diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a9508b1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,582 @@
+/**
+ * \file qt4/CategorizedCombo.cpp
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author Lars Gullik Bjønnes
+ * \author John Levon
+ * \author Jean-Marc Lasgouttes
+ * \author Angus Leeming
+ * \author Stefan Schimanski
+ * \author Jürgen Spitzmüller
+ * \author Abdelrazak Younes
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include "CategorizedCombo.h"
+
+#include "qt_helpers.h"
+
+#include "support/debug.h"
+#include "support/gettext.h"
+#include "support/lassert.h"
+#include "support/lstrings.h"
+
+#include <QAbstractTextDocumentLayout>
+#include <QComboBox>
+#include <QHeaderView>
+#include <QItemDelegate>
+#include <QPainter>
+#include <QSortFilterProxyModel>
+#include <QStandardItemModel>
+#include <QTextFrame>
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace lyx;
+using namespace lyx::support;
+
+
+class CCItemDelegate : public QItemDelegate {
+public:
+	///
+	explicit CCItemDelegate(CategorizedCombo * cc)
+		: QItemDelegate(cc), cc_(cc)
+	{}
+	///
+	void paint(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & option,
+		QModelIndex const & index) const;
+	///
+	void drawDisplay(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+		const QRect & /*rect*/, const QString & text ) const;
+	///
+	QSize sizeHint(QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+		QModelIndex const & index) const;
+	
+private:
+	///
+	void drawCategoryHeader(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+		QString const & category) const;	
+	///
+	QString underlineFilter(QString const & s) const;
+	///
+	CategorizedCombo * cc_;
+};
+
+
+class CCFilterModel : public QSortFilterProxyModel {
+public:
+	///
+	CCFilterModel(QObject * parent = 0)
+		: QSortFilterProxyModel(parent)
+	{}
+};
+
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// CategorizedCombo::Private
+//
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+struct CategorizedCombo::Private
+{
+	Private(CategorizedCombo * parent) : p(parent),
+		// set the model with four columns
+		// 1st: translated item names
+		// 2nd: raw names
+		// 3rd: category
+		// 4th: availability (bool)
+		model_(new QStandardItemModel(0, 4, p)),
+		filterModel_(new CCFilterModel(p)),
+		lastSel_(-1),
+		CCItemDelegate_(new CCItemDelegate(parent)),
+		visibleCategories_(0), inShowPopup_(false)
+	{
+		filterModel_->setSourceModel(model_);
+	}
+
+	void resetFilter() { setFilter(QString()); }
+	///
+	void setFilter(QString const & s);
+	///
+	void countCategories();
+	///
+	CategorizedCombo * p;
+	
+	/** the layout model: 
+	 * 1st column: translated GUI name,
+	 * 2nd column: raw item name,
+	 * 3rd column: category,
+	 * 4th column: availability
+	**/
+	QStandardItemModel * model_;
+	/// the proxy model filtering \c model_
+	CCFilterModel * filterModel_;
+	/// the (model-) index of the last successful selection
+	int lastSel_;
+	/// the character filter
+	QString filter_;
+	///
+	CCItemDelegate * CCItemDelegate_;
+	///
+	unsigned visibleCategories_;
+	///
+	bool inShowPopup_;
+};
+
+
+static QString category(QAbstractItemModel const & model, int row)
+{
+	return model.data(model.index(row, 2), Qt::DisplayRole).toString();
+}
+
+
+static int headerHeight(QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt)
+{
+	return opt.fontMetrics.height();
+}
+
+
+void CCItemDelegate::paint(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & option,
+			   QModelIndex const & index) const
+{
+	QStyleOptionViewItem opt = option;
+
+	// default background
+	painter->fillRect(opt.rect, opt.palette.color(QPalette::Base));
+
+	QString cat = category(*index.model(), index.row());
+
+	// not the same as in the previous line?
+	if (index.row() == 0 || cat != category(*index.model(), index.row() - 1)) {
+		painter->save();
+
+		// draw unselected background
+		QStyle::State state = opt.state;
+		opt.state = opt.state & ~QStyle::State_Selected;
+		drawBackground(painter, opt, index);
+		opt.state = state;
+
+		// draw category header
+		drawCategoryHeader(painter, opt, 
+			category(*index.model(), index.row()));
+
+		// move rect down below header
+		opt.rect.setTop(opt.rect.top() + headerHeight(opt));
+
+		painter->restore();
+	}
+
+	QItemDelegate::paint(painter, opt, index);
+}
+
+
+void CCItemDelegate::drawDisplay(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+				 const QRect & /*rect*/, const QString & text) const
+{
+	QString utext = underlineFilter(text);
+
+	// Draw the rich text.
+	painter->save();
+	QColor col = opt.palette.text().color();
+	// grey out unavailable items
+	if (text.startsWith(qt_("Unavailable:")))
+		col = opt.palette.color(QPalette::Disabled, QPalette::Text);
+	if (opt.state & QStyle::State_Selected)
+		col = opt.palette.highlightedText().color();
+	QAbstractTextDocumentLayout::PaintContext context;
+	context.palette.setColor(QPalette::Text, col);
+
+	QTextDocument doc;
+	doc.setDefaultFont(opt.font);
+	doc.setHtml(utext);
+
+	QTextFrameFormat fmt = doc.rootFrame()->frameFormat();
+	fmt.setMargin(0);
+	doc.rootFrame()->setFrameFormat(fmt);
+
+	painter->translate(opt.rect.x() + 5,
+		opt.rect.y() + (opt.rect.height() - opt.fontMetrics.height()) / 2);
+	doc.documentLayout()->draw(painter, context);
+	painter->restore();
+}
+
+
+QSize CCItemDelegate::sizeHint(QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+			       QModelIndex const & index) const
+{
+	QSize size = QItemDelegate::sizeHint(opt, index);
+
+	/// QComboBox uses the first row height to estimate the
+	/// complete popup height during QComboBox::showPopup().
+	/// To avoid scrolling we have to sneak in space for the headers.
+	/// So we tweak this value accordingly. It's not nice, but the
+	/// only possible way it seems.
+	// Add space for the category headers here
+	QString cat = category(*index.model(), index.row());
+	if (index.row() == 0 || cat != category(*index.model(), index.row() - 1)) {
+		size.setHeight(size.height() + headerHeight(opt));
+	}
+
+	return size;
+}
+
+
+void CCItemDelegate::drawCategoryHeader(QPainter * painter, QStyleOptionViewItem const & opt,
+					QString const & category) const
+{
+	// slightly blended color
+	QColor lcol = opt.palette.text().color();
+	lcol.setAlpha(127);
+	painter->setPen(lcol);
+
+	// set 80% scaled, bold font
+	QFont font = opt.font;
+	font.setBold(true);
+	font.setWeight(QFont::Black);
+	font.setPointSize(opt.font.pointSize() * 8 / 10);
+	painter->setFont(font);
+
+	// draw the centered text
+	QFontMetrics fm(font);
+	int w = fm.width(category);
+	int x = opt.rect.x() + (opt.rect.width() - w) / 2;
+	int y = opt.rect.y() + 1.5 * fm.ascent();
+	int left = x;
+	int right = x + w;
+	painter->drawText(x, y, category);
+
+	// the vertical position of the line: middle of lower case chars
+	int ymid = y - 1 - fm.xHeight() / 2; // -1 for the baseline
+
+	// draw the horizontal line
+	if (!category.isEmpty()) {
+		painter->drawLine(opt.rect.x(), ymid, left - 1, ymid);
+		painter->drawLine(right + 1, ymid, opt.rect.right(), ymid);
+	} else
+		painter->drawLine(opt.rect.x(), ymid, opt.rect.right(), ymid);
+}
+
+
+QString CCItemDelegate::underlineFilter(QString const & s) const
+{
+	QString const & f = cc_->filter();
+	if (f.isEmpty())
+		return s;
+
+	// step through data item and put "(x)" for every matching character
+	QString r;
+	int lastp = -1;
+	cc_->filter();
+	for (int i = 0; i < f.length(); ++i) {
+		int p = s.indexOf(f[i], lastp + 1, Qt::CaseInsensitive);
+		LASSERT(p != -1, /**/);
+		if (lastp == p - 1 && lastp != -1) {
+			// remove ")" and append "x)"
+			r = r.left(r.length() - 4) + s[p] + "</u>";
+		} else {
+			// append "(x)"
+			r += s.mid(lastp + 1, p - lastp - 1);
+			r += QString("<u>") + s[p] + "</u>";
+		}
+		lastp = p;
+	}
+	r += s.mid(lastp + 1);
+	return r;
+}
+
+
+static QString charFilterRegExp(QString const & filter)
+{
+	QString re;
+	for (int i = 0; i < filter.length(); ++i) {
+		QChar c = filter[i];
+		if (c.isLower())
+			re += ".*[" + QRegExp::escape(c) + QRegExp::escape(c.toUpper()) + "]";
+		else
+			re += ".*" + QRegExp::escape(c);
+	}
+	return re;
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::Private::setFilter(QString const & s)
+{
+	bool enabled = p->view()->updatesEnabled();
+	p->view()->setUpdatesEnabled(false);
+
+	// remember old selection
+	int sel = p->currentIndex();
+	if (sel != -1)
+		lastSel_ = filterModel_->mapToSource(filterModel_->index(sel, 0)).row();
+
+	filter_ = s;
+	filterModel_->setFilterRegExp(charFilterRegExp(filter_));
+	countCategories();
+	
+	// restore old selection
+	if (lastSel_ != -1) {
+		QModelIndex i = filterModel_->mapFromSource(model_->index(lastSel_, 0));
+		if (i.isValid())
+			p->setCurrentIndex(i.row());
+	}
+	
+	// Workaround to resize to content size
+	// FIXME: There must be a better way. The QComboBox::AdjustToContents)
+	//        does not help.
+	if (p->view()->isVisible()) {
+		// call QComboBox::showPopup. But set the inShowPopup_ flag to switch on
+		// the hack in the item delegate to make space for the headers.
+		// We do not call our implementation of showPopup because that
+		// would reset the filter again. This is only needed if the user clicks
+		// on the QComboBox.
+		LASSERT(!inShowPopup_, /**/);
+		inShowPopup_ = true;
+		p->QComboBox::showPopup();
+		inShowPopup_ = false;
+	}
+	
+	p->view()->setUpdatesEnabled(enabled);
+}
+
+
+CategorizedCombo::CategorizedCombo(QWidget * parent)
+	: QComboBox(parent), d(new Private(this))
+{
+	setSizeAdjustPolicy(QComboBox::AdjustToContents);
+	setFocusPolicy(Qt::ClickFocus);
+	setMinimumWidth(sizeHint().width());
+	setMaxVisibleItems(100);
+
+	setModel(d->filterModel_);
+
+	// for the filtering we have to intercept characters
+	view()->installEventFilter(this);
+	view()->setItemDelegateForColumn(0, d->CCItemDelegate_);
+	
+	updateCombo();
+}
+
+
+CategorizedCombo::~CategorizedCombo() {
+	delete d;
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::Private::countCategories()
+{
+	int n = filterModel_->rowCount();
+	visibleCategories_ = 0;
+	if (n == 0)
+		return;
+
+	QString prevCat = model_->index(0, 2).data().toString(); 
+
+	// count categories
+	for (int i = 1; i < n; ++i) {
+		QString cat = filterModel_->index(i, 2).data().toString();
+		if (cat != prevCat)
+			++visibleCategories_;
+		prevCat = cat;
+	}
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::showPopup()
+{
+	bool enabled = view()->updatesEnabled();
+	view()->setUpdatesEnabled(false);
+
+	d->resetFilter();
+
+	// call QComboBox::showPopup. But set the inShowPopup_ flag to switch on
+	// the hack in the item delegate to make space for the headers.
+	LASSERT(!d->inShowPopup_, /**/);
+	d->inShowPopup_ = true;
+	QComboBox::showPopup();
+	d->inShowPopup_ = false;
+
+	view()->setUpdatesEnabled(enabled);
+}
+
+
+bool CategorizedCombo::eventFilter(QObject * o, QEvent * e)
+{
+	if (e->type() != QEvent::KeyPress)
+		return QComboBox::eventFilter(o, e);
+
+	QKeyEvent * ke = static_cast<QKeyEvent*>(e);
+	bool modified = (ke->modifiers() == Qt::ControlModifier)
+		|| (ke->modifiers() == Qt::AltModifier)
+		|| (ke->modifiers() == Qt::MetaModifier);
+	
+	switch (ke->key()) {
+	case Qt::Key_Escape:
+		if (!modified && !d->filter_.isEmpty()) {
+			d->resetFilter();
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	case Qt::Key_Backspace:
+		if (!modified) {
+			// cut off one character
+			d->setFilter(d->filter_.left(d->filter_.length() - 1));
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		if (modified || ke->text().isEmpty())
+			break;
+		// find chars for the filter string
+		QString s;
+		for (int i = 0; i < ke->text().length(); ++i) {
+			QChar c = ke->text()[i];
+			if (c.isLetterOrNumber()
+			    || c.isSymbol()
+			    || c.isPunct()
+			    || c.category() == QChar::Separator_Space) {
+				s += c;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!s.isEmpty()) {
+			// append new chars to the filter string
+			d->setFilter(d->filter_ + s);
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return QComboBox::eventFilter(o, e);
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::setIconSize(QSize size)
+{
+#ifdef Q_WS_MACX
+	bool small = size.height() < 20;
+	setAttribute(Qt::WA_MacSmallSize, small);
+	setAttribute(Qt::WA_MacNormalSize, !small);
+#else
+	(void)size; // suppress warning
+#endif
+}
+
+
+bool CategorizedCombo::set(QString const & item)
+{
+	d->resetFilter();
+
+	int const curItem = currentIndex();
+	QModelIndex const mindex =
+		d->filterModel_->mapToSource(d->filterModel_->index(curItem, 1));
+	QString const & currentItem = d->model_->itemFromIndex(mindex)->text();
+	if (item == currentItem) {
+		LYXERR(Debug::GUI, "Already had " << item << " selected.");
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	QList<QStandardItem *> r = d->model_->findItems(item, Qt::MatchExactly, 1);
+	if (r.empty()) {
+		LYXERR0("Trying to select non existent layout type " << item);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	setCurrentIndex(d->filterModel_->mapFromSource(r.first()->index()).row());
+	return true;
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::addItemSort(QString const & item, QString const & guiname,
+				   QString const & category, QString const & tooltip,
+				   bool sorted, bool sortedByCat, bool sortCats,
+				   bool available)
+{
+	QString titem = available ? guiname : qt_("Unavailable: %1").arg(guiname);
+	bool const uncategorized = category.isEmpty();
+	QString qcat = uncategorized ? qt_("Uncategorized") : category;
+
+	QList<QStandardItem *> row;
+	QStandardItem * gui = new QStandardItem(titem);
+	if (!tooltip.isEmpty())
+		gui->setToolTip(tooltip);
+	row.append(gui);
+	row.append(new QStandardItem(item));
+	row.append(new QStandardItem(qcat));
+	row.append(new QStandardItem(available));
+
+	// the first entry is easy
+	int const end = d->model_->rowCount();
+	if (end == 0) {
+		d->model_->appendRow(row);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// find category
+	int i = 0;
+	if (sortedByCat) {
+		while (i < end && d->model_->item(i, 2)->text() != qcat
+		       && (!sortCats || (d->model_->item(i, 2)->text().localeAwareCompare(qcat) < 0)
+			   || (uncategorized && d->model_->item(i, 2)->text() == qt_("Uncategorized"))))
+			++i;
+	}
+
+	// the simple unsorted case
+	if (!sorted) {
+		if (sortedByCat) {
+			// jump to the end of the category group
+			while (i < end && d->model_->item(i, 2)->text() == qcat)
+				++i;
+			d->model_->insertRow(i, row);
+		} else
+			d->model_->appendRow(row);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// find row to insert the item, after the separator if it exists
+	if (i < end) {
+		// find alphabetic position, unavailable at the end
+		while (i != end
+		       && ((available && d->model_->item(i, 0)->text().localeAwareCompare(titem) < 0)
+			   || ((!available && d->model_->item(i, 3))
+			       || d->model_->item(i, 0)->text().localeAwareCompare(titem) < 0))
+		       && (!sortedByCat || d->model_->item(i, 2)->text() == qcat))
+			++i;
+	}
+
+	d->model_->insertRow(i, row);
+}
+
+
+QString CategorizedCombo::getData(int row) const
+{
+	return d->model_->data(d->model_->index(row, 1), Qt::DisplayRole).toString();
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::reset()
+{
+	d->resetFilter();
+	d->model_->clear();
+}
+
+
+void CategorizedCombo::updateCombo()
+{
+	d->countCategories();
+	
+	// needed to recalculate size hint
+	hide();
+	setMinimumWidth(sizeHint().width());
+	show();
+}
+
+
+QString const & CategorizedCombo::filter() const
+{
+	return d->filter_;
+}
+
+
+#include "moc_CategorizedCombo.cpp"
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.h b/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb28db971b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/CategorizedCombo.h
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// -*- C++ -*-
+/**
+ * \file CategorizedCombo.h
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author Lars Gullik Bjønnes
+ * \author John Levon
+ * \author Jean-Marc Lasgouttes
+ * \author Angus Leeming
+ * \author Jürgen Spitzmüller
+ * \author Abdelrazak Younes
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
+ */
+
+#ifndef LYX_CATEGORIZEDCOMBO_H
+#define LYX_CATEGORIZEDCOMBO_H
+
+#include "support/strfwd.h"
+
+#include <QComboBox>
+
+
+class CCItemDelegate;
+
+/**
+ * A combo box with categorization
+ */
+class CategorizedCombo : public QComboBox
+{
+	Q_OBJECT
+public:
+	CategorizedCombo(QWidget * parent);
+	~CategorizedCombo();
+
+	/// select an item in the combobox. Returns false if item does not exist
+	bool set(QString const & cc);
+	/// Reset the combobox.
+	void reset();
+	/// Update combobox.
+	void updateCombo();
+	/// Add Item to combo according to sorting settings from preferences
+	void addItemSort(QString const & item, QString const & guiname,
+			 QString const & category, QString const & tooltip,
+			 bool sorted, bool sortedByCat, bool sortCats,
+			 bool available);
+	///
+	QString getData(int row) const;
+	///
+	void setTooltipTemplate(QString const & tooltip,
+						    QString const & unavail = QString());
+
+	///
+	void showPopup();
+	
+	///
+	bool eventFilter(QObject * o, QEvent * e);
+	///
+	QString const & filter() const;
+
+private Q_SLOTS:
+	///
+	void setIconSize(QSize size);
+
+private:
+	friend class CCItemDelegate;
+	///
+	struct Private;
+	///
+	Private * const d;
+};
+
+
+#endif // LYX_CATEGORIZEDCOMBO_H
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am b/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
index 5473e393f1..bbb2c5f285 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ SOURCEFILES = \
 	Action.cpp \
 	BulletsModule.cpp \
 	ButtonController.cpp \
+	CategorizedCombo.cpp \
 	ColorCache.cpp \
 	CustomizedWidgets.cpp \
 	EmptyTable.cpp \
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ NOMOCHEADER = \
 MOCHEADER = \
 	Action.h \
 	BulletsModule.h \
+	CategorizedCombo.h \
 	CustomizedWidgets.h \
 	EmptyTable.h \
 	FancyLineEdit.h \