diff --git a/src/FontList.cpp b/src/FontList.cpp
index a9e9b79011..5906cb4a36 100644
--- a/src/FontList.cpp
+++ b/src/FontList.cpp
@@ -211,4 +211,20 @@ Font_size FontList::highestInRange
 	return maxsize;
 }
 
+
+bool FontList::hasChangeInRange(pos_type pos, int len) const
+{
+	// FIXME: can't we use fontIterator(pos) instead?
+	const_iterator cit = list_.begin();
+	const_iterator end = list_.end();
+	for (; cit != end; ++cit) {
+		if (cit->pos() >= pos)
+			break;
+	}
+	if (cit != end && pos + len - 1 > cit->pos())
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 } // namespace lyx
diff --git a/src/FontList.h b/src/FontList.h
index 57d6d72950..e99c4a9fa5 100644
--- a/src/FontList.h
+++ b/src/FontList.h
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ public:
 		Font_size def_size
 		) const;
 
+	/// is there a font change in middle of the word?
+	bool hasChangeInRange(
+		pos_type pos, ///< position in the paragraph.
+		int len ///< length of the range to check.
+		) const;
+
 private:
 	///
 	List list_;
diff --git a/src/Paragraph.cpp b/src/Paragraph.cpp
index ce0466f017..a324d80989 100644
--- a/src/Paragraph.cpp
+++ b/src/Paragraph.cpp
@@ -600,17 +600,7 @@ bool Paragraph::Private::isTextAt(string const & str, pos_type pos) const
 			return false;
 	}
 
-	// is there a font change in middle of the word?
-	FontList::const_iterator cit = fontlist_.begin();
-	FontList::const_iterator end = fontlist_.end();
-	for (; cit != end; ++cit) {
-		if (cit->pos() >= pos)
-			break;
-	}
-	if (cit != end && pos + len - 1 > cit->pos())
-		return false;
-
-	return true;
+	return fontlist_.hasChangeInRange(pos, len);
 }