diff --git a/src/mathed/MathData.cpp b/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
index 75562ba87d..e4a8f49e08 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
@@ -402,9 +402,9 @@ void MathData::updateMacros(Cursor * cur, MacroContext const & mc)
 
 		// arity changed or other reason to detach?
 		if (oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_NORMAL
-				&& (macroInset->arity() != macroNumArgs
-						|| macroInset->optionals() != macroOptionals
-						|| newDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_UNFOLDED)) {
+		    && (macroInset->arity() != macroNumArgs
+			|| macroInset->optionals() != macroOptionals
+			|| newDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_UNFOLDED)) {
 
 			detachMacroParameters(cur, i);
 		}
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ void MathData::updateMacros(Cursor * cur, MacroContext const & mc)
 
 		// Cursor in \label?
 		if (newDisplayMode != MathMacro::DISPLAY_UNFOLDED 
-				&& oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_UNFOLDED) {
+		    && oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_UNFOLDED) {
 			// put cursor in front of macro
 			if (cur) {
 				int macroSlice = cur->find(macroInset);
@@ -424,17 +424,18 @@ void MathData::updateMacros(Cursor * cur, MacroContext const & mc)
 		}
 
 		// update the display mode
+		size_t appetite = macroInset->appetite();
 		macroInset->setDisplayMode(newDisplayMode);
 
 		// arity changed?
 		if (newDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_NORMAL 
-				&& (macroInset->arity() != macroNumArgs
-						|| macroInset->optionals() != macroOptionals)) {
+		    && (macroInset->arity() != macroNumArgs
+			|| macroInset->optionals() != macroOptionals)) {
 			// is it a virgin macro which was never attached to parameters?
 			bool fromInitToNormalMode
 			= (oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_INIT 
-				 || oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_INTERACTIVE_INIT)
-				&& newDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_NORMAL;
+			   || oldDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_INTERACTIVE_INIT)
+			  && newDisplayMode == MathMacro::DISPLAY_NORMAL;
 			
 			// if the macro was entered interactively (i.e. not by paste or during
 			// loading), it should not be greedy, but the cursor should
@@ -443,7 +444,7 @@ void MathData::updateMacros(Cursor * cur, MacroContext const & mc)
 			
 			// attach parameters
 			attachMacroParameters(cur, i, macroNumArgs, macroOptionals,
-				fromInitToNormalMode, interactive);
+				fromInitToNormalMode, interactive, appetite);
 			
 			if (cur) {
 				// FIXME: proper anchor handling, this removes the selection
@@ -593,7 +594,7 @@ void MathData::detachMacroParameters(Cursor * cur, const size_type macroPos)
 void MathData::attachMacroParameters(Cursor * cur, 
 	const size_type macroPos, const size_type macroNumArgs,
 	const int macroOptionals, const bool fromInitToNormalMode,
-	const bool interactiveInit)
+	const bool interactiveInit, const size_t appetite)
 {
 	MathMacro * macroInset = operator[](macroPos).nucleus()->asMacro();
 
@@ -615,9 +616,9 @@ void MathData::attachMacroParameters(Cursor * cur,
 	if (!interactiveInit) {
 		collectOptionalParameters(cur, macroOptionals, detachedArgs, p,
 			scriptToPutAround, macroPos, thisPos, thisSlice);
-		collectParameters(cur, macroNumArgs, detachedArgs, p,
-			scriptToPutAround, macroPos, thisPos, thisSlice);
 	}
+	collectParameters(cur, macroNumArgs, detachedArgs, p,
+		scriptToPutAround, macroPos, thisPos, thisSlice, appetite);
 		
 	// attach arguments back to macro inset
 	macroInset->attachArguments(detachedArgs, macroNumArgs, macroOptionals);
@@ -743,10 +744,14 @@ void MathData::collectOptionalParameters(Cursor * cur,
 void MathData::collectParameters(Cursor * cur, 
 	const size_type numParams, vector<MathData> & params, 
 	size_t & pos, MathAtom & scriptToPutAround,
-	const pos_type macroPos, const int thisPos, const int thisSlice) 
+	const pos_type macroPos, const int thisPos, const int thisSlice,
+	const size_t appetite) 
 {
+	size_t startSize = params.size();
+	
 	// insert normal arguments
 	while (params.size() < numParams
+	       && params.size() - startSize < appetite
 	       && pos < size()
 	       && !scriptToPutAround.nucleus()) {
 		MathAtom & cell = operator[](pos);
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathData.h b/src/mathed/MathData.h
index 56da42ca38..a57d674dbb 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathData.h
+++ b/src/mathed/MathData.h
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ private:
 	///
 	void attachMacroParameters(Cursor * cur, const size_type macroPos, 
 		const size_type macroNumArgs, const int macroOptionals,
-		const bool fromInitToNormalMode, const bool interactiveInit);
+		const bool fromInitToNormalMode, const bool interactiveInit,
+		const size_t appetite);
 	///
 	void collectOptionalParameters(Cursor * cur, 
 		const size_type numOptionalParams, std::vector<MathData> & params, 
@@ -187,7 +188,8 @@ private:
 	void collectParameters(Cursor * cur, 
 		const size_type numParams, std::vector<MathData> & params, 
 		size_t & pos, MathAtom & scriptToPutAround,
-		const pos_type macroPos, const int thisPos, const int thisSlice);
+		const pos_type macroPos, const int thisPos, const int thisSlice,
+		const size_t appetite);
 };
 
 ///
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp b/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
index 96e75ae414..37c393e010 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ private:
 MathMacro::MathMacro(docstring const & name)
 	: InsetMathNest(0), name_(name), displayMode_(DISPLAY_INIT),
 		attachedArgsNum_(0), optionals_(0), nextFoldMode_(true),
-		macro_(0), needsUpdate_(false)
+		macro_(0), needsUpdate_(false), appetite_(9)
 {}
 
 
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ void MathMacro::drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 }
 
 
-void MathMacro::setDisplayMode(MathMacro::DisplayMode mode)
+void MathMacro::setDisplayMode(MathMacro::DisplayMode mode, int appetite)
 {
 	if (displayMode_ != mode) {		
 		// transfer name if changing from or to DISPLAY_UNFOLDED
@@ -464,6 +464,12 @@ void MathMacro::setDisplayMode(MathMacro::DisplayMode mode)
 		displayMode_ = mode;
 		needsUpdate_ = true;
 	}
+	
+	// the interactive init mode is non-greedy by default
+	if (appetite == -1)
+		appetite_ = (mode == DISPLAY_INTERACTIVE_INIT) ? 0 : 9;
+	else
+		appetite_ = size_t(appetite);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathMacro.h b/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
index dae4d8099c..f78aee1ba7 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
+++ b/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
@@ -118,14 +118,16 @@ public:
 		if (n <= int(nargs()))
 			optionals_ = n;
 	}
-	
+	/// Return the maximal number of arguments the macro is greedy for.
+	size_t appetite() const { return appetite_; }
+
 protected:
 	friend class MathData;
 	friend class ArgumentProxy;
 	friend class Cursor;
 
 	/// update the display mode (should only be called after detaching arguments)
-	void setDisplayMode(DisplayMode mode);
+	void setDisplayMode(DisplayMode mode, int appetite = -1);
 	/// compute the next display mode
 	DisplayMode computeDisplayMode() const;
 	/// update macro definition
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ protected:
 	MacroData const * macro() { return macro_; }
 	///
 	bool editMetrics(BufferView const * bv) const;
-	
+
 private:
 	///
 	virtual Inset * clone() const;
@@ -175,6 +177,8 @@ private:
 	std::string requires_;
 	/// update macro representation
 	bool needsUpdate_;
+	/// maximal number of arguments the macro is greedy for
+	size_t appetite_;
 
 public:
 	///