diff --git a/src/modules/keyboard/KeyboardPage.cpp b/src/modules/keyboard/KeyboardPage.cpp
index 770c7c6b1..8bcde4b50 100644
--- a/src/modules/keyboard/KeyboardPage.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/keyboard/KeyboardPage.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,21 @@
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QPushButton>
 
+static QPersistentModelIndex
+findLayout( const KeyboardLayoutModel* klm, const QString& currentLayout )
+{
+    QPersistentModelIndex currentLayoutItem;
+
+    for ( int i = 0; i < klm->rowCount(); ++i )
+    {
+        QModelIndex idx = klm->index( i );
+        if ( idx.isValid() &&
+             idx.data( KeyboardLayoutModel::KeyboardLayoutKeyRole ).toString() == currentLayout )
+            currentLayoutItem = idx;
+    }
+
+    return currentLayoutItem;
+}
 
 KeyboardPage::KeyboardPage( QWidget* parent )
     : QWidget()
@@ -68,8 +83,8 @@ KeyboardPage::KeyboardPage( QWidget* parent )
         QString model = m_models.value( text, "pc105" );
 
         // Set Xorg keyboard model
-        QProcess::execute( QString( "setxkbmap -model \"%1\"" )
-                           .arg( model ).toUtf8() );
+        QProcess::execute( QLatin1Literal( "setxkbmap" ),
+                           QStringList() << "-model" << model );
     });
 
     CALAMARES_RETRANSLATE( ui->retranslateUi( this ); )
@@ -160,14 +175,13 @@ KeyboardPage::init()
     // Block signals
     ui->listLayout->blockSignals( true );
 
-    QPersistentModelIndex currentLayoutItem;
-
-    for ( int i = 0; i < klm->rowCount(); ++i )
+    QPersistentModelIndex currentLayoutItem = findLayout( klm, currentLayout );
+    if ( !currentLayoutItem.isValid() && (
+           ( currentLayout == "latin" )
+        || ( currentLayout == "pc" ) ) )
     {
-        QModelIndex idx = klm->index( i );
-        if ( idx.isValid() &&
-             idx.data( KeyboardLayoutModel::KeyboardLayoutKeyRole ).toString() == currentLayout )
-            currentLayoutItem = idx;
+        currentLayout = "us";
+        currentLayoutItem = findLayout( klm, currentLayout );
     }
 
     // Set current layout and variant
@@ -341,6 +355,16 @@ KeyboardPage::onListLayoutCurrentItemChanged( const QModelIndex& current,
     updateVariants( QPersistentModelIndex( current ) );
 }
 
+/* Returns stringlist with suitable setxkbmap command-line arguments
+ * to set the given @p layout and @p variant.
+ */
+static inline QStringList xkbmap_args( QStringList&& r, const QString& layout, const QString& variant)
+{
+    r << "-layout" << layout;
+    if ( !variant.isEmpty() )
+        r << "-variant" << variant;
+    return r;
+}
 
 void
 KeyboardPage::onListVariantCurrentItemChanged( QListWidgetItem* current, QListWidgetItem* previous )
@@ -369,8 +393,8 @@ KeyboardPage::onListVariantCurrentItemChanged( QListWidgetItem* current, QListWi
     connect( &m_setxkbmapTimer, &QTimer::timeout,
              this, [=]
     {
-        QProcess::execute( QString( "setxkbmap -layout \"%1\" -variant \"%2\"" )
-                           .arg( layout, variant ).toUtf8() );
+        QProcess::execute( QLatin1Literal( "setxkbmap" ),
+                           xkbmap_args( QStringList(), layout, variant ) );
         cDebug() << "xkbmap selection changed to: " << layout << "-" << variant;
         m_setxkbmapTimer.disconnect( this );
     } );
@@ -379,4 +403,3 @@ KeyboardPage::onListVariantCurrentItemChanged( QListWidgetItem* current, QListWi
     m_selectedLayout = layout;
     m_selectedVariant = variant;
 }
-