diff --git a/README b/README
index 44ad211..8d8728d 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -3,16 +3,31 @@ NEATVI
 
 Neatvi is a vi/ex editor.  It can edit bidirectional UTF-8 text.
 
-Edit conf.h to adjust syntax highlighting rules, direction adjustment
-patterns, and the alternate keymap.  To define a new keymap, create a
-new array in kmap.h, like kmap_fa, and add it to kmaps array in led.c.
-When in input mode, ^f switches to the alternate keymap and ^e
-switches back to the default keymap.
+Edit conf.h to adjust syntax highlighting rules and text direction
+patterns.  To define a new keymap, create a new array in kmap.h, like
+kmap_fa, and add it to kmaps array in the same header (the first entry
+of the new array specifies its name).  The current keymap may be
+changed using :cm ex command.  When in input mode, ^e changes to the
+English kaymap and ^f changes to the alternate keymap (the last keymap
+specified with :km).
 
-The following options are supported:
+Commands not available in ex(1):
+
+:cm[ap][!] [kmap]
+	Without kmap, print the current keymap name.
+	When kmap is specified, set the alternate keymap to
+	kmap and, unless ! is given, switch to this keymap.
+
+:ft [filetype]
+	Without filetype, print the current file type.
+	When filetype is specified, set the file type of the
+	current ex buffer.
+
+Options supported by neatvi:
 
 td, textdirection
-	Current direction context.  The following values are meaningful:
+	Current direction context.  The following values are
+	meaningful:
 	
 	* +2: always left-to-right.
 	* +1: follow conf.h's dircontexts[]; left-to-right for others.
@@ -23,7 +38,12 @@ shape
 	If set (default), performs Arabic/Farsi letter shaping.
 
 order
-	If set, reorder characters based on the rules defined in conf.h.
+	If set, reorder characters based on the rules defined
+	in conf.h.
+
+hl, highlight
+	If set (default), text will receive syntax highlighting
+	based on the rules in conf.h.
 
 ai, autoindent
 	As in vi(1).
@@ -33,7 +53,3 @@ aw, autowrite
 
 ic, ignorecase
 	As in vi(1).
-
-hl, highlight
-	If set (default), text will receive syntax highlighting based on the
-	rules in conf.h.
diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index fd555db..fb7b0cc 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "vi.h"
 #include "conf.h"
-
-char *conf_kmapalt(void)
-{
-	return KMAPALT;
-}
+#include "kmap.h"
 
 int conf_dirmark(int idx, char **pat, int *ctx, int *dir, int *grp)
 {
@@ -77,3 +74,21 @@ int conf_highlight_revdir(int *att)
 	*att = SYN_REVDIR;
 	return 0;
 }
+
+char **conf_kmap(char *name)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < LEN(kmaps); i++)
+		if (name && kmaps[i][0] && !strcmp(name, kmaps[i][0]))
+			return kmaps[i];
+	return kmap_en;
+}
+
+char *conf_digraph(int c1, int c2)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < LEN(digraphs); i++)
+		if (digraphs[i][0][0] == c1 && digraphs[i][0][1] == c2)
+			return digraphs[i][1];
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/conf.h b/conf.h
index e0b0119..7a44e27 100644
--- a/conf.h
+++ b/conf.h
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ static struct highlight {
 	{"sh", {4}, "\'[^\']*\'"},
 };
 
-/* the alternate keymap (^F and ^E in insert mode to switch) */
-#define KMAPALT		"fa"
-
 /* how to hightlight text in the reverse direction */
 #define SYN_REVDIR		(SYN_BGMK(255))
 
diff --git a/ex.c b/ex.c
index 7564e14..d9f17cb 100644
--- a/ex.c
+++ b/ex.c
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ int xshape = 1;			/* perform letter shaping */
 int xorder = 1;			/* change the order of characters */
 char xfindkwd[EXLEN];		/* the last searched keyword */
 int xfinddir = +1;		/* the last search direction */
+static char *xkmap = "en";	/* the current keymap */
+static char xkmap2[8] = "fa";	/* the alternate keymap */
 
 static struct buf {
 	char ft[32];
@@ -96,6 +98,16 @@ char *ex_filetype(void)
 	return xhl ? bufs[0].ft : "";
 }
 
+char **ex_kmap(void)
+{
+	return &xkmap;
+}
+
+char *ex_kmapalt(void)
+{
+	return xkmap2;
+}
+
 /* read ex command location */
 static char *ex_loc(char *s, char *loc)
 {
@@ -690,6 +702,21 @@ static int ec_ft(char *ec)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int ec_cmap(char *ec)
+{
+	char cmd[EXLEN];
+	char arg[EXLEN];
+	ex_cmd(ec, cmd);
+	ex_arg(ec, arg);
+	if (arg[0])
+		snprintf(xkmap2, sizeof(xkmap2), arg);
+	else
+		ex_print(xkmap);
+	if (arg[0] && !strchr(cmd, '!'))
+		xkmap = xkmap2;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static struct option {
 	char *abbr;
 	char *name;
@@ -784,6 +811,8 @@ static struct excmd {
 	{"!", "!", ec_exec},
 	{"make", "make", ec_make},
 	{"ft", "filetype", ec_ft},
+	{"cm", "cmap", ec_cmap},
+	{"cm!", "cmap!", ec_cmap},
 	{"", "", ec_null},
 };
 
diff --git a/kmap.h b/kmap.h
index 0ad8042..8f7a90e 100644
--- a/kmap.h
+++ b/kmap.h
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ static char *kmap_fa[256] = {
 	['|'] = "|",
 };
 
+static char **kmaps[] = {kmap_en, kmap_fa};
+
 static char *digraphs[][2] = {
 	{"cq", "’"},
 	{"pl", "+"},
diff --git a/led.c b/led.c
index 8903da0..66a3d9c 100644
--- a/led.c
+++ b/led.c
@@ -4,23 +4,11 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include "vi.h"
-#include "kmap.h"
-
-static char **kmaps[] = {kmap_en, kmap_fa};
-
-static char **kmap_find(char *name)
-{
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0; i < LEN(kmaps); i++)
-		if (name && kmaps[i][0] && !strcmp(name, kmaps[i][0]))
-			return kmaps[i];
-	return kmap_en;
-}
 
 static char *kmap_map(char *kmap, int c)
 {
 	static char cs[4];
-	char **keymap = kmap_find(kmap);
+	char **keymap = conf_kmap(kmap);
 	cs[0] = c;
 	return keymap[c] ? keymap[c] : cs;
 }
@@ -198,10 +186,7 @@ static char *led_readchar(int c, char *kmap)
 		c2 = term_read();
 		if (TK_INT(c2))
 			return NULL;
-		for (i = 0; i < LEN(digraphs); i++)
-			if (digraphs[i][0][0] == c1 && digraphs[i][0][1] == c2)
-				return digraphs[i][1];
-		return NULL;
+		return conf_digraph(c1, c2);
 	}
 	if ((c & 0xc0) == 0xc0) {	/* utf-8 character */
 		buf[0] = c;
@@ -220,10 +205,10 @@ char *led_read(char **kmap)
 	while (!TK_INT(c)) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case TK_CTL('f'):
-			*kmap = conf_kmapalt();
+			*kmap = ex_kmapalt();
 			break;
 		case TK_CTL('e'):
-			*kmap = kmap_en[0];
+			*kmap = "en";
 			break;
 		default:
 			return led_readchar(c, *kmap);
@@ -249,10 +234,10 @@ static char *led_line(char *pref, char *post, char *ai, int ai_max, int *key, ch
 		c = term_read();
 		switch (c) {
 		case TK_CTL('f'):
-			*kmap = conf_kmapalt();
+			*kmap = ex_kmapalt();
 			continue;
 		case TK_CTL('e'):
-			*kmap = kmap_en[0];
+			*kmap = "en";
 			continue;
 		case TK_CTL('h'):
 		case 127:
diff --git a/vi.c b/vi.c
index 41b1797..ab05e58 100644
--- a/vi.c
+++ b/vi.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ static char vi_charlast[8];	/* the last character searched via f, t, F, or T */
 static int vi_charcmd;		/* the character finding command */
 static int vi_arg1, vi_arg2;	/* the first and second arguments */
 static int vi_ybuf;		/* current yank buffer */
-static char *vi_kmap;		/* current insertion keymap */
 static int vi_pcol;		/* the column requested by | command */
 static int vi_printed;		/* ex_print() calls since the last command */
 static int vi_scroll;		/* scroll amount for ^f and ^d*/
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ static void vi_back(int c)
 
 static char *vi_char(void)
 {
-	return led_read(&vi_kmap);
+	return led_read(ex_kmap());
 }
 
 static char *vi_prompt(char *msg, char **kmap)
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ char *ex_read(char *msg)
 	struct sbuf *sb;
 	char c;
 	if (xled) {
-		char *s = led_prompt(msg, "", &vi_kmap);
+		char *s = led_prompt(msg, "", ex_kmap());
 		if (s)
 			term_chr('\n');
 		return s;
@@ -217,7 +216,7 @@ static int vi_search(int cmd, int cnt, int *row, int *off)
 	char *soff = "";
 	if (cmd == '/' || cmd == '?') {
 		char sign[4] = {cmd};
-		char *kw = vi_prompt(sign, &vi_kmap);
+		char *kw = vi_prompt(sign, ex_kmap());
 		if (!kw)
 			return 1;
 		xfinddir = cmd == '/' ? +1 : -1;
@@ -618,7 +617,7 @@ static int charcount(char *text, char *post)
 
 static char *vi_input(char *pref, char *post, int *row, int *off)
 {
-	char *rep = led_input(pref, post, &vi_kmap);
+	char *rep = led_input(pref, post, ex_kmap());
 	if (!rep)
 		return NULL;
 	*row = linecount(rep) - 1;
diff --git a/vi.h b/vi.h
index 1eb15a7..dd9df3c 100644
--- a/vi.h
+++ b/vi.h
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ int ex_init(char **files);
 void ex_done(void);
 char *ex_path(void);
 char *ex_filetype(void);
+char **ex_kmap(void);
+char *ex_kmapalt(void);
 struct lbuf *ex_lbuf(void);
 
 #define xb 	ex_lbuf()
@@ -169,13 +171,14 @@ void syn_init(void);
 void syn_done(void);
 
 /* configuration variables */
-char *conf_kmapalt(void);
 int conf_dirmark(int idx, char **pat, int *ctx, int *dir, int *grp);
 int conf_dircontext(int idx, char **pat, int *ctx);
 int conf_placeholder(int idx, char **s, char **d, int *wid);
 int conf_highlight(int idx, char **ft, int **att, char **pat, int *end);
 int conf_filetype(int idx, char **ft, char **pat);
 int conf_highlight_revdir(int *att);
+char **conf_kmap(char *name);
+char *conf_digraph(int c1, int c2);
 
 /* global variables */
 extern int xrow;