diff --git a/src/CutAndPaste.cpp b/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
index 7e980ddd6a..f661b3462b 100644
--- a/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
+++ b/src/CutAndPaste.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ pasteSelectionHelper(Cursor & cur, ParagraphList const & parlist,
 			// check for duplicates
 			InsetCommand & lab = static_cast<InsetCommand &>(*it);
 			docstring const oldname = lab.getParam("name");
-			lab.update(oldname, false);
+			lab.updateCommand(oldname, false);
 			docstring const newname = lab.getParam("name");
 			if (oldname != newname) {
 				// adapt the references
@@ -240,6 +240,25 @@ pasteSelectionHelper(Cursor & cur, ParagraphList const & parlist,
 			break;
 		}
 
+		case BIBITEM_CODE: {
+			// check for duplicates
+			InsetCommand & bib = static_cast<InsetCommand &>(*it);
+			docstring const oldkey = bib.getParam("key");
+			bib.updateCommand(oldkey, false);
+			docstring const newkey = bib.getParam("key");
+			if (oldkey != newkey) {
+				// adapt the references
+				for (InsetIterator itt = inset_iterator_begin(in); itt != i_end; ++itt) {
+					if (itt->lyxCode() == CITE_CODE) {
+						InsetCommand & ref = dynamic_cast<InsetCommand &>(*itt);
+						if (ref.getParam("key") == oldkey)
+							ref.setParam("key", newkey);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			break;
+		}
+
 		default:
 			break; // nothing
 		}
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetBibitem.cpp b/src/insets/InsetBibitem.cpp
index 95a138dbe8..a05cbd45b0 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetBibitem.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetBibitem.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 
 #include "InsetBibitem.h"
 
+#include "BiblioInfo.h"
 #include "Buffer.h"
+#include "buffer_funcs.h"
 #include "BufferParams.h"
 #include "BufferView.h"
 #include "Counters.h"
@@ -25,8 +27,11 @@
 #include "ParagraphList.h"
 #include "TextClass.h"
 
+#include "frontends/alert.h"
+
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
 #include "support/docstream.h"
+#include "support/gettext.h"
 #include "support/convert.h"
 
 #include <ostream>
@@ -49,6 +54,40 @@ InsetBibitem::InsetBibitem(InsetCommandParams const & p)
 }
 
 
+void InsetBibitem::initView()
+{
+	updateCommand(getParam("key"));
+}
+
+
+void InsetBibitem::updateCommand(docstring const & new_key, bool)
+{
+	docstring const old_key = getParam("key");
+	docstring key = new_key;
+
+	BiblioInfo keys;
+	keys.fillWithBibKeys(&buffer());
+	vector<docstring> bibkeys = keys.getKeys();
+
+	int i = 1;
+
+	if (find(bibkeys.begin(), bibkeys.end(), key) != bibkeys.end()) {
+		// generate unique label
+		key = new_key + '-' + convert<docstring>(i);
+		while (find(bibkeys.begin(), bibkeys.end(), key) != bibkeys.end()) {
+			++i;
+			key = new_key + '-' + convert<docstring>(i);
+		}
+		frontend::Alert::warning(_("Keys must be unique!"),
+			bformat(_("The key %1$s already exists,\n"
+			"it will be changed to %2$s."), new_key, key));
+	}
+	setParam("key", key);
+
+	lyx::updateLabels(buffer());
+}
+
+
 ParamInfo const & InsetBibitem::findInfo(string const & /* cmdName */)
 {
 	static ParamInfo param_info_;
@@ -71,10 +110,12 @@ void InsetBibitem::doDispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 			cur.noUpdate();
 			break;
 		}
-		if (p["key"] != params()["key"])
-			cur.bv().buffer().changeRefsIfUnique(params()["key"],
-						       p["key"], CITE_CODE);
-		setParams(p);
+		docstring old_key = params()["key"];
+		setParam("label", p["label"]);
+		updateCommand(p["key"]);
+		if (params()["key"] != old_key)
+			cur.bv().buffer().changeRefsIfUnique(old_key,
+				params()["key"], CITE_CODE);
 	}
 
 	default:
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetBibitem.h b/src/insets/InsetBibitem.h
index c6e6d70841..c48bc17b68 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetBibitem.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetBibitem.h
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ class InsetBibitem : public InsetCommand {
 public:
 	///
 	InsetBibitem(InsetCommandParams const &);
+	/// verify label and update references.
+	/**
+	  * Overloaded from Inset::initView.
+	  **/
+	void initView();
 	///
 	void read(Lexer & lex);
 	///
@@ -51,6 +56,8 @@ public:
 	///
 	static bool isCompatibleCommand(std::string const & s) 
 		{ return s == "bibitem"; }
+	///
+	void updateCommand(docstring const & new_key, bool dummy = false);
 protected:
 	///
 	virtual void doDispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd);
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetCommand.h b/src/insets/InsetCommand.h
index 0228a0160c..beada3091a 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetCommand.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetCommand.h
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ public:
 	/// Whether this is a command this inset can represent.
 	/// Not implemented here. Must be implemented in derived class.
 	static bool isCompatibleCommand(std::string const & cmd);
-	/// update label and references. Currently used by InsetLabel.
-	virtual void update(docstring const &, bool) {};
+	/// update label and references.
+	virtual void updateCommand(docstring const &, bool) {};
 
 protected:
 	///
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
index 0158361ab8..96212d4b9f 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLabel.cpp
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ InsetLabel::InsetLabel(InsetCommandParams const & p)
 
 void InsetLabel::initView()
 {
-	update(getParam("name"));
+	updateCommand(getParam("name"));
 }
 
 
-void InsetLabel::update(docstring const & new_label, bool updaterefs)
+void InsetLabel::updateCommand(docstring const & new_label, bool updaterefs)
 {
 	docstring const old_label = getParam("name");
 	docstring label = new_label;
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ void InsetLabel::doDispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 			cur.noUpdate();
 			break;
 		}
-		update(p["name"]);
+		updateCommand(p["name"]);
 		break;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLabel.h b/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
index a963448909..4b2d64a751 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLabel.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public:
 	///
 	void addToToc(ParConstIterator const &) const;
 	///
-	void update(docstring const & new_label, bool updaterefs = true);
+	void updateCommand(docstring const & new_label, bool updaterefs = true);
 protected:
 	///
 	void doDispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd);