diff --git a/packages/coreutils/src/settingregistry.ts b/packages/coreutils/src/settingregistry.ts
index 1f9c7edef234..311281ff86e8 100644
--- a/packages/coreutils/src/settingregistry.ts
+++ b/packages/coreutils/src/settingregistry.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import Ajv from 'ajv';
 
 import * as json from 'json5';
 
+import { CommandRegistry } from '@lumino/commands';
+
 import {
   JSONExt,
   JSONObject,
@@ -913,11 +915,16 @@ export namespace SettingRegistry {
 
     // If a user shortcut collides with another user shortcut warn and filter.
     user = user.filter(shortcut => {
-      const keys = shortcut.keys.join(RECORD_SEPARATOR);
+      const keys = CommandRegistry.normalizeKeys(shortcut).join(
+        RECORD_SEPARATOR
+      );
       const { selector } = shortcut;
 
       if (!keys) {
-        console.warn('Shortcut skipped because `keys` are [""].', shortcut);
+        console.warn(
+          'Skipping this shortcut because there are no actionable keys on this platform',
+          shortcut
+        );
         return false;
       }
       if (!(keys in memo)) {
@@ -928,7 +935,10 @@ export namespace SettingRegistry {
         return true;
       }
 
-      console.warn('Shortcut skipped due to collision.', shortcut);
+      console.warn(
+        'Skipping this shortcut because it collides with another shortcut.',
+        shortcut
+      );
       return false;
     });
 
@@ -937,7 +947,9 @@ export namespace SettingRegistry {
     // out too (this includes shortcuts that are disabled by user preferences).
     defaults = defaults.filter(shortcut => {
       const { disabled } = shortcut;
-      const keys = shortcut.keys.join(RECORD_SEPARATOR);
+      const keys = CommandRegistry.normalizeKeys(shortcut).join(
+        RECORD_SEPARATOR
+      );
 
       if (disabled || !keys) {
         return false;
@@ -955,7 +967,10 @@ export namespace SettingRegistry {
 
       // Only warn if a default shortcut collides with another default shortcut.
       if (memo[keys][selector]) {
-        console.warn('Shortcut skipped due to collision.', shortcut);
+        console.warn(
+          'Skipping this shortcut because it collides with another shortcut.',
+          shortcut
+        );
       }
 
       return false;
diff --git a/packages/shortcuts-extension/schema/shortcuts.json b/packages/shortcuts-extension/schema/shortcuts.json
index d4c849594d7c..f7cfe7ac6b26 100644
--- a/packages/shortcuts-extension/schema/shortcuts.json
+++ b/packages/shortcuts-extension/schema/shortcuts.json
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
   "additionalProperties": false,
   "properties": {
     "shortcuts": {
-      "title": "Keyboard Shortcuts",
       "description": "The list of keyboard shortcuts.",
       "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/shortcut" },
       "type": "array",
@@ -22,7 +21,18 @@
         "command": { "type": "string" },
         "keys": {
           "items": { "type": "string" },
-          "minItems": 1,
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        "winKeys": {
+          "items": { "type": "string" },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        "macKeys": {
+          "items": { "type": "string" },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        "linuxKeys": {
+          "items": { "type": "string" },
           "type": "array"
         },
         "selector": { "type": "string" }
diff --git a/packages/shortcuts-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/shortcuts-extension/src/index.ts
index 3f4576a4b238..742129b20f57 100644
--- a/packages/shortcuts-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/shortcuts-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -71,10 +71,8 @@ const shortcuts: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         })
         .reduce((acc, val) => acc.concat(val), [])
         .sort((a, b) => a.command.localeCompare(b.command));
-      schema.properties!.shortcuts.title =
-        'List of Commands (followed by shortcuts)';
 
-      const disableShortcutInstructions = `Note: To disable a system default shortcut,
+      schema.properties!.shortcuts.description = `Note: To disable a system default shortcut,
 copy it to User Preferences and add the
 "disabled" key, for example:
 {
@@ -84,12 +82,12 @@ copy it to User Preferences and add the
     ],
     "selector": "body",
     "disabled": true
-}`;
-      schema.properties!.shortcuts.description = `${commands}
+}
 
-${disableShortcutInstructions}
+List of commands followed by keyboard shortcuts:
+${commands}
 
-List of Keyboard Shortcuts`;
+List of keyboard shortcuts:`;
     }
 
     registry.pluginChanged.connect(async (sender, plugin) => {