diff --git a/development/MacOSX/lyxrc.dist.in b/development/MacOSX/lyxrc.dist.in
index c67f0afa6e..0ee4aac593 100644
--- a/development/MacOSX/lyxrc.dist.in
+++ b/development/MacOSX/lyxrc.dist.in
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 \screen_font_sans "Helvetica"
 \screen_font_typewriter "Courier"
 \open_buffers_in_tabs false
+\mac_like_word_movement true
 
 #
 # COLOR SECTION ###################################
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index 64d18fa590..3f9366cb04 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ LexerKeyword lyxrcTags[] = {
 	{ "\\language_package", LyXRC::RC_LANGUAGE_PACKAGE },
 	{ "\\language_use_babel", LyXRC::RC_LANGUAGE_USE_BABEL },
 	{ "\\load_session", LyXRC::RC_LOADSESSION },
+	{ "\\mac_like_word_movement", LyXRC::RC_MAC_LIKE_WORD_MOVEMENT },
 	{ "\\macro_edit_style", LyXRC::RC_MACRO_EDIT_STYLE },
 	{ "\\make_backup", LyXRC::RC_MAKE_BACKUP },
 	{ "\\mark_foreign_language", LyXRC::RC_MARK_FOREIGN_LANGUAGE },
@@ -285,6 +286,7 @@ void LyXRC::setDefaults()
 	tex_allows_spaces = false;
 	date_insert_format = "%x";
 	cursor_follows_scrollbar = false;
+	mac_like_word_movement = false;
 	macro_edit_style = MACRO_EDIT_INLINE_BOX;
 	dialogs_iconify_with_main = false;
 	label_init_length = 3;
@@ -800,6 +802,10 @@ int LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
 			lexrc >> cursor_follows_scrollbar;
 			break;
 
+		case RC_MAC_LIKE_WORD_MOVEMENT:
+			lexrc >> mac_like_word_movement;
+			break;
+
 		case RC_MACRO_EDIT_STYLE:
 			if (lexrc.next()) {
 				switch (lexrc.getInteger()) {
@@ -1488,6 +1494,15 @@ void LyXRC::write(ostream & os, bool ignore_system_lyxrc, string const & name) c
 		}
 		if (tag != RC_LAST)
 			break;
+	case RC_MAC_LIKE_WORD_MOVEMENT:
+		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
+		    mac_like_word_movement
+		    != system_lyxrc.mac_like_word_movement) {
+			os << "\\mac_like_word_movement "
+			   << convert<string>(mac_like_word_movement) << '\n';
+		}
+		if (tag != RC_LAST)
+			break;
 	case RC_MACRO_EDIT_STYLE:
 		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
 		    macro_edit_style
@@ -2457,6 +2472,10 @@ string const LyXRC::getDescription(LyXRCTags tag)
 		str = _("LyX normally doesn't update the cursor position if you move the scrollbar. Set to true if you'd prefer to always have the cursor on screen.");
 		break;
 
+	case RC_MAC_LIKE_WORD_MOVEMENT:
+		str = _("Use the Mac OS X conventions for the word-level cursor movement");
+		break;
+
 	case RC_SHOW_MACRO_LABEL:
 		str = _("Show a small box around a Math Macro with the macro name when the cursor is inside.");
 		break;
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.h b/src/LyXRC.h
index e51c233ed9..ae9ab388c9 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.h
+++ b/src/LyXRC.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public:
 		RC_CONVERTER_CACHE_MAXAGE,
 		RC_COPIER,
 		RC_CURSOR_FOLLOWS_SCROLLBAR,
+		RC_MAC_LIKE_WORD_MOVEMENT,
 		RC_CUSTOM_EXPORT_COMMAND,
 		RC_CUSTOM_EXPORT_FORMAT,
 		RC_DATE_INSERT_FORMAT,
@@ -365,6 +366,8 @@ public:
 	///
 	std::string gui_language;
 	///
+	bool mac_like_word_movement;
+	///
 	bool cursor_follows_scrollbar;
 	///
 	enum MacroEditStyle {
diff --git a/src/Paragraph.cpp b/src/Paragraph.cpp
index 5eb3a67462..5fae6cf97e 100644
--- a/src/Paragraph.cpp
+++ b/src/Paragraph.cpp
@@ -2273,7 +2273,16 @@ bool Paragraph::isChar(pos_type pos) const
 	if (Inset const * inset = getInset(pos))
 		return inset->isChar();
 	char_type const c = d->text_[pos];
-	return !isLetterChar(c) && !isDigit(c);
+	return !isLetterChar(c) && !isDigit(c) && !lyx::isSpace(c);
+}
+
+
+bool Paragraph::isSpace(pos_type pos) const
+{
+	if (Inset const * inset = getInset(pos))
+		return inset->isSpace();
+	char_type const c = d->text_[pos];
+	return lyx::isSpace(c);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/Paragraph.h b/src/Paragraph.h
index 267fc8de60..ac95de18e8 100644
--- a/src/Paragraph.h
+++ b/src/Paragraph.h
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ public:
 	bool isLetter(pos_type pos) const;
 	/// True if the element at this point is a character that is not a letter.
 	bool isChar(pos_type pos) const;
+	/// True if the element at this point is a space
+	bool isSpace(pos_type pos) const;
 
 	/// returns true if at least one line break or line separator has been deleted
 	/// at the beginning of the paragraph (either physically or logically)
diff --git a/src/Text.cpp b/src/Text.cpp
index b655830651..44de33c46a 100644
--- a/src/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/Text.cpp
@@ -590,18 +590,37 @@ bool Text::cursorForwardOneWord(Cursor & cur)
 	Paragraph const & par = cur.paragraph();
 
 	// Paragraph boundary is a word boundary
-	if (pos == lastpos && pit != cur.lastpit())
-		return setCursor(cur, pit + 1, 0);
+	if (pos == lastpos)
+		if (pit != cur.lastpit())
+			return setCursor(cur, pit + 1, 0);
+		else
+			return false;
 
-	// Skip over either a non-char inset or a full word
-	if (pos != lastpos && !par.isLetter(pos) && !par.isChar(pos))
-		++pos;
-	else while (pos != lastpos && par.isLetter(pos))
+	if (lyxrc.mac_like_word_movement) {
+		// Skip through trailing punctuation and spaces.
+		while (pos != lastpos && par.isChar(pos))
+                        ++pos;
+
+		// Skip over either a non-char inset or a full word
+		if (pos != lastpos && !par.isLetter(pos))
+			++pos;
+		else while (pos != lastpos && par.isLetter(pos))
+			     ++pos;
+	} else {
+		LASSERT(pos < lastpos, /**/); // see above
+		if (par.isLetter(pos))
+			while (pos != lastpos && par.isLetter(pos))
+				++pos;
+		else if (par.isChar(pos))
+			while (pos != lastpos && par.isChar(pos))
+				++pos;
+		else if (!par.isSpace(pos)) // non-char inset
 			++pos;
 
-	// Skip through trailing punctuation and spaces.
-	while (pos != lastpos && par.isChar(pos))
-		++pos;
+		// Skip over white space
+		while (pos != lastpos && par.isSpace(pos))
+			     ++pos;		
+	}
 
 	return setCursor(cur, pit, pos);
 }
@@ -619,16 +638,31 @@ bool Text::cursorBackwardOneWord(Cursor & cur)
 	if (pos == 0 && pit != 0)
 		return setCursor(cur, pit - 1, getPar(pit - 1).size());
 
-	// Skip through puctuation and spaces.
-	while (pos != 0 && par.isChar(pos - 1))
-		--pos;
-
-	// Skip over either a non-char inset or a full word
-	if (pos != 0 && !par.isLetter(pos - 1) && !par.isChar(pos - 1))
-		--pos;
-	else while (pos != 0 && par.isLetter(pos - 1))
+	if (lyxrc.mac_like_word_movement) {
+		// Skip through puctuation and spaces.
+		while (pos != 0 && par.isChar(pos - 1))
 			--pos;
 
+		// Skip over either a non-char inset or a full word
+		if (pos != 0 && !par.isLetter(pos - 1) && !par.isChar(pos - 1))
+			--pos;
+		else while (pos != 0 && par.isLetter(pos - 1))
+			     --pos;
+	} else {
+		// Skip over white space
+		while (pos != 0 && par.isSpace(pos - 1))
+			     --pos;
+
+		if (pos != 0 && par.isLetter(pos - 1))
+			while (pos != 0 && par.isLetter(pos - 1))
+				--pos;
+		else if (pos != 0 && par.isChar(pos - 1))
+			while (pos != 0 && par.isChar(pos - 1))
+				--pos;
+		else if (pos != 0 && !par.isSpace(pos - 1)) // non-char inset
+			--pos;
+	}
+
 	return setCursor(cur, pit, pos);
 }