diff --git a/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/WorldPalette.hs b/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/WorldPalette.hs
index 8c9aac09d..2139b363d 100644
--- a/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/WorldPalette.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/WorldPalette.hs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module Swarm.Game.Scenario.Topography.WorldPalette where
 
 import Control.Arrow (first)
 import Control.Lens hiding (from, (.=), (<.>))
+import Data.Aeson.Key qualified as K
 import Data.Aeson.KeyMap qualified as KM
 import Data.Map qualified as M
 import Data.Maybe (catMaybes)
@@ -105,9 +106,8 @@ prepForJson (PaletteAndMaskChar (StructurePalette suggestedPalette) maybeMaskCha
  where
   preassignments :: [(Char, TerrainWith EntityFacade)]
   preassignments =
-    map (first T.head . fmap (cellToTerrainPair . standardCell)) $
-      M.toList $
-        KM.toMapText suggestedPalette
+    map (first (T.head . K.toText) . fmap (cellToTerrainPair . standardCell)) $
+      M.toList suggestedPalette
 
   entityCells :: M.Map (TerrainWith EntityName) (TerrainWith EntityFacade)
   entityCells = getUniqueTerrainFacadePairs $ catMaybes $ allMembers cellGrid
diff --git a/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/ProtoCell.hs b/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/ProtoCell.hs
index 5f472674c..15e792876 100644
--- a/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/ProtoCell.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/ProtoCell.hs
@@ -9,19 +9,21 @@ module Swarm.Game.Scenario.Topography.ProtoCell (
 ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative ((<|>))
-import Data.Aeson.KeyMap (KeyMap)
+import Data.Aeson.Key qualified as K
+import Data.Aeson.KeyMap qualified as KM
+import Data.Map (Map)
 import Data.Yaml as Y
 import Swarm.Game.Scenario.Topography.Navigation.Waypoint (WaypointConfig)
 import Swarm.Util.Yaml
 
 newtype StructurePalette e = StructurePalette
-  {unPalette :: KeyMap (SignpostableCell e)}
+  {unPalette :: Map K.Key (SignpostableCell e)}
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
 instance (FromJSONE e a) => FromJSONE e (StructurePalette a) where
   parseJSONE =
     withObjectE "palette" $
-      fmap StructurePalette . mapM parseJSONE
+      fmap (StructurePalette . KM.toMap) . mapM parseJSONE
 
 -- | Supplements a cell with waypoint information
 data SignpostableCell c = SignpostableCell
diff --git a/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/Structure.hs b/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/Structure.hs
index 63ffb447a..eaf010c2c 100644
--- a/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/Structure.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-topography/Swarm/Game/Scenario/Topography/Structure.hs
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ paintMap maskChar pal g = do
   let usedChars = Set.fromList $ map T.singleton $ allMembers g
       unusedChars =
         filter (`Set.notMember` usedChars)
+          . map Key.toText
           . M.keys
-          . KeyMap.toMapText
           $ unPalette pal
 
   unless (null unusedChars) $
@@ -158,6 +158,6 @@ paintMap maskChar pal g = do
   toCell c =
     if Just c == maskChar
       then return Nothing
-      else case KeyMap.lookup (Key.fromString [c]) (unPalette pal) of
+      else case M.lookup (Key.fromString [c]) (unPalette pal) of
         Nothing -> failT ["Char not in world palette:", showT c]
         Just cell -> return $ Just cell
diff --git a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Editor/Palette.hs b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Editor/Palette.hs
index d562d6003..3b8467d79 100644
--- a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Editor/Palette.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Editor/Palette.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ module Swarm.TUI.Editor.Palette where
 
 import Control.Lens
 import Control.Monad (guard)
+import Data.Aeson.Key qualified as K
 import Data.Aeson.KeyMap qualified as KM
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import Data.List (sortOn)
 import Data.List.NonEmpty qualified as NE
 import Data.Map (Map)
@@ -41,13 +43,13 @@ import Swarm.Util.Erasable
 
 makeSuggestedPalette ::
   TerrainMap ->
-  KM.KeyMap (AugmentedCell Entity) ->
+  Map KM.Key (AugmentedCell Entity) ->
   Grid (Maybe CellPaintDisplay) ->
-  KM.KeyMap (AugmentedCell EntityFacade)
+  Map KM.Key (AugmentedCell EntityFacade)
 makeSuggestedPalette tm originalScenarioPalette cellGrid =
-  KM.fromMapText
-    . M.map (SignpostableCell Nothing)
+  M.map (SignpostableCell Nothing)
     . M.fromList
+    . map (first K.fromText)
     . M.elems
     -- NOTE: the left-most maps take precedence!
     $ paletteCellsByKey <> pairsWithDisplays <> terrainOnlyPalette
@@ -89,19 +91,19 @@ makeSuggestedPalette tm originalScenarioPalette cellGrid =
 
   paletteCellsByKey :: Map (TerrainWith EntityName) (T.Text, CellPaintDisplay)
   paletteCellsByKey =
-    M.map (NE.head . NE.sortWith toSortVal)
+    M.map (first K.toText . NE.head . NE.sortWith toSortVal)
       . binTuples
       . invertPaletteMapToDedupe
-      $ KM.toMapText originalPalette
+      $ originalPalette
    where
     toSortVal (symbol, Cell _terrain _maybeEntity robots) = Down (null robots, symbol)
 
   excludedPaletteChars :: Set Char
   excludedPaletteChars = Set.fromList [' ']
 
-  originalPalette :: KM.KeyMap CellPaintDisplay
+  originalPalette :: Map KM.Key CellPaintDisplay
   originalPalette =
-    KM.map (toCellPaintDisplay . standardCell) originalScenarioPalette
+    M.map (toCellPaintDisplay . standardCell) originalScenarioPalette
 
   pairsWithDisplays :: Map (TerrainWith EntityName) (T.Text, CellPaintDisplay)
   pairsWithDisplays = M.fromList $ mapMaybe g entitiesWithModalTerrain