diff --git a/src/Layout.cpp b/src/Layout.cpp
index 32f565297e..7df75754ff 100644
--- a/src/Layout.cpp
+++ b/src/Layout.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ enum LayoutTags {
 	LT_HTMLLABELFIRST,
 	LT_HTMLPREAMBLE,
 	LT_HTMLSTYLE,
+	LT_HTMLFORCEDEFAULT,
 	LT_INTITLE // keep this last!
 };
 
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ Layout::Layout()
 	toclevel = NOT_IN_TOC;
 	commanddepth = 0;
 	htmllabelfirst_ = false;
+	htmlforcedefault_ = false;
 }
 
 
@@ -162,7 +164,8 @@ bool Layout::read(Lexer & lex, TextClass const & tclass)
 		{ "fill_top",       LT_FILL_TOP },
 		{ "font",           LT_FONT },
 		{ "freespacing",    LT_FREE_SPACING },
-		{	"htmlattr",       LT_HTMLATTR },
+		{ "htmlattr",       LT_HTMLATTR },
+		{ "htmlforcedefault", LT_HTMLFORCEDEFAULT },
 		{ "htmlitem",       LT_HTMLITEM },
 		{ "htmlitemattr",   LT_HTMLITEMATTR },
 		{ "htmllabel",      LT_HTMLLABEL },
@@ -514,6 +517,9 @@ bool Layout::read(Lexer & lex, TextClass const & tclass)
 			htmlstyle_ = from_utf8(lex.getLongString("EndHTMLStyle"));
 			break;
 
+		case LT_HTMLFORCEDEFAULT:
+			lex >> htmlforcedefault_;
+
 		case LT_HTMLPREAMBLE:
 			htmlpreamble_ = from_utf8(lex.getLongString("EndPreamble"));
 			break;
@@ -863,6 +869,24 @@ docstring const Layout::babelpreamble(Language const * lang) const
 }
 
 
+docstring Layout::htmlstyle() const {
+	if (!htmlstyle_.empty() && !htmlforcedefault_)
+		return htmlstyle_;
+	if (htmldefaultstyle_.empty()) 
+		makeDefaultCSS();
+	docstring retval = htmldefaultstyle_;
+	if (!htmlstyle_.empty())
+		retval += '\n' + htmlstyle_;
+	return retval;
+}
+
+
+void Layout::makeDefaultCSS() const {
+// FIXME just an empty hook for now. 
+// i'll get to this shortly.
+}
+
+
 bool Layout::operator==(Layout const & rhs) const
 {
 	// This is enough for the applications we actually make,
diff --git a/src/Layout.h b/src/Layout.h
index 28085dbd6b..b1027fdb39 100644
--- a/src/Layout.h
+++ b/src/Layout.h
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public:
 	///
 	bool htmllabelfirst() const { return htmllabelfirst_; }
 	/// 
-	docstring const & htmlstyle() const { return htmlstyle_; }
+	docstring htmlstyle() const;
 	/// 
 	docstring const & htmlpreamble() const { return htmlpreamble_; }
 	///
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ public:
 
 
 private:
+	/// generates the default CSS for this layout
+	void makeDefaultCSS() const;
+	
 	/// Name of the layout/paragraph environment
 	docstring name_;
 
@@ -315,6 +318,13 @@ private:
 	bool htmllabelfirst_;
 	/// CSS information needed by this layout.
 	docstring htmlstyle_;
+	/// Should we generate the default CSS for this layout, even if HTMLStyle
+	/// has been given? Default is false.
+	/// Note that the default CSS is output first, then the user CSS, so it is
+	/// possible to override what one does not want.
+	bool htmlforcedefault_;
+	/// A cache for the default style info so generated.
+	mutable docstring htmldefaultstyle_;
 	/// Any other info for the HTML header.
 	docstring htmlpreamble_;
 	/// This is the `category' for this layout. The following are