diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 1d04e2987fe..e2f125998cc 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #13929: Duplicate equation label warnings now have a new warning
   sub-type, ``ref.equation``.
   Patch by Jared Dillard.
+* #13876: Restore the ``compound`` class for groups of nodes generated
+  by the :rst:role:`kbd` role, and add the ``kbd-sep`` class to separators
+  within the group.
+  Patch by Brecht Machiels.
 
 
 Testing
diff --git a/sphinx/roles.py b/sphinx/roles.py
index cadfb5a027b..b4288fb488d 100644
--- a/sphinx/roles.py
+++ b/sphinx/roles.py
@@ -495,7 +495,8 @@ def run(self) -> tuple[list[Node], list[system_message]]:
         if len(parts) == 1 or self._is_multi_word_key(parts):
             return [nodes.literal(self.rawtext, self.text, classes=classes)], []
 
-        compound: list[Node] = []
+        compound = nodes.literal(self.rawtext, classes=classes)
+        compound['classes'].append('compound')
         while parts:
             if self._is_multi_word_key(parts):
                 key = ''.join(parts[:3])
@@ -509,9 +510,9 @@ def run(self) -> tuple[list[Node], list[system_message]]:
             except IndexError:
                 break
             else:
-                compound.append(nodes.Text(sep))
+                compound.append(nodes.inline(sep, sep, classes=['kbd-sep']))
 
-        return compound, []
+        return [compound], []
 
     @staticmethod
     def _is_multi_word_key(parts: list[str]) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/test_markup/test_markup.py b/tests/test_markup/test_markup.py
index fb4df4c400b..75c992e2305 100644
--- a/tests/test_markup/test_markup.py
+++ b/tests/test_markup/test_markup.py
@@ -341,16 +341,20 @@ def get_verifier(verify, verify_re):
             ':kbd:`Control+X`',
             (
                 '<p>'
+                '<kbd class="kbd compound docutils literal notranslate">'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Control</kbd>'
-                '+'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">+</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">X</kbd>'
+                '</kbd>'
                 '</p>'
             ),
             (
                 '\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+                '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{Control}}'
-                '+'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{+}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{X}}'
+                '}}'
             ),
         ),
         (
@@ -359,16 +363,20 @@ def get_verifier(verify, verify_re):
             ':kbd:`Alt+^`',
             (
                 '<p>'
+                '<kbd class="kbd compound docutils literal notranslate">'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">Alt</kbd>'
-                '+'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">+</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">^</kbd>'
+                '</kbd>'
                 '</p>'
             ),
             (
                 '\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+                '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{Alt}}'
-                '+'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{+}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{\\textasciicircum{}}}'
+                '}}'
             ),
         ),
         (
@@ -377,24 +385,28 @@ def get_verifier(verify, verify_re):
             ':kbd:`M-x  M-s`',
             (
                 '<p>'
+                '<kbd class="kbd compound docutils literal notranslate">'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">M</kbd>'
-                '-'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">-</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">x</kbd>'
-                '  '
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">  </span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">M</kbd>'
-                '-'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">-</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">s</kbd>'
+                '</kbd>'
                 '</p>'
             ),
             (
                 '\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+                '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{M}}'
-                '\\sphinxhyphen{}'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{\\sphinxhyphen{}}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{x}}'
-                '  '
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{  }'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{M}}'
-                '\\sphinxhyphen{}'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{\\sphinxhyphen{}}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{s}}'
+                '}}'
             ),
         ),
         (
@@ -424,20 +436,24 @@ def get_verifier(verify, verify_re):
             ':kbd:`⌘+⇧+M`',
             (
                 '<p>'
+                '<kbd class="kbd compound docutils literal notranslate">'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">⌘</kbd>'
-                '+'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">+</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">⇧</kbd>'
-                '+'
+                '<span class="kbd-sep">+</span>'
                 '<kbd class="kbd docutils literal notranslate">M</kbd>'
+                '</kbd>'
                 '</p>'
             ),
             (
                 '\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+                '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{⌘}}'
-                '+'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{+}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{⇧}}'
-                '+'
+                '\\DUrole{kbd-sep}{+}'
                 '\\sphinxkeyboard{\\sphinxupquote{M}}'
+                '}}'
             ),
         ),
         (