diff --git a/lib/languages b/lib/languages
index ab0cc7f885..0d3d574a56 100644
--- a/lib/languages
+++ b/lib/languages
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 #	RTL                <true|false>
 #	LangCode           <language_code>
 #	LangVariety        <language_variety>
+#	PreBabelPreamble
+#	  <extra latex code inserted before babel>
+#	EndPreBabelPreamble
 #	PostBabelPreamble
 #	  <extra latex code inserted after babel>
 #	EndPostBabelPreamble
@@ -250,8 +253,8 @@ Language farsi
 	RTL             true
 	LangCode        fa_IR
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  \DeclareTextSymbol{\guillemotright}{LFE}{62}
-	  \DeclareTextSymbol{\guillemotleft}{LFE}{60}
+	\DeclareTextSymbol{\guillemotright}{LFE}{62}
+	\DeclareTextSymbol{\guillemotleft}{LFE}{60}
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 End
 
@@ -269,10 +272,10 @@ Language french
 	Encoding        iso8859-15
 	LangCode        fr_FR
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  \addto\extrasfrench{%
-	       \providecommand{\og}{\leavevmode\flqq~}
-	       \providecommand{\fg}{\ifdim\lastskip>\z@\unskip\fi~\frqq}
-	  }
+	\addto\extrasfrench{%
+	   \providecommand{\og}{\leavevmode\flqq~}
+	   \providecommand{\fg}{\ifdim\lastskip>\z@\unskip\fi~\frqq}
+	}
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 End
 
@@ -530,7 +533,7 @@ Language spanish
 	Encoding        iso8859-15
 	LangCode        es_ES
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  \addto\shorthandsspanish{\spanishdeactivate{~<>}}
+	\addto\shorthandsspanish{\spanishdeactivate{~<>}}
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 End
 
@@ -540,7 +543,7 @@ Language spanish-mexico
 	Encoding        iso8859-15
 	LangCode        es_MX
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  \addto\shorthandsspanish{\spanishdeactivate{~<>.}}
+	\addto\shorthandsspanish{\spanishdeactivate{~<>.}}
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 End
 
@@ -557,7 +560,7 @@ Language thai
 	Encoding        tis620-0
 	LangCode        th_TH
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  \usepackage{thswitch}
+	\usepackage{thswitch}
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 End
 
diff --git a/src/BufferParams.cpp b/src/BufferParams.cpp
index 581673d4e3..2eca1bf2d5 100644
--- a/src/BufferParams.cpp
+++ b/src/BufferParams.cpp
@@ -1743,8 +1743,9 @@ bool BufferParams::writeLaTeX(odocstream & os, LaTeXFeatures & features,
 			|| features.isRequired("vietnamese")
 			|| features.isRequired("japanese") ) ) {
 				// FIXME UNICODE
+				lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPresettings());
 				lyxpreamble += from_utf8(babelCall(language_options.str())) + '\n';
-				lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPostsettings()) + '\n';
+				lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPostsettings());
 	}
 
 	// The optional packages;
@@ -1886,8 +1887,9 @@ bool BufferParams::writeLaTeX(odocstream & os, LaTeXFeatures & features,
 	    && !features.isRequired("vietnamese")
 	    && !features.isRequired("japanese")) {
 		// FIXME UNICODE
+		lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPresettings());
 		lyxpreamble += from_utf8(babelCall(language_options.str())) + '\n';
-		lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPostsettings()) + '\n';
+		lyxpreamble += from_utf8(features.getBabelPostsettings());
 	}
 
 	docstring const i18npreamble = features.getTClassI18nPreamble(use_babel);
diff --git a/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp b/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
index ac8a5b661c..8a40fd4b97 100644
--- a/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
+++ b/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
@@ -947,6 +947,22 @@ docstring const LaTeXFeatures::getMacros() const
 }
 
 
+string const LaTeXFeatures::getBabelPresettings() const
+{
+	ostringstream tmp;
+
+	LanguageList::const_iterator it  = UsedLanguages_.begin();
+	LanguageList::const_iterator end =  UsedLanguages_.end();
+	for (; it != end; ++it)
+		if (!(*it)->babel_presettings().empty())
+			tmp << (*it)->babel_presettings() << '\n';
+	if (!params_.language->babel_presettings().empty())
+		tmp << params_.language->babel_presettings() << '\n';
+
+	return tmp.str();
+}
+
+
 string const LaTeXFeatures::getBabelPostsettings() const
 {
 	ostringstream tmp;
diff --git a/src/LaTeXFeatures.h b/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
index dfad380279..6493f7b2fb 100644
--- a/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
+++ b/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ public:
 	std::string const getPackages() const;
 	/// The macros definitions needed by the document
 	docstring const getMacros() const;
-	///
+	/// Extra preamble code before babel is called
+	std::string const getBabelPresettings() const;
+	/// Extra preamble code after babel is called
 	std::string const getBabelPostsettings() const;
 	/// The definitions needed by the document's textclass
 	docstring const getTClassPreamble() const;
diff --git a/src/Language.cpp b/src/Language.cpp
index e4142507e4..219021557f 100644
--- a/src/Language.cpp
+++ b/src/Language.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  *
  * \author Lars Gullik Bjønnes
  * \author Jean-Marc Lasgouttes
+ * \author Jürgen Spitzmüller
  * \author Dekel Tsur
  *
  * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ bool Language::readLanguage(Lexer & lex)
 		LA_LANG_CODE,
 		LA_LANG_VARIETY,
 		LA_POSTBABELPREAMBLE,
+		LA_PREBABELPREAMBLE,
 		LA_RTL
 	};
 
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ bool Language::readLanguage(Lexer & lex)
 		{ "langcode",             LA_LANG_CODE },
 		{ "langvariety",          LA_LANG_VARIETY },
 		{ "postbabelpreamble",    LA_POSTBABELPREAMBLE },
+		{ "prebabelpreamble",     LA_PREBABELPREAMBLE },
 		{ "rtl",                  LA_RTL }
 	};
 
@@ -109,6 +112,10 @@ bool Language::readLanguage(Lexer & lex)
 			babel_postsettings_ =
 				lex.getLongString("EndPostBabelPreamble");
 			break;
+		case LA_PREBABELPREAMBLE:
+			babel_presettings_ =
+				lex.getLongString("EndPreBabelPreamble");
+			break;
 		case LA_RTL:
 			lex >> rightToLeft_;
 			break;
diff --git a/src/Language.h b/src/Language.h
index bc705b7b95..b5aa3d98f6 100644
--- a/src/Language.h
+++ b/src/Language.h
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ public:
 	///
 	std::string const & babel_postsettings() const { return babel_postsettings_; }
 	///
+	std::string const & babel_presettings() const { return babel_presettings_; }
+	///
 	bool internalFontEncoding() const { return internal_enc_; }
 	///
 	bool read(Lexer & lex);
@@ -81,6 +83,8 @@ private:
 	///
 	std::string babel_postsettings_;
 	///
+	std::string babel_presettings_;
+	///
 	bool internal_enc_;
 };