diff --git a/lib/scripts/layout2layout.py b/lib/scripts/layout2layout.py
index 7d3cca7be8..611639412a 100644
--- a/lib/scripts/layout2layout.py
+++ b/lib/scripts/layout2layout.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 # This script will update a .layout file to current format
 
 # The latest layout format is also defined in src/TextClass.cpp
-currentFormat = 103
+currentFormat = 104
 
 
 # Incremented to format 4, 6 April 2007, lasgouttes
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ currentFormat = 103
 # Incremented to format 103, 27 July 2023 by rikiheck
 # Allow e.g. \roman{section} in PrettyFormat
 
+# Incremented to format 104, 28 July 2023 by rikiheck
+# RefFormat for counters and PrettyFormat for floats
+
 # Do not forget to document format change in Customization
 # Manual (section "Declaring a new text class").
 
@@ -595,7 +598,7 @@ def convert(lines, end_format):
                 i += 1
             continue
 
-        if 101 <= format <= 102:
+        if 101 <= format <= 103:
             # nothing to do.
             i += 1
             continue
diff --git a/src/Counters.cpp b/src/Counters.cpp
index 1a9c6af637..9376ef0aac 100644
--- a/src/Counters.cpp
+++ b/src/Counters.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ bool Counter::read(Lexer & lex)
 		CT_INITIALVALUE,
 		CT_GUINAME,
 		CT_LATEXNAME,
+		CT_REFFORMAT,
 		CT_END
 	};
 
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ bool Counter::read(Lexer & lex)
 		{ "labelstringappendix", CT_LABELSTRING_APPENDIX },
 		{ "latexname", CT_LATEXNAME },
 		{ "prettyformat", CT_PRETTYFORMAT },
+		{ "refformat", CT_REFFORMAT },
 		{ "within", CT_WITHIN }
 	};
 
@@ -110,6 +112,15 @@ bool Counter::read(Lexer & lex)
 				lex.next();
 				prettyformat_ = lex.getDocString();
 				break;
+			case CT_REFFORMAT: {
+				lex.next();
+				docstring const key = lex.getDocString();
+				lex.next();
+				docstring const value = lex.getDocString();
+				ref_formats_[key] = value;
+				LYXERR0("refformat: " << key << " => " << value);
+				break;
+			}
 			case CT_LABELSTRING:
 				lex.next();
 				labelstring_ = lex.getDocString();
@@ -131,11 +142,12 @@ bool Counter::read(Lexer & lex)
 				getout = true;
 				break;
 		}
-		if (prettyformat_ == "") { // fall back on GuiName if PrettyFormat is empty
-			if (guiname_ == "")
+		// fall back on GuiName if PrettyFormat is empty
+		if (prettyformat_.empty()) {
+			if (guiname_.empty())
 				prettyformat_ = from_ascii("##");
 			else
-				prettyformat_ = "## (" + guiname_ + " counter)";
+				prettyformat_ = "## (" + guiname_ + ")";
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -189,6 +201,15 @@ void Counter::reset()
 }
 
 
+docstring const & Counter::refFormat(docstring const & prefix) const
+{
+	map<docstring, docstring>::const_iterator it = ref_formats_.find(prefix);
+	if (it == ref_formats_.end())
+		return prettyformat_;
+	return it->second;
+}
+
+
 docstring const & Counter::parent() const
 {
 	return parent_;
@@ -601,6 +622,23 @@ docstring Counters::counterLabel(docstring const & format,
 }
 
 
+docstring Counters::formattedCounter(docstring const & name,
+			docstring const & prex, string const & lang) const
+{
+	CounterList::const_iterator it = counterList_.find(name);
+	if (it == counterList_.end())
+		return from_ascii("#");
+	Counter const & ctr = it->second;
+
+	docstring const value = theCounter(name, lang);
+	docstring const & format =
+		translateIfPossible(counterLabel(ctr.refFormat(prex), lang), lang);
+	if (format.empty())
+		return value;
+	return subst(format, from_ascii("##"), value);
+}
+
+
 docstring Counters::prettyCounter(docstring const & name,
 			       string const & lang) const
 {
diff --git a/src/Counters.h b/src/Counters.h
index 41ee930583..5be4aca197 100644
--- a/src/Counters.h
+++ b/src/Counters.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ public:
 	/// E.g., for a section counter it might be "section \thesection"
 	docstring const & prettyFormat() const { return prettyformat_; }
 	///
+	docstring const & refFormat(docstring const & prefix) const;
+	///
 	docstring const & guiName() const { return guiname_; }
 	///
 	docstring const & latexName() const { return latexname_; }
@@ -103,6 +105,8 @@ private:
 	/// Similar, but used for formatted references in XHTML output
 	docstring prettyformat_;
 	///
+	std::map<docstring, docstring> ref_formats_;
+	///
 	docstring guiname_;
 	/// The name used for the counter in LaTeX
 	docstring latexname_;
@@ -183,6 +187,11 @@ public:
 	/// format given by Counter::prettyFormat().
 	docstring prettyCounter(docstring const & cntr,
 			       std::string const & lang) const;
+	/// returns a formatted version of the counter, using the
+	/// format given by Counter::prettyFormat().
+	docstring formattedCounter(docstring const & cntr,
+					docstring const & prefix,
+					std::string const & lang) const;
 	///
 	docstring const & guiName(docstring const & cntr) const;
 	///
diff --git a/src/TextClass.cpp b/src/TextClass.cpp
index a9688d3b13..f6ec875167 100644
--- a/src/TextClass.cpp
+++ b/src/TextClass.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace lyx {
 // You should also run the development/tools/updatelayouts.py script,
 // to update the format of all of our layout files.
 //
-int const LAYOUT_FORMAT = 103; // rkh: allow counter specs in PrettyFormat
+int const LAYOUT_FORMAT = 104; // rkh: RefFormat for counters
 
 
 // Layout format for the current lyx file format. Controls which format is
@@ -1412,6 +1412,7 @@ bool TextClass::readFloat(Lexer & lexrc)
 		FT_ALLOWS_SIDEWAYS,
 		FT_ALLOWS_WIDE,
 		FT_REQUIRES,
+		FT_PRETTYFORMAT,
 		FT_END
 	};
 
@@ -1435,6 +1436,7 @@ bool TextClass::readFloat(Lexer & lexrc)
 		{ "listname", FT_LISTNAME },
 		{ "numberwithin", FT_WITHIN },
 		{ "placement", FT_PLACEMENT },
+		{ "prettyformat", FT_PRETTYFORMAT },
 		{ "refprefix", FT_REFPREFIX },
 		{ "requires", FT_REQUIRES },
 		{ "style", FT_STYLE },
@@ -1463,6 +1465,7 @@ bool TextClass::readFloat(Lexer & lexrc)
 	string type;
 	string within;
 	string required;
+	docstring prettyformat;
 	bool usesfloat = true;
 	bool ispredefined = false;
 	bool allowswide = true;
@@ -1566,6 +1569,10 @@ bool TextClass::readFloat(Lexer & lexrc)
 			lexrc.next();
 			htmltag = lexrc.getString();
 			break;
+		case FT_PRETTYFORMAT:
+			lexrc.next();
+			prettyformat = lexrc.getDocString();
+			break;
 		case FT_DOCBOOKATTR:
 			lexrc.next();
 			docbookattr = lexrc.getString();
@@ -1624,13 +1631,13 @@ bool TextClass::readFloat(Lexer & lexrc)
 		// each float has its own counter
 		counters_.newCounter(from_ascii(type), from_ascii(within),
 				docstring(), docstring(),
-				bformat(_("%1$s ##"), _(name)),
+				prettyformat.empty() ? bformat(_("%1$s ##"), _(name)) : prettyformat,
 				bformat(_("%1$s (Float)"), _(name)));
 		// also define sub-float counters
 		docstring const subtype = "sub-" + from_ascii(type);
 		counters_.newCounter(subtype, from_ascii(type),
 				"\\alph{" + subtype + "}", docstring(),
-				bformat(_("Sub-%1$s ##"), _(name)),
+				prettyformat.empty() ? bformat(_("Sub-%1$s ##"), _(name)) : prettyformat,
 				bformat(_("Sub-%1$s (Float)"), _(name)));
 	}
 	return getout;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/GuiRef.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/GuiRef.cpp
index fbf68247f8..6a2446a5a6 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/GuiRef.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/GuiRef.cpp
@@ -452,12 +452,10 @@ void GuiRef::redoRefs()
 	QStringList refsCategories;
 	// Do we have a prefix-less label at all?
 	bool noprefix = false;
-	vector<std::tuple<docstring, docstring,docstring>>::const_iterator iter;
-	for (auto const & ref : refs_) {
+	for (auto const & theref : refs_) {
 		// first: plain label name, second: gui name, third: pretty name
-		QString const lab = toqstr(get<0>(ref));
-		refsNames.append({lab, toqstr(get<1>(ref)),
-					toqstr(get<2>(*iter))});
+		QString const lab = toqstr(get<0>(theref));
+		refsNames.append({lab, toqstr(get<1>(theref)), toqstr(get<2>(theref))});
 		if (groupCB->isChecked()) {
 			if (lab.contains(":")) {
 				QString const pref = lab.split(':')[0];
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
index 1f0a0459ac..1ca8ea08ae 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
@@ -193,15 +193,24 @@ void InsetLabel::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType, bool const /*d
 		if (active_counter_ != from_ascii("equation")) {
 			counter_value_ = cnts.theCounter(active_counter_, lang->code());
 			pretty_counter_ = cnts.prettyCounter(active_counter_, lang->code());
+			docstring prex;
+			split(label, prex, ':');
+			if (prex == label) {
+				// No prefix found
+				formatted_counter_ = pretty_counter_;
+			} else
+				formatted_counter_ = cnts.formattedCounter(active_counter_, prex, lang->code());
 		} else {
 			// For equations, the counter value and pretty counter
 			// value will be set by the parent InsetMathHull.
 			counter_value_ = from_ascii("#");
 			pretty_counter_ = from_ascii("");
+			formatted_counter_ = from_ascii("");
 		}
 	} else {
 		counter_value_ = from_ascii("#");
 		pretty_counter_ = from_ascii("#");
+		formatted_counter_ = from_ascii("#");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -215,10 +224,10 @@ void InsetLabel::addToToc(DocIterator const & cpit, bool output_active,
 	if (buffer().insetLabel(label, true) != this)
 		output_active = false;
 
-	// We put both  active and inactive labels to the outliner
+	// We put both active and inactive labels to the outliner
 	shared_ptr<Toc> toc = backend.toc("label");
 	TocItem toc_item = TocItem(cpit, 0, screen_label_, output_active);
-	toc_item.prettyStr(pretty_counter_);
+	toc_item.prettyStr(formatted_counter_);
 	toc->push_back(toc_item);
 	// The refs get assigned only to the active label. If no active one exists,
 	// assign the (BROKEN) refs to the first inactive one.
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLabel.h b/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
index 5cd4a88ddc..886b9c6d8a 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public:
 	///
 	docstring const & prettyCounter() const { return pretty_counter_; }
 	///
+	docstring const & formattedCounter() const { return formatted_counter_; }
+	///
 	void setPrettyCounter(docstring pc) { pretty_counter_ = pc; }
 	///
 	int rowFlags() const override { return CanBreakBefore | CanBreakAfter; }
@@ -109,6 +111,8 @@ private:
 	docstring counter_value_;
 	///
 	docstring pretty_counter_;
+	///
+	docstring formatted_counter_;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetRef.cpp b/src/insets/InsetRef.cpp
index 4473bd7ad6..7c7a7a57e1 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetRef.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetRef.cpp
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ docstring InsetRef::xhtml(XMLStream & xs, OutputParams const & op) const
 		else if (cmd == "eqref")
 			display_string = '(' + value + ')';
 		else if (cmd == "formatted") {
-			display_string = il->prettyCounter();
+			display_string = il->formattedCounter();
 			if (buffer().params().use_refstyle && getParam("caps") == "true")
 				capitalize(display_string);
 			// it is hard to see what to do about plurals...