diff --git a/cmd/micro/initlua.go b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
index 7eac5637..583085a0 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/initlua.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func luaImportMicroConfig() *lua.LTable {
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "OptionComplete", luar.New(ulua.L, action.OptionComplete))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "OptionValueComplete", luar.New(ulua.L, action.OptionValueComplete))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "NoComplete", luar.New(ulua.L, nil))
-	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "TryBindKey", luar.New(ulua.L, action.TryBindKey))
+	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "TryBindKey", luar.New(ulua.L, action.TryBindKeyPlug))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "Reload", luar.New(ulua.L, action.ReloadConfig))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "AddRuntimeFileFromMemory", luar.New(ulua.L, config.PluginAddRuntimeFileFromMemory))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "AddRuntimeFilesFromDirectory", luar.New(ulua.L, config.PluginAddRuntimeFilesFromDirectory))
diff --git a/internal/action/bindings.go b/internal/action/bindings.go
index 37517d9b..af187d43 100644
--- a/internal/action/bindings.go
+++ b/internal/action/bindings.go
@@ -261,9 +261,14 @@ func eventsEqual(e1 Event, e2 Event) bool {
 	return e1 == e2
 }
 
+// TryBindKeyPlug tries to bind a key for the plugin without writing to bindings.json.
+func TryBindKeyPlug(k, v string, overwrite bool) (bool, error) {
+	return TryBindKey(k, v, overwrite, false)
+}
+
 // TryBindKey tries to bind a key by writing to config.ConfigDir/bindings.json
-// Returns true if the keybinding already existed and a possible error
-func TryBindKey(k, v string, overwrite bool) (bool, error) {
+// Returns true if the keybinding already existed or is binded successfully and a possible error
+func TryBindKey(k, v string, overwrite bool, writeToFile bool) (bool, error) {
 	var e error
 	var parsed map[string]any
 
@@ -310,7 +315,12 @@ func TryBindKey(k, v string, overwrite bool) (bool, error) {
 
 		txt, _ := json.MarshalIndent(parsed, "", "    ")
 		txt = append(txt, '\n')
-		return true, writeFile(filename, txt)
+
+		if writeToFile {
+			return true, writeFile(filename, txt)
+		} else {
+			return true, nil
+		}
 	}
 	return false, e
 }
diff --git a/internal/action/command.go b/internal/action/command.go
index 7cb5e523..3828afdb 100644
--- a/internal/action/command.go
+++ b/internal/action/command.go
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ func (h *BufPane) BindCmd(args []string) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	_, err := TryBindKey(parseKeyArg(args[0]), args[1], true)
+	_, err := TryBindKey(parseKeyArg(args[0]), args[1], true, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, util.ErrOverwrite) {
 			screen.TermMessage(err)
diff --git a/runtime/help/plugins.md b/runtime/help/plugins.md
index c683804f..8ce8fe6c 100644
--- a/runtime/help/plugins.md
+++ b/runtime/help/plugins.md
@@ -174,11 +174,10 @@ The packages and their contents are listed below (in Go type signatures):
        values afterwards
     - `NoComplete`: no autocompletion suggestions
 
-    - `TryBindKey(k, v string, overwrite bool) (bool, error)`: bind the key
-       `k` to the string `v` in the `bindings.json` file.  If `overwrite` is
-       true, this will overwrite any existing binding to key `k`. Returns true
-       if the binding was made, and a possible error (for example writing to
-       `bindings.json` can cause an error).
+    - `TryBindKey(k, v string, overwrite bool) (bool, error)`:
+       bind the key `k` to the string `v`. If `overwrite` is true, this will
+       overwrite any existing binding to key `k`.
+       Returns true if the binding was made, and a possible error.
 
     - `Reload()`: reload configuration files.