diff --git a/KeyboardioFirmware.h b/KeyboardioFirmware.h
index abef7126..b1919389 100644
--- a/KeyboardioFirmware.h
+++ b/KeyboardioFirmware.h
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ void setup();
 
 extern HARDWARE_IMPLEMENTATION KeyboardHardware;
 
-extern uint8_t matrixState[ROWS][COLS];
-extern const Key keymaps[KEYMAPS][ROWS][COLS];
 extern uint8_t primary_keymap;
 extern uint8_t temporary_keymap;
 
diff --git a/KeyboardioFirmware.ino b/KeyboardioFirmware.ino
index 297e4312..40f1c683 100644
--- a/KeyboardioFirmware.ino
+++ b/KeyboardioFirmware.ino
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 #include "KeyboardioHID.h"
 
 
-uint8_t matrixState[ROWS][COLS] = {0};
-const Key keymaps[KEYMAPS][ROWS][COLS] = { KEYMAP_LIST };
 uint8_t primary_keymap = 0;
 uint8_t temporary_keymap = 0;
 
diff --git a/LEDControl.cpp b/LEDControl.cpp
index d5eeb1c7..d1a81f77 100644
--- a/LEDControl.cpp
+++ b/LEDControl.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
 #include "LEDControl.h"
 
+
+
 LEDControl_::LEDControl_(void) {
+     led_off.r = 0;
+     led_off.g = 0;
+     led_off.b = 0;
+     led_steady.r = 0;
+     led_steady.g = 255;
+     led_steady.b = 0;
+     led_blue.r = 0;
+     led_blue.g = 0;
+     led_blue.b = 255;
+     led_dark_blue.r = 0;
+     led_dark_blue.g = 0;
+     led_dark_blue .b = 127;
+     led_bright_red.r = 255;
+     led_bright_red.g = 0;
+     led_bright_red.b = 0;
 
 }
 
@@ -107,7 +124,7 @@ void LEDControl_::led_compute_breath() {
     }
 
 
-    led_breathe.SetHSV(200, 255, breathe_brightness);
+    hsv_to_rgb(&led_breathe,200, 255, breathe_brightness);
 }
 
 void LEDControl_::effect_breathe_update() {
diff --git a/LEDControl.h b/LEDControl.h
index 0fc6f184..f633b3c6 100644
--- a/LEDControl.h
+++ b/LEDControl.h
@@ -32,17 +32,14 @@ class LEDControl_ {
     uint8_t pos = 0;
     void hsv_to_rgb(cRGB *cRGB, uint16_t h, uint16_t s, uint16_t v);
 
-
-
-    cRGB led_off = { .r = 0, .g = 0, .b = 0 };
-    cRGB led_steady = { .r = 0, .g = 255, .b = 0};
-    cRGB led_blue = { .r = 0, .g = 0, .b = 255 };
-    cRGB led_dark_blue = { .r = 0, .g = 0, .b = 127 };
-    cRGB led_bright_red = { .r = 255, .g = 0, .b = 0};
+    cRGB led_off;
+    cRGB led_steady;
+    cRGB led_blue;
+    cRGB led_dark_blue;
+    cRGB led_bright_red;
     cRGB led_breathe;
     cRGB rainbow;
 
-
     uint16_t rainbow_hue = 0;   //stores 0 to 614
 
     static const uint8_t rainbow_steps = 1; //number of hues we skip in a 360 range per update
diff --git a/implementation/Model01.cpp b/implementation/Model01.cpp
index bbe90fa8..f0dc6b7a 100644
--- a/implementation/Model01.cpp
+++ b/implementation/Model01.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include <Arduino.h>
-#include "WS2812.h"
 #include "Model01.h"
 
 Model01::Model01(void) {
@@ -24,12 +23,13 @@ void Model01::led_sync() {
 
 
 void Model01::scan_matrix() {
+    uint8_t key_data;
     //scan the Keyboard matrix looking for connections
     for (byte row = 0; row < LEFT_ROWS; row++) {
 
         for (byte col = 0; col < LEFT_COLS; col++) {
-            handle_key_event(row, col);
-            handle_key_event(row, (COLS - 1) - col);
+            handle_key_event(row, col, &key_data);
+            handle_key_event(row, (COLS - 1) - col, &key_data);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/implementation/Model01.h b/implementation/Model01.h
index f8403c50..57ba4e14 100644
--- a/implementation/Model01.h
+++ b/implementation/Model01.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 
 #include "../keymaps.h"
-#include "../generated/keymaps.h"
 #include "../key_events.h"
 
 
diff --git a/implementation/Model01Beta.cpp b/implementation/Model01Beta.cpp
index 78453c08..14ecc880 100644
--- a/implementation/Model01Beta.cpp
+++ b/implementation/Model01Beta.cpp
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ void Model01Beta::scan_matrix() {
 
         for (byte col = 0; col < LEFT_COLS; col++) {
             scan_left_col(row,col,&matrixState[row][col]);
-            handle_key_event(row, col);
+            handle_key_event(row, col, &matrixState[row][col]);
 
             if (right_hand_connected()) {
                 scan_right_col(row,col,&matrixState[row][(COLS - 1) - col]);
-                handle_key_event(row, (COLS - 1) - col);
+                handle_key_event(row, (COLS - 1) - col, &matrixState[row][(COLS - 1) - col]);
             }
         }
         finish_scanning_row(row);
diff --git a/implementation/Model01Beta.h b/implementation/Model01Beta.h
index a3e56e33..a8beaae8 100644
--- a/implementation/Model01Beta.h
+++ b/implementation/Model01Beta.h
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include "../keymaps.h"
-#include "../generated/keymaps.h"
 #include "WS2812.h"
 #include "KeyboardioSX1509.h"
 #include "../key_events.h"
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ class Model01Beta {
     static WS2812 LED;
     int right_initted = 0;
     int left_initted = 0;
-
+    uint8_t matrixState[ROWS][COLS] = {{0}};
     uint8_t left_colpins[LEFT_COLS]= {7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0};
     uint8_t left_rowpins[LEFT_ROWS]= {8,9,10,11};
 
diff --git a/key_events.cpp b/key_events.cpp
index 4520c116..1010adcf 100644
--- a/key_events.cpp
+++ b/key_events.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "key_events.h"
 
-void handle_synthetic_key_event(byte switchState, Key mappedKey) {
+const Key keymaps[KEYMAPS][ROWS][COLS] = { KEYMAP_LIST };
+
+void handle_synthetic_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key mappedKey) {
     if (mappedKey.flags & IS_MOUSE_KEY && !( mappedKey.rawKey & KEY_MOUSE_WARP) ) {
         handle_mouse_key_event(switchState, mappedKey);
     } else if (! (mappedKey.flags & IS_INTERNAL)
@@ -44,19 +46,18 @@ void handle_synthetic_key_event(byte switchState, Key mappedKey) {
 
     }
 }
-void handle_key_event(byte row, byte col) {
+void handle_key_event(byte row, byte col, uint8_t *switchState) {
     //for every newly pressed button, figure out what logical key it is and send a key down event
     // for every newly released button, figure out what logical key it is and send a key up event
 
-    byte switchState = matrixState[row][col];
     Key mappedKey = keymaps[temporary_keymap][row][col];
 
     if (keymaps[primary_keymap][row][col].flags & SWITCH_TO_KEYMAP) {
-        handle_keymap_key_event(switchState, keymaps[primary_keymap][row][col]);
+        handle_keymap_key_event(*switchState, keymaps[primary_keymap][row][col]);
     }
     if (mappedKey.flags & SYNTHETIC_KEY) {
-        handle_synthetic_key_event(switchState, mappedKey);
-    } else if (key_is_pressed(switchState)) {
+        handle_synthetic_key_event(*switchState, mappedKey);
+    } else if (key_is_pressed(*switchState)) {
         press_key(mappedKey);
     }
 }
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ void press_key(Key mappedKey) {
 }
 
 
-void handle_keymap_key_event(byte switchState, Key keymapEntry) {
+void handle_keymap_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key keymapEntry) {
     if (keymapEntry.flags & MOMENTARY ) {
         if (key_toggled_on(switchState)) {
             if ( keymapEntry.rawKey == KEYMAP_NEXT) {
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ void handle_keymap_key_event(byte switchState, Key keymapEntry) {
     }
 }
 
-void handle_mouse_key_event(byte switchState, Key mappedKey) {
+void handle_mouse_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key mappedKey) {
     if (key_is_pressed(switchState)) {
         if (mappedKey.rawKey & KEY_MOUSE_UP) {
             MouseWrapper.move(0,-1);
diff --git a/key_events.h b/key_events.h
index fd01ab6a..b6fc2049 100644
--- a/key_events.h
+++ b/key_events.h
@@ -6,16 +6,17 @@
 #include "MouseWrapper.h"
 #include "LEDControl.h"
 #include "Storage.h"
+#include "keymaps.h"
+#include "generated/keymaps.h"
 
-extern uint8_t matrixState[ROWS][COLS];
 extern const Key keymaps[KEYMAPS][ROWS][COLS];
 extern uint8_t primary_keymap;
 extern uint8_t temporary_keymap;
 
 // sending events to the computer
-void handle_synthetic_key_event(byte switchState, Key mappedKey);
-void handle_key_event(byte row, byte col);
+void handle_synthetic_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key mappedKey);
+void handle_key_event(byte row, byte col, uint8_t *switch_state);
 void press_key(Key mappedKey);
-void handle_keymap_key_event(byte switchState, Key keymapEntry);
-void handle_mouse_key_event(byte switchState, Key mappedKey);
+void handle_keymap_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key keymapEntry);
+void handle_mouse_key_event(uint8_t switchState, Key mappedKey);