diff --git a/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.Designer.cs b/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.Designer.cs
index f825221..59fe475 100644
--- a/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.Designer.cs
+++ b/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.Designer.cs
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ namespace EveOPreview.View {
             ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox.Name = "ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox";
             ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox.Size = new Size(137, 23);
             ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox.TabIndex = 29;
-            ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox.TextChanged += OptionChanged_Handler;
+            ToggleTrackingHotkeyTextBox.Leave += HotkeyTextBox_Leave;
             //
             // ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyLabel
             //
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ namespace EveOPreview.View {
             ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox.Name = "ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox";
             ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox.Size = new Size(137, 23);
             ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox.TabIndex = 31;
-            ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox.TextChanged += OptionChanged_Handler;
+            ToggleSingleProcessHotkeyTextBox.Leave += HotkeyTextBox_Leave;
             //
             // ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyLabel
             //
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ namespace EveOPreview.View {
             ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox.Name = "ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox";
             ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox.Size = new Size(137, 23);
             ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox.TabIndex = 33;
-            ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox.TextChanged += OptionChanged_Handler;
+            ToggleAllThumbnailsHotkeyTextBox.Leave += HotkeyTextBox_Leave;
             //
             // ThumbnailTabPage
             //
diff --git a/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.cs b/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.cs
index cdbfd49..8d4885c 100644
--- a/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.cs
+++ b/src/Eve-O-Preview/View/Implementation/MainForm.cs
@@ -673,5 +673,36 @@ namespace EveOPreview.View {
     private void AnimationStyleCombo_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) {}
 
     private void GeneralSettingsPanel_Paint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e) {}
+
+    private void HotkeyTextBox_Leave(object sender, EventArgs e) {
+        if (sender is System.Windows.Forms.TextBox textBox) {
+            string hotkeyText = textBox.Text.Trim();
+
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(hotkeyText)) {
+                try {
+                    // Try to parse the hotkey to validate it
+                    var keysConverter = new KeysConverter();
+                    var key = keysConverter.ConvertFromInvariantString(hotkeyText);
+
+                    if (key == null || (Keys)key == Keys.None) {
+                        MessageBox.Show(
+                            $"Invalid hotkey: {hotkeyText}\n\nPlease enter a valid hotkey combination (e.g., Alt+F1, Ctrl+Shift+A)",
+                            "Invalid Hotkey", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning);
+                        textBox.Focus();
+                        return;
+                    }
+                } catch (Exception) {
+                    MessageBox.Show(
+                        $"Invalid hotkey: {hotkeyText}\n\nPlease enter a valid hotkey combination (e.g., Alt+F1, Ctrl+Shift+A)",
+                        "Invalid Hotkey", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning);
+                    textBox.Focus();
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // If we get here, the hotkey is valid (or empty), so trigger the option change
+            this.OptionChanged_Handler(sender, e);
+        }
+    }
 }
 }
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