diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index abd7c1dd1..a10de4a17 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Features added
   to generate stub files recursively
 * #4030: autosummary: Add :confval:`autosummary_context` to add template
   variables for custom templates
+* #7530: html: Support nested <kbd> elements
 * #7481: html theme: Add right margin to footnote/citation labels
 * #7482: html theme: CSS spacing for code blocks with captions and line numbers
 * #7443: html theme: Add new options :confval:`globaltoc_collapse` and
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/html/__init__.py b/sphinx/builders/html/__init__.py
index 320c7feb6..7ad87ffa9 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/html/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/html/__init__.py
@@ -1243,6 +1243,9 @@ def setup(app: Sphinx) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     # load default math renderer
     app.setup_extension('sphinx.ext.mathjax')
 
+    # load transforms for HTML builder
+    app.setup_extension('sphinx.builders.html.transforms')
+
     return {
         'version': 'builtin',
         'parallel_read_safe': True,
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/html/transforms.py b/sphinx/builders/html/transforms.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c91da57e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sphinx/builders/html/transforms.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""
+    sphinx.builders.html.transforms
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    Transforms for HTML builder.
+
+    :copyright: Copyright 2007-2020 by the Sphinx team, see AUTHORS.
+    :license: BSD, see LICENSE for details.
+"""
+
+import re
+from typing import Any, Dict
+
+from docutils import nodes
+
+from sphinx.application import Sphinx
+from sphinx.transforms.post_transforms import SphinxPostTransform
+from sphinx.util.nodes import NodeMatcher
+
+
+class KeyboardTransform(SphinxPostTransform):
+    """Transform :kbd: role to more detailed form.
+
+    Before::
+
+        <literal class="kbd">
+            Control-x
+
+    After::
+
+        <literal class="kbd">
+            <literal class="kbd">
+                Control
+            -
+            <literal class="kbd">
+                x
+    """
+    default_priority = 400
+    builders = ('html',)
+    pattern = re.compile(r'(-|\+|\^|\s+)')
+
+    def run(self, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        matcher = NodeMatcher(nodes.literal, classes=["kbd"])
+        for node in self.document.traverse(matcher):  # type: nodes.literal
+            parts = self.pattern.split(node[-1].astext())
+            if len(parts) == 1:
+                continue
+
+            node.pop()
+            while parts:
+                key = parts.pop(0)
+                node += nodes.literal('', key, classes=["kbd"])
+
+                try:
+                    # key separator (ex. -, +, ^)
+                    sep = parts.pop(0)
+                    node += nodes.Text(sep)
+                except IndexError:
+                    pass
+
+
+def setup(app: Sphinx) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    app.add_post_transform(KeyboardTransform)
+
+    return {
+        'version': 'builtin',
+        'parallel_read_safe': True,
+        'parallel_write_safe': True,
+    }
diff --git a/tests/test_markup.py b/tests/test_markup.py
index b6d99db90..1d5c81bfa 100644
--- a/tests/test_markup.py
+++ b/tests/test_markup.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from docutils.parsers.rst import Parser as RstParser
 from docutils.transforms.universal import SmartQuotes
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
+from sphinx.builders.html.transforms import KeyboardTransform
 from sphinx.builders.latex import LaTeXBuilder
 from sphinx.roles import XRefRole
 from sphinx.testing.util import Struct, assert_node
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ class ForgivingLaTeXTranslator(LaTeXTranslator, ForgivingTranslator):
 def verify_re_html(app, parse):
     def verify(rst, html_expected):
         document = parse(rst)
+        KeyboardTransform(document).apply()
         html_translator = ForgivingHTMLTranslator(document, app.builder)
         document.walkabout(html_translator)
         html_translated = ''.join(html_translator.fragment).strip()
@@ -237,6 +239,32 @@ def get_verifier(verify, verify_re):
         '<p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">space</kbd></p>',
         '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{space}}',
     ),
+    (
+        # kbd role
+        'verify',
+        ':kbd:`Control+X`',
+        ('<p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">'
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Control</kbd>'
+         '+'
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">X</kbd>'
+         '</kbd></p>'),
+        '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{Control+X}}',
+    ),
+    (
+        # kbd role
+        'verify',
+        ':kbd:`M-x  M-s`',
+        ('<p><kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">'
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">M</kbd>'
+         '-'
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">x</kbd>'
+         '  '
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">M</kbd>'
+         '-'
+         '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">s</kbd>'
+         '</kbd></p>'),
+        '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{M\\sphinxhyphen{}x  M\\sphinxhyphen{}s}}',
+    ),
     (
         # non-interpolation of dashes in option role
         'verify_re',