diff --git a/escher/src/container.cpp b/escher/src/container.cpp
index e2f19247d..9c33c6b10 100644
--- a/escher/src/container.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/container.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ void Container::run() {
 
 void Container::step() {
   Ion::Events::Event event = Ion::Events::getEvent(); // This is a blocking call
+  if (event == Ion::Events::None) {
+    return;
+  }
   if (handleEvent(event)) {
     return;
   }
diff --git a/ion/include/ion/events.h b/ion/include/ion/events.h
index 8f0723b4d..9dc27eb25 100644
--- a/ion/include/ion/events.h
+++ b/ion/include/ion/events.h
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ public:
   static constexpr Event ShiftKey(Keyboard::Key k) { return Event(k_eventPageSize+(int)k); }
   static constexpr Event AlphaKey(Keyboard::Key k) { return Event(2*k_eventPageSize+(int)k); }
   static constexpr Event ShiftAlphaKey(Keyboard::Key k) { return Event(3*k_eventPageSize+(int)k); }
+  static constexpr Event Special(int i) { return Event(4*k_eventPageSize+i); }
 
   constexpr Event(int i) : m_id(i){}
   Event(Keyboard::Key key, bool shift, bool alpha);
 
-  bool operator ==(const Event &other) const {
+  bool operator==(const Event & other) const {
     return (m_id == other.m_id);
   }
   const char * text() const;
@@ -185,6 +186,8 @@ constexpr Event UpperX = Event::ShiftAlphaKey(Keyboard::Key::H2);
 constexpr Event UpperY = Event::ShiftAlphaKey(Keyboard::Key::H3);
 constexpr Event UpperZ = Event::ShiftAlphaKey(Keyboard::Key::H4);
 
+constexpr Event None = Event::Special(0);
+
 }
 }
 
diff --git a/ion/src/shared/events.cpp b/ion/src/shared/events.cpp
index 1e7babc20..51cbb733d 100644
--- a/ion/src/shared/events.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/shared/events.cpp
@@ -83,9 +83,7 @@ Event::Event(Keyboard::Key key, bool shift, bool alpha) {
   // alpha-X -> X
   // shift-alpha-X -> alpha-X -> X
 
-  constexpr uint8_t undefinedEventId = 4*k_eventPageSize;
-
-  m_id = undefinedEventId;
+  m_id = Events::None.m_id;
 
   int noFallbackOffsets[] = {0};
   int shiftFallbackOffsets[] = {k_eventPageSize, 0};
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ Event::Event(Keyboard::Key key, bool shift, bool alpha) {
     m_id = offset + (int)key;
   } while (offset > 0 && s_dataForEvent[m_id].isUndefined());
 
-  assert(m_id != undefinedEventId);
+  assert(m_id != Events::None.m_id);
 }
 
 const char * Event::text() const {