diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.cpp b/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.cpp
index be175287e3..ae687bb678 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.cpp
@@ -71,8 +71,16 @@ void InsetMathExInt::draw(PainterInfo &, int, int) const
 }
 
 
+bool InsetMathExInt::isExIntOperator(docstring const & name)
+{
+	std::string const & sname = to_utf8(name);
+	return sname == "sum" || sname == "prod";
+}
+
+
 void InsetMathExInt::maple(MapleStream & os) const
 {
+	// FIXME Products and the like may need special treatment.
 	os << symbol_ << '(';
 	if (cell(0).size())
 		os << cell(0);
@@ -87,6 +95,7 @@ void InsetMathExInt::maple(MapleStream & os) const
 
 void InsetMathExInt::maxima(MaximaStream & os) const
 {
+	// FIXME Products and the like may need special treatment.
 	if (symbol_ == "int")
 		os << "integrate(";
 	else
@@ -102,8 +111,10 @@ void InsetMathExInt::maxima(MaximaStream & os) const
 		os << cell(1) << ')';
 }
 
+
 void InsetMathExInt::mathematica(MathematicaStream & os) const
 {
+	// FIXME Products and the like may need special treatment.
 	if (symbol_ == "int")
 		os << "Integrate[";
 	else if (symbol_ == "sum")
@@ -125,7 +136,7 @@ void InsetMathExInt::mathematica(MathematicaStream & os) const
 void InsetMathExInt::mathmlize(MathStream & os) const
 {
 	InsetMathSymbol sym(symbol_);
-	if (symbol_ == "sum") {
+	if (isExIntOperator(symbol_)) {
 		bool const lower = !cell(1).empty();
 		bool const upper = !cell(3).empty();
 		if (lower && upper)
@@ -189,5 +200,4 @@ void InsetMathExInt::write(WriteStream &) const
 	LYXERR0("should not happen");
 }
 
-
 } // namespace lyx
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.h b/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.h
index ced825b890..c2bc39e8a1 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.h
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathExInt.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 // or \sum, \prod...  for interfacing external programs
 
 #include "InsetMathNest.h"
-
+#include "support/strfwd.h"
 
 namespace lyx {
 
@@ -57,11 +57,13 @@ public:
 	void write(WriteStream & os) const;
 	///
 	InsetCode lyxCode() const { return MATH_EXINT_CODE; }
+	/// is this a sum, product, or whatever that we can handle?
+	/// note that this does not include integrals.
+	static bool isExIntOperator(docstring const &);
 private:
 	virtual Inset * clone() const;
 	///
 	bool hasScripts() const;
-
 	///
 	docstring symbol_;
 };
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathExtern.cpp b/src/mathed/MathExtern.cpp
index 0dd9ecd230..3d85c02a89 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathExtern.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathExtern.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ typedef bool TestItemFunc(MathAtom const &);
 typedef MathAtom ReplaceArgumentFunc(const MathData & ar);
 
 
-
 // try to extract a super/subscript
 // modify iterator position to point behind the thing
 bool extractScript(MathData & ar,
@@ -356,7 +355,7 @@ void splitScripts(MathData & ar)
 			// leave alone sums and integrals
 			InsetMathSymbol const * sym =
 				script->nuc().front()->asSymbolInset();
-			if (sym && (sym->name() == "sum" || sym->name() == "int"))
+			if (sym && (InsetMathExInt::isExIntOperator(sym->name()) || sym->name() == "int"))
 				continue;
 		}
 
@@ -705,25 +704,29 @@ bool testEqualSign(MathAtom const & at)
 }
 
 
-bool testSumSymbol(MathAtom const & p)
+bool testSumLikeSymbol(MathAtom const & p)
 {
-	return testSymbol(p, from_ascii("sum"));
+	return InsetMathExInt::isExIntOperator(p->name());
 }
 
 
-bool testSum(MathAtom const & at)
+docstring testSumLike(MathAtom const & at)
 {
-	return
-	 testSumSymbol(at) ||
-		( at->asScriptInset()
+	if (testSumLikeSymbol(at))
+		return at->name();
+	if ( at->asScriptInset()
 		  && at->asScriptInset()->nuc().size()
-			&& testSumSymbol(at->asScriptInset()->nuc().back()) );
+			&& testSumLikeSymbol(at->asScriptInset()->nuc().back()) )
+		return at->asScriptInset()->nuc().back()->name();
+	return docstring();
 }
 
 
 // replace '\sum' ['_^'] f(x) sequences by a real InsetMathExInt
+// and similar things, like \prod. The things we extract are 
+// determined by InsetMathExInt::isExIntOperator().
 // assume 'extractDelims' ran before
-void extractSums(MathData & ar)
+void extractSumLike(MathData & ar)
 {
 	// we need at least two items...
 	if (ar.size() < 2)
@@ -736,11 +739,12 @@ void extractSums(MathData & ar)
 		MathData::iterator it = ar.begin() + i;
 
 		// is this a sum name?
-		if (!testSum(ar[i]))
+		docstring const opname = testSumLike(ar[i]);
+		if (opname.empty())
 			continue;
 
 		// create a proper inset as replacement
-		auto_ptr<InsetMathExInt> p(new InsetMathExInt(buf, from_ascii("sum")));
+		auto_ptr<InsetMathExInt> p(new InsetMathExInt(buf, opname));
 
 		// collect lower bound and summation index
 		InsetMathScript const * sub = ar[i]->asScriptInset();
@@ -949,7 +953,7 @@ void extractStructure(MathData & ar, ExternalMath kind)
 	splitScripts(ar);
 	extractDelims(ar);
 	extractIntegrals(ar, kind);
-	extractSums(ar);
+	extractSumLike(ar);
 	extractNumbers(ar);
 	extractMatrices(ar);
 	extractFunctions(ar, kind);