diff --git a/src/Buffer.cpp b/src/Buffer.cpp
index 40e24b16d7..6115a40762 100644
--- a/src/Buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/Buffer.cpp
@@ -1707,15 +1707,13 @@ void Buffer::updateBibfilesCache(UpdateScope scope) const
 	d->bibfiles_cache_.clear();
 	for (InsetIterator it = inset_iterator_begin(inset()); it; ++it) {
 		if (it->lyxCode() == BIBTEX_CODE) {
-			InsetBibtex const & inset =
-				static_cast<InsetBibtex const &>(*it);
+			InsetBibtex const & inset = static_cast<InsetBibtex const &>(*it);
 			support::FileNameList const bibfiles = inset.getBibFiles();
 			d->bibfiles_cache_.insert(d->bibfiles_cache_.end(),
 				bibfiles.begin(),
 				bibfiles.end());
 		} else if (it->lyxCode() == INCLUDE_CODE) {
-			InsetInclude & inset =
-				static_cast<InsetInclude &>(*it);
+			InsetInclude & inset = static_cast<InsetInclude &>(*it);
 			Buffer const * const incbuf = inset.getChildBuffer();
 			if (!incbuf)
 				continue;
@@ -2762,20 +2760,16 @@ void Buffer::Impl::updateMacros(DocIterator & it, DocIterator & scope)
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (doing_export && iit->inset->asInsetMath()) {
-				InsetMath * im = static_cast<InsetMath *>(iit->inset);
-				if (im->asHullInset()) {
-					InsetMathHull * hull = static_cast<InsetMathHull *>(im);
-					hull->recordLocation(it);
-				}
-			}
+			InsetMath * im = iit->inset->asInsetMath();
+			if (doing_export && im)
+				im->asHullInset()->recordLocation(it);
 
 			if (iit->inset->lyxCode() != MATHMACRO_CODE)
 				continue;
 
 			// get macro data
 			MathMacroTemplate & macroTemplate =
-				static_cast<MathMacroTemplate &>(*iit->inset);
+				*iit->inset->asInsetMath()->asMacroTemplate();
 			MacroContext mc(owner_, it);
 			macroTemplate.updateToContext(mc);
 
@@ -2999,10 +2993,12 @@ void Buffer::changeRefsIfUnique(docstring const & from, docstring const & to,
 
 	for (InsetIterator it = inset_iterator_begin(inset()); it; ++it) {
 		if (it->lyxCode() == code) {
-			InsetCommand & inset = static_cast<InsetCommand &>(*it);
-			docstring const oldValue = inset.getParam(paramName);
+			InsetCommand * inset = it->asInsetCommand();
+			if (!inset)
+				continue;
+			docstring const oldValue = inset->getParam(paramName);
 			if (oldValue == from)
-				inset.setParam(paramName, to);
+				inset->setParam(paramName, to);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/BufferView.cpp b/src/BufferView.cpp
index 338a55aa5c..4c57dfd479 100644
--- a/src/BufferView.cpp
+++ b/src/BufferView.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ bool findNextInset(DocIterator & dit, vector<InsetCode> const & codes,
 		if (inset
 		    && std::find(codes.begin(), codes.end(), inset->lyxCode()) != codes.end()
 		    && (contents.empty() ||
+			//FIXME: This static_cast seems very dangerous. Does this
+			// mean that if contents is not empty, we must only be
+			// looking for InsetCommand's ??
 		    static_cast<InsetCommand const *>(inset)->getFirstNonOptParam() == contents)) {
 			dit = tmpdit;
 			return true;
@@ -146,6 +149,9 @@ bool findInset(DocIterator & dit, vector<InsetCode> const & codes,
 		Inset const * inset = tmpdit.nextInset();
 		if (inset
 		    && std::find(codes.begin(), codes.end(), inset->lyxCode()) != codes.end()) {
+			//FIXME: This static_cast seems very dangerous. Does this
+			// mean that if contents is not empty, we must only be
+			// looking for InsetCommand's ??
 			contents = static_cast<InsetCommand const *>(inset)->getFirstNonOptParam();
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/Cursor.cpp b/src/Cursor.cpp
index 45745798da..f6d10cbc97 100644
--- a/src/Cursor.cpp
+++ b/src/Cursor.cpp
@@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ void Cursor::insert(Inset * inset0)
 {
 	LASSERT(inset0, /**/);
 	if (inMathed())
-		insert(MathAtom(inset0));
+		insert(MathAtom(inset0->asInsetMath()));
 	else {
 		text()->insertInset(*this, inset0);
 		inset0->setBuffer(bv_->buffer());
diff --git a/src/CutAndPaste.cpp b/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
index 3e8661c5fe..364e1e9d03 100644
--- a/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
+++ b/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ pasteSelectionHelper(Cursor & cur, ParagraphList const & parlist,
 
 		case MATH_HULL_CODE: {
 			// check for equation labels and resolve duplicates
-			InsetMathHull & ins = static_cast<InsetMathHull &>(*it);
-			std::vector<InsetLabel *> labels = ins.getLabels();
+			InsetMathHull * ins = it->asInsetMath()->asHullInset();
+			std::vector<InsetLabel *> labels = ins->getLabels();
 			for (size_t i = 0; i != labels.size(); ++i) {
 				if (!labels[i])
 					continue;
@@ -251,19 +251,17 @@ pasteSelectionHelper(Cursor & cur, ParagraphList const & parlist,
 				for (InsetIterator itt = inset_iterator_begin(in);
 				      itt != i_end; ++itt) {
 					if (itt->lyxCode() == REF_CODE) {
-						InsetCommand & ref =
-							static_cast<InsetCommand &>(*itt);
-						if (ref.getParam("reference") == oldname)
-							ref.setParam("reference", newname);
+						InsetCommand * ref = itt->asInsetCommand();
+						if (ref->getParam("reference") == oldname)
+							ref->setParam("reference", newname);
 					} else if (itt->lyxCode() == MATH_REF_CODE) {
-						InsetMathHull & mi =
-							static_cast<InsetMathHull &>(*itt);
+						InsetMathHull * mi = itt->asInsetMath()->asHullInset();
 						// this is necessary to prevent an uninitialized
 						// buffer when the RefInset is in a MathBox.
 						// FIXME audit setBuffer calls
-						mi.setBuffer(const_cast<Buffer &>(buffer));
-						if (mi.asRefInset()->getTarget() == oldname)
-							mi.asRefInset()->changeTarget(newname);
+						mi->setBuffer(const_cast<Buffer &>(buffer));
+						if (mi->asRefInset()->getTarget() == oldname)
+							mi->asRefInset()->changeTarget(newname);
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -322,10 +320,9 @@ pasteSelectionHelper(Cursor & cur, ParagraphList const & parlist,
 			for (InsetIterator itt = inset_iterator_begin(in);
 			     itt != i_end; ++itt) {
 				if (itt->lyxCode() == CITE_CODE) {
-					InsetCommand & ref =
-						static_cast<InsetCommand &>(*itt);
-					if (ref.getParam("key") == oldkey)
-						ref.setParam("key", newkey);
+					InsetCommand * ref = itt->asInsetCommand();
+					if (ref->getParam("key") == oldkey)
+						ref->setParam("key", newkey);
 				}
 			}
 			break;
diff --git a/src/DocIterator.cpp b/src/DocIterator.cpp
index c0df50b446..2c244ae2e1 100644
--- a/src/DocIterator.cpp
+++ b/src/DocIterator.cpp
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ Inset * DocIterator::realInset() const
 	LASSERT(inTexted(), /**/);
 	// if we are in a tabular, we need the cell
 	if (inset().lyxCode() == TABULAR_CODE) {
-		InsetTabular & tabular = static_cast<InsetTabular&>(inset());
-		return tabular.cell(idx()).get();
+		InsetTabular * tabular = inset().asInsetTabular();
+		return tabular->cell(idx()).get();
 	}
 	return &inset();
 }
diff --git a/src/Paragraph.cpp b/src/Paragraph.cpp
index d96ddaeefe..1e90a95cb1 100644
--- a/src/Paragraph.cpp
+++ b/src/Paragraph.cpp
@@ -3096,8 +3096,8 @@ int Paragraph::checkBiblio(Buffer const & buffer)
 	InsetList::iterator end = d->insetlist_.end();
 	for (; it != end; ++it)
 		if (it->inset->lyxCode() == BIBITEM_CODE
-		    && it->pos > 0) {
-			InsetBibitem * olditem = static_cast<InsetBibitem *>(it->inset);
+		      && it->pos > 0) {
+			InsetCommand * olditem = it->inset->asInsetCommand();
 			oldkey = olditem->getParam("key");
 			oldlabel = olditem->getParam("label");
 			erasedInsetPosition = it->pos;
@@ -3113,8 +3113,7 @@ int Paragraph::checkBiblio(Buffer const & buffer)
 	// There was an InsetBibitem at the beginning and we did have to
 	// erase one. So we give its properties to the beginning inset.
 	if (hasbibitem) {
-		InsetBibitem * inset =
-			static_cast<InsetBibitem *>(d->insetlist_.begin()->inset);
+		InsetCommand * inset = d->insetlist_.begin()->inset->asInsetCommand();
 		if (!oldkey.empty())
 			inset->setParam("key", oldkey);
 		inset->setParam("label", oldlabel);
@@ -3129,7 +3128,7 @@ int Paragraph::checkBiblio(Buffer const & buffer)
 	if (!oldkey.empty())
 		inset->setParam("key", oldkey);
 	inset->setParam("label", oldlabel);
-	insertInset(0, static_cast<Inset *>(inset),
+	insertInset(0, inset,
 		    Change(track_changes ? Change::INSERTED : Change::UNCHANGED));
 
 	return 1;
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
index 5217dffd1a..ce97f3a84c 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
@@ -86,12 +86,10 @@ void InsetLabel::updateCommand(docstring const & new_label, bool updaterefs)
 		for (; it != end; ++it) {
 			buffer().undo().recordUndo(it->second);
 			if (it->first->lyxCode() == MATH_REF_CODE) {
-				InsetMathHull * mi =
-					static_cast<InsetMathHull *>(it->first);
+				InsetMathHull * mi = it->first->asInsetMath()->asHullInset();
 				mi->asRefInset()->changeTarget(label);
 			} else {
-				InsetCommand * ref =
-					static_cast<InsetCommand *>(it->first);
+				InsetCommand * ref = it->first->asInsetCommand();
 				ref->setParam("reference", label);
 			}
 		}
@@ -160,7 +158,7 @@ void InsetLabel::addToToc(DocIterator const & cpit)
 		DocIterator const ref_pit(it->second);
 		if (it->first->lyxCode() == MATH_REF_CODE)
 			toc.push_back(TocItem(ref_pit, 1,
-				static_cast<InsetMathHull *>(it->first)->asRefInset()
+				it->first->asInsetMath()->asHullInset()->asRefInset()
 					->screenLabel()));
 		else
 			toc.push_back(TocItem(ref_pit, 1,
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathAtom.cpp b/src/mathed/MathAtom.cpp
index e8b799db53..a8483ea212 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathAtom.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathAtom.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ MathAtom::MathAtom()
 {}
 
 
-MathAtom::MathAtom(Inset * p)
-	: nucleus_(static_cast<InsetMath *>(p))
+MathAtom::MathAtom(InsetMath * p)
+	: nucleus_(p)
 {}
 
 
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathAtom.h b/src/mathed/MathAtom.h
index 3b3201db0c..b11d75da18 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathAtom.h
+++ b/src/mathed/MathAtom.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 	/// std::containers
 	MathAtom();
 	/// the "real constructor"
-	explicit MathAtom(Inset * p);
+	explicit MathAtom(InsetMath * p);
 	/// copy constructor, invokes nucleus_->clone()
 	MathAtom(MathAtom const &);
 	/// we really need to clean up