diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.C b/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.C
index 867f9f210c..84e143edcc 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.C
@@ -27,10 +27,125 @@ using std::vector;
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
+FlowLayout::FlowLayout(QWidget *parent) : QLayout(parent)
+{
+	setMargin(0);
+	setSpacing(-1);
+}
+
+
+FlowLayout::~FlowLayout()
+{
+	QLayoutItem *item;
+	while ((item = takeAt(0)))
+		delete item;
+}
+
+
+void FlowLayout::addItem(QLayoutItem *item)
+{
+	itemList.append(item);
+}
+
+
+int FlowLayout::count() const
+{
+	return itemList.size();
+}
+
+
+QLayoutItem *FlowLayout::itemAt(int index) const
+{
+	return itemList.value(index);
+}
+
+
+QLayoutItem *FlowLayout::takeAt(int index)
+{
+	if (index >= 0 && index < itemList.size())
+		return itemList.takeAt(index);
+	else
+		return 0;
+}
+
+
+Qt::Orientations FlowLayout::expandingDirections() const
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
+bool FlowLayout::hasHeightForWidth() const
+{
+	return true;
+}
+
+
+int FlowLayout::heightForWidth(int width) const
+{
+	int height = doLayout(QRect(0, 0, width, 0), true);
+	return height;
+}
+
+
+void FlowLayout::setGeometry(const QRect &rect)
+{
+	QLayout::setGeometry(rect);
+	doLayout(rect, false);
+}
+
+
+QSize FlowLayout::sizeHint() const
+{
+	int const ncols = 5;
+	int const rows = (itemList.size() - 1 )/ncols + 1;
+	int const cols = qMin(rows * itemList.size(), ncols);
+	return QSize(cols * minimumSize().width() + 1,
+		rows * minimumSize().height() + 1);
+}
+
+
+QSize FlowLayout::minimumSize() const
+{
+	QSize size;
+	int const n = itemList.size();
+    for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
+		size = size.expandedTo(itemList.at(i)->minimumSize());
+	}
+	return size;
+}
+
+
+int FlowLayout::doLayout(const QRect &rect, bool testOnly) const
+{
+	int x = rect.x();
+	int y = rect.y();
+	int lineHeight = 0;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < itemList.size(); ++i) {
+		QLayoutItem * item = itemList.at(i);
+		int nextX = x + item->sizeHint().width() + spacing();
+		if (nextX - spacing() > rect.right() && lineHeight > 0) {
+			x = rect.x();
+			y = y + lineHeight + spacing();
+	    	nextX = x + item->sizeHint().width() + spacing();
+			lineHeight = 0;
+		}
+
+		if (!testOnly)
+			item->setGeometry(QRect(QPoint(x, y), item->sizeHint()));
+
+		x = nextX;
+		lineHeight = qMax(lineHeight, item->sizeHint().height());
+	}
+	return y + lineHeight - rect.y();
+}
+
+
 IconPalette::IconPalette(QWidget * parent, char const ** entries)
 	: QWidget(parent)
 {
-	QGridLayout * layout_ = new QGridLayout(this);
+	FlowLayout * layout_ = new FlowLayout(this);
 	layout_->setSpacing(0);
 
 	int const button_size = 40;
@@ -41,9 +156,7 @@ IconPalette::IconPalette(QWidget * parent, char const ** entries)
 		p->setToolTip(toqstr(string("\\") + entries[i]));
 		connect(p, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(clicked()));
 		buttons_.push_back(make_pair(p, entries[i]));
-		// put in a grid layout with 5 cols
-		int const row = i/5;
-		layout_->addWidget(p, row, i - 5*row);
+		layout_->addWidget(p);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.h b/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.h
index 49c02dfc0b..d8f3aaa21a 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/iconpalette.h
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 #define ICONPALETTE_H
 
 #include <QWidget>
+#include <QLayout>
+#include <QRect>
+#include <QWidgetItem>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <utility>
@@ -23,6 +26,29 @@ class QPushButton;
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
+class FlowLayout : public QLayout
+{
+public:
+	FlowLayout(QWidget *parent);
+	~FlowLayout();
+
+	void addItem(QLayoutItem *item);
+	Qt::Orientations expandingDirections() const;
+	bool hasHeightForWidth() const;
+	int heightForWidth(int) const;
+	QSize minimumSize() const;
+	void setGeometry(const QRect &rect);
+	QSize sizeHint() const;
+	QLayoutItem * takeAt(int index);
+	QLayoutItem * itemAt(int index) const;
+	int count() const;
+
+private:
+	int doLayout(const QRect &rect, bool testOnly) const;
+	QList<QLayoutItem *> itemList;
+};
+
+
 /**
  * For holding an arbitrary set of icons.
  */