.php b/repo/includes/api/Api.php
index f20bc457d6..1d58dfe34f 100644
--- a/repo/includes/api/Api.php
+++ b/repo/includes/api/Api.php
@@ -16,27 +16,19 @@
  * @author John Erling Blad < jeblad@gmail.com >
  */
 abstract class Api extends \ApiBase {
+
 	/**
-	 * Var to keep the set status for later use
-	 * @var bool how to handle the keys
-	 */
-	protected $usekeys = false;
-	
-	/**
-	 * Sets the usekeys-state for later use (and misuse)
+	 * Figure out the usekeys-state
 	 *
-	 * @param $params array parameters requested in subclass
+	 * @return bool true if the keys should be present
 	 */
-	protected function setUsekeys( array $params ) {
-		$usekeys = Settings::get( 'apiUseKeys' ) || ( isset( $params['usekeys'] ) ? $params['usekeys'] : false );
-
-		if ( $usekeys ) {
-			$format = $this->getMain()->getRequest()->getVal( 'format' );
+	protected function getUsekeys() {
+		static $withkeys = false;
+		if ( $withkeys === false ) {
 			$withkeys = Settings::get( 'formatsWithKeys' );
-			$usekeys = isset( $format ) && isset( $withkeys[$format] ) ? $withkeys[$format] : false;
 		}
-
-		$this->usekeys = $usekeys;
+		$format = $this->getMain()->getRequest()->getVal( 'format' );
+		return ( isset( $format ) && isset( $withkeys[$format] ) ) ? $withkeys[$format] : false ;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -52,41 +44,23 @@ public function getPossibleErrors() {
 	 * @see ApiBase::getParamDescription()
 	 */
 	public function getParamDescription() {
-		$descriptions = array(
+		return array(
 			'gettoken' => array( 'If set, a new "modifyitem" token will be returned if the request completes.',
 				'The remaining of the call must be valid, otherwise an error can be returned without the token included.'
 			),
 		);
-		if ( Settings::get( 'apiUseKeys' ) ) {
-			$descriptions['nousekeys'] = array( 'Turn off use the keys. The use of keys are only used in formats that supports them,',
-				'otherwise fall back to the ordinary style which is to use keys.'
-			);
-		}
-		else {
-			$descriptions['usekeys'] = array( 'Turn on use the keys. The use of keys are only used in formats that supports them,',
-				'otherwise fall back to the ordinary style which is to use keys.'
-			);
-		}
-		return $descriptions;
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @see ApiBase::getAllowedParams()
 	 */
 	public function getAllowedParams() {
-		$allowedParams = array(
+		return array(
 			'gettoken' => array(
 				ApiBase::PARAM_TYPE => 'boolean',
 				ApiBase::PARAM_DFLT => false
 			),
 		);
-		if ( Settings::get( 'apiUseKeys' ) ) {
-			$allowedParams['nousekeys'] = array( \ApiBase::PARAM_TYPE => 'boolean' );
-		}
-		else {
-			$allowedParams['usekeys'] = array( \ApiBase::PARAM_TYPE => 'boolean' );
-		}
-		return $allowedParams;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -131,7 +105,7 @@ protected function addTokenToResult( $token, $path=null, $name = 'itemtoken' ) {
 	protected function addAliasesToResult( array $aliases, $path, $name = 'aliases', $tag = 'alias' ) {
 		$value = array();
 
-		if ( $this->usekeys ) {
+		if ( $this->getUsekeys() ) {
 			foreach ( $aliases as $languageCode => $alarr ) {
 				$arr = array();
 				foreach ( $alarr as $alias ) {
@@ -155,7 +129,7 @@ protected function addAliasesToResult( array $aliases, $path, $name = 'aliases',
 		}
 
 		if ( $value !== array() ) {
-			if (!$this->usekeys) {
+			if ( !$this->getUsekeys() ) {
 				$this->getResult()->setIndexedTagName( $value, $tag );
 			}
 			$this->getResult()->addValue( $path, $name, $value );
@@ -202,12 +176,12 @@ protected function addSiteLinksToResult( array $siteLinks, $path, $name = 'sitel
 				}
 			}
 
-			$key = $this->usekeys ? $link->getSiteID() : $idx++;
+			$key = $this->getUsekeys() ? $link->getSiteID() : $idx++;
 			$value[$key] = $response;
 		}
 
 		if ( $value !== array() ) {
-			if ( !$this->usekeys ) {
+			if ( !$this->getUsekeys() ) {
 				$this->getResult()->setIndexedTagName( $value, $tag );
 			}
 
@@ -233,13 +207,13 @@ protected function addDescriptionsToResult( array $descriptions, $path, $name =
 
 		foreach ( $descriptions as $languageCode => $description ) {
 			if ( $description === '' ) {
-				$value[$this->usekeys ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
+				$value[$this->getUsekeys() ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
 					'language' => $languageCode,
 					'removed' => '',
 				);
 			}
 			else {
-				$value[$this->usekeys ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
+				$value[$this->getUsekeys() ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
 					'language' => $languageCode,
 					'value' => $description,
 				);
@@ -247,7 +221,7 @@ protected function addDescriptionsToResult( array $descriptions, $path, $name =
 		}
 
 		if ( $value !== array() ) {
-			if (!$this->usekeys) {
+			if ( !$this->getUsekeys() ) {
 				$this->getResult()->setIndexedTagName( $value, $tag );
 			}
 			$this->getResult()->addValue( $path, $name, $value );
@@ -272,13 +246,13 @@ protected function addLabelsToResult( array $labels, $path, $name = 'labels', $t
 
 		foreach ( $labels as $languageCode => $label ) {
 			if ( $label === '' ) {
-				$value[$this->usekeys ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
+				$value[$this->getUsekeys() ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
 					'language' => $languageCode,
 					'removed' => '',
 				);
 			}
 			else {
-				$value[$this->usekeys ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
+				$value[$this->getUsekeys() ? $languageCode : $idx++] = array(
 					'language' => $languageCode,
 					'value' => $label,
 				);
@@ -286,7 +260,7 @@ protected function addLabelsToResult( array $labels, $path, $name = 'labels', $t
 		}
 
 		if ( $value !== array() ) {
-			if (!$this->usekeys) {
+			if ( !$this->getUsekeys() ) {
 				$this->getResult()->setIndexedTagName( $value, $tag );
 			}
 			$this->getResult()->addValue( $path, $name, $value );
diff --git a/repo/includes/api/ApiGetItems.php b/repo/includes/api/ApiGetItems.php
index 171cbfb997..49d7beee82 100644
--- a/repo/includes/api/ApiGetItems.php
+++ b/repo/includes/api/ApiGetItems.php
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ public function execute() {
 
 		$languages = $params['languages'];
 
-		$this->setUsekeys( $params );
-
 		// This really needs a more generic solution as similar tricks will be
 		// done to other props as well, for example variants for the language
 		// attributes. It would also be nice to write something like */urls for
diff --git a/repo/includes/api/ApiModifyItem.php b/repo/includes/api/ApiModifyItem.php
index 205cc91a73..f58a001b03 100644
--- a/repo/includes/api/ApiModifyItem.php
+++ b/repo/includes/api/ApiModifyItem.php
@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ public function execute() {
 		}
 
 		// FIXME: we can (?) do this before we do permission checks as long as we don't save
-		$this->setUsekeys( $params );
 		$success = $this->modifyItem( $itemContent, $params );
 
 		if ( !$success ) {
diff --git a/repo/includes/api/ApiSetItem.php b/repo/includes/api/ApiSetItem.php
index 24ec499742..4bc130fd25 100644
--- a/repo/includes/api/ApiSetItem.php
+++ b/repo/includes/api/ApiSetItem.php
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ protected function modifyItem( ItemContent &$itemContent, array $params ) {
 
 		$res = $this->getResult();
 
-		$this->setUsekeys( $params );
 		$this->addLabelsToResult( $item->getLabels(), 'item' );
 		$this->addDescriptionsToResult( $item->getDescriptions(), 'item' );
 		$this->addAliasesToResult( $item->getAllAliases(), 'item' );
diff --git a/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiGetItemsTest.php b/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiGetItemsTest.php
index c316b0e9e7..0d6830217b 100644
--- a/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiGetItemsTest.php
+++ b/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiGetItemsTest.php
@@ -340,5 +340,60 @@ function testSitelinkUrls( $handle ) {
 			$this->assertArrayHasKey( 'url', $link );
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @dataProvider providerGetItemFormat
+	 */
+	function testGetItemFormat( $format, $usekeys ) {
+		$this->createItems();
+
+		$item = $this->getItemOutput( 'Berlin' );
+		$id = $item['id'];
+
+		list($res,,) = $this->doApiRequest(
+			array(
+				'action' => 'wbgetitems',
+				'format' => $format,
+				'ids' => $id )
+		);
+
+		$this->assertSuccess( $res, 'items', $id );
+		if ( $usekeys ) {
+			foreach ( array( 'sitelinks' => 'site', 'alias' => false, 'labels' => 'language', 'descriptions' => 'language' ) as $prop => $field) {
+				if ( array_key_exists( $prop, $res['items'][$id] ) ) {
+					foreach ( $res['items'][$id][$prop] as $key => $value ) {
+						$this->assertTrue( is_string( $key ) );
+						if ( $field !== false ) {
+							$this->assertArrayHasKey( $field, $value );
+							$this->assertTrue( is_string( $value[$field] ) );
+							$this->assertEquals( $key, $value[$field] );
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			foreach ( array( 'sitelinks' => 'site', 'alias' => false, 'labels' => 'language', 'descriptions' => 'language' ) as $prop => $field) {
+				if ( array_key_exists( $prop, $res['items'][$id] ) ) {
+					foreach ( $res['items'][$id][$prop] as $key => $value ) {
+						$this->assertTrue( is_integer( $key ) );
+						if ( $field !== false ) {
+							$this->assertArrayHasKey( $field, $value );
+							$this->assertTrue( is_string( $value[$field] ) );
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	function providerGetItemFormat() {
+		$calls = array();
+		foreach ( Settings::get( 'formatsWithKeys' ) as $format => $usekeys) {
+			$calls[] = array( $format, $usekeys );
+		}
+		return $calls;
+	}
+
 }
 
diff --git a/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiSetAliasesTest.php b/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiSetAliasesTest.php
index 406dd1817b..176c2920d6 100644
--- a/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiSetAliasesTest.php
+++ b/repo/tests/phpunit/includes/api/ApiSetAliasesTest.php
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ public function testSetAliases( $handle, $langCode, $op, $value, $expected ) {
 		// update the item ----------------------------------------------------------------
 		$req = array(
 			'token' => $this->getItemToken(),
-			'usekeys' => true,
 			'id' => $id,
 			'action' => 'wbsetaliases',
 			'language' => $langCode,