diff --git a/src/bindings.c b/src/bindings.c
index 7ea087e6..49f61590 100644
--- a/src/bindings.c
+++ b/src/bindings.c
@@ -165,18 +165,28 @@ static Binding *get_binding(i3_event_state_mask_t state_filtered, bool is_releas
         }
     }
 
+    const uint32_t xkb_group_state = (state_filtered & 0xFFFF0000);
+    const uint32_t modifiers_state = (state_filtered & 0x0000FFFF);
     TAILQ_FOREACH(bind, bindings, bindings) {
-        bool state_matches;
-        if ((bind->event_state_mask & 0xFFFF) == 0) {
+        const uint32_t xkb_group_mask = (bind->event_state_mask & 0xFFFF0000);
+        /* modifiers_mask is a special case: a value of 0 does not mean “match all”,
+         * but rather “match exactly when no modifiers are present”. */
+        const uint32_t modifiers_mask = (bind->event_state_mask & 0x0000FFFF);
+        const bool groups_match = ((xkb_group_state & xkb_group_mask) == xkb_group_mask);
+        bool mods_match;
+        if (modifiers_mask == 0) {
             /* Verify no modifiers are pressed. A bitwise AND would lead to
              * false positives, see issue #2002. */
-            state_matches = (state_filtered == bind->event_state_mask);
+            mods_match = (modifiers_state == 0);
         } else {
-            state_matches = ((state_filtered & bind->event_state_mask) == bind->event_state_mask);
+            mods_match = ((modifiers_state & modifiers_mask) == modifiers_mask);
         }
+        const bool state_matches = (groups_match && mods_match);
 
-        DLOG("binding with event_state_mask 0x%x, state_filtered 0x%x, match: %s\n",
-             bind->event_state_mask, state_filtered, (state_matches ? "yes" : "no"));
+        DLOG("binding groups_match = %s, mods_match = %s, state_matches = %s\n",
+             (groups_match ? "yes" : "no"),
+             (mods_match ? "yes" : "no"),
+             (state_matches ? "yes" : "no"));
         /* First compare the state_filtered (unless this is a
          * B_UPON_KEYRELEASE_IGNORE_MODS binding and this is a KeyRelease
          * event) */
diff --git a/src/config_directives.c b/src/config_directives.c
index 419d663a..ba267427 100644
--- a/src/config_directives.c
+++ b/src/config_directives.c
@@ -67,9 +67,8 @@ i3_event_state_mask_t event_state_from_str(const char *str) {
     /* It might be better to use strtok() here, but the simpler strstr() should
      * do for now. */
     i3_event_state_mask_t result = 0;
-    int group_bits_set = 0;
     if (str == NULL)
-        return (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_1 << 16);
+        return result;
     if (strstr(str, "Mod1") != NULL)
         result |= XCB_KEY_BUT_MASK_MOD_1;
     if (strstr(str, "Mod2") != NULL)
@@ -86,26 +85,15 @@ i3_event_state_mask_t event_state_from_str(const char *str) {
     if (strstr(str, "Shift") != NULL)
         result |= XCB_KEY_BUT_MASK_SHIFT;
 
-    if (strstr(str, "Group1") != NULL) {
+    if (strstr(str, "Group1") != NULL)
         result |= (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_1 << 16);
-        group_bits_set++;
-    }
     if (strstr(str, "Group2") != NULL ||
-        strstr(str, "Mode_switch") != NULL) {
+        strstr(str, "Mode_switch") != NULL)
         result |= (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_2 << 16);
-        group_bits_set++;
-    }
-    if (strstr(str, "Group3") != NULL) {
+    if (strstr(str, "Group3") != NULL)
         result |= (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_3 << 16);
-        group_bits_set++;
-    }
-    if (strstr(str, "Group4") != NULL) {
+    if (strstr(str, "Group4") != NULL)
         result |= (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_4 << 16);
-        group_bits_set++;
-    }
-    if (group_bits_set == 0) {
-        result |= (I3_XKB_GROUP_MASK_1 << 16);
-    }
     return result;
 }