diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS b/CONTRIBUTORS
index 357617c5..c2cf6b8e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -810,3 +810,7 @@ Dirk Essl <de@floydworld.de>
 
 Hans Dingemans <hans.dingemans@tacticalops.nl>
  for translating OSD texts to the Dutch language
+
+Alexander Wetzel <alexander.wetzel@web.de>
+ for suggesting to let VDR start up even if 'keymacros.conf' references a plugin
+ that is currently not loaded
diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index dbad821f..ad5c8c3a 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -2389,3 +2389,5 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
 - Completed Dutch language texts (thanks to Hans Dingemans).
 - Made 'diseqc.conf' a required file only if Setup.DiSEqC is activated (thanks to
   Thomas Schmidt).
+- VDR now starts up even if 'keymacros.conf' references a plugin that is currently
+  not loaded (suggested by Alexander Wetzel).
diff --git a/keys.c b/keys.c
index 381b3189..5529f323 100644
--- a/keys.c
+++ b/keys.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: keys.c 1.4 2002/11/30 16:01:37 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: keys.c 1.5 2003/09/14 10:07:47 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "keys.h"
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ bool cKeyMacro::Parse(char *s)
                  plugin = strdup(p + 1);
                  if (!cPluginManager::GetPlugin(plugin)) {
                     esyslog("ERROR: unknown plugin '%s'", plugin);
-                    return false;
+                    // this is not a fatal error - plugins may or may not be loaded
+                    macro[--n] = kNone; // makes sure the key doesn't cause any side effects
                     }
                  }
               else {