diff --git a/lib/images/closetab.xpm b/lib/images/closetab.xpm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..94e1c915df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/images/closetab.xpm
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+/* XPM */
+static char * closetab_xpm[] = {
+"16 16 71 1",
+" 	c None",
+".	c #272727",
+"+	c #2C2C2C",
+"@	c #393939",
+"#	c #3E3F3F",
+"$	c #3F3F3F",
+"%	c #2C2C2C",
+"&	c #2D2D2D",
+"*	c #404040",
+"=	c #414141",
+"-	c #2B2B2B",
+";	c #333333",
+">	c #3E3E3E",
+",	c #444544",
+"'	c #454545",
+")	c #2D2D2D",
+"!	c #3A3A3A",
+"~	c #414141",
+"{	c #484748",
+"]	c #484848",
+"^	c #323232",
+"/	c #373737",
+"(	c #474747",
+"_	c #484848",
+":	c #2F2F2F",
+"<	c #3F3F3F",
+"[	c #424242",
+"}	c #484949",
+"|	c #494949",
+"1	c #363636",
+"2	c #494949",
+"3	c #FFFFFF",
+"4	c #4A4A4A",
+"5	c #4F4F4F",
+"6	c #505050",
+"7	c #525252",
+"8	c #3C3C3C",
+"9	c #404040",
+"0	c #4D4D4D",
+"a	c #4E4E4E",
+"b	c #414141",
+"c	c #424242",
+"d	c #5A5A5A",
+"e	c #5D5D5D",
+"f	c #E0E0E0",
+"g	c #E2E2E2",
+"h	c #E3E3E3",
+"i	c #E5E5E5",
+"j	c #E7E7E7",
+"k	c #3E3E3E",
+"l	c #5B5B5B",
+"m	c #4B4B4B",
+"n	c #373737",
+"o	c #434343",
+"p	c #5E5E5E",
+"q	c #626262",
+"r	c #444444",
+"s	c #6A6A6A",
+"t	c #6B6B6B",
+"u	c #737373",
+"v	c #878787",
+"w	c #999999",
+"x	c #9B9B9B",
+"y	c #9C9C9C",
+"z	c #DEDEDE",
+"A	c #454545",
+"B	c #474747",
+"C	c #494949",
+"D	c #545454",
+"E	c #555555",
+"F	c #414140",
+"                ",
+"     -)::)-     ",
+"    ^n8kk8n^    ",
+"   19Ca77aC91   ",
+"  /r5ytqqty5r/  ",
+" ;b5x3iuui3x5b; ",
+" !4Eef3jj3feE4! ",
+" <5d7mg33gm7d5< ",
+" [7eplg33glpe7[ ",
+" ~6dsh3ff3hsd6~ ",
+" >0Dw3z88z3wD0> ",
+"  (acvobFovca(  ",
+"   2B9A66A9B2   ",
+"    _406604_    ",
+"     ']}|{,     ",
+"                "};
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.cpp
index a8fdc1435f..4125433958 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@
 #include <QTabBar>
 #include <QDesktopWidget>
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
+#include <QHBoxLayout>
+#include <QToolButton>
+
 
 #include <boost/bind.hpp>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
@@ -75,23 +78,55 @@ int const statusbar_timer_value = 3000;
 
 class TabWidget : public QWidget
 {
+	QHBoxLayout* hlayout;
 public:
 	QTabBar* tabbar;
+	QToolButton* closeTabButton;
+
+	void hideTabsIfNecessary()
+	{
+		if (tabbar->count() > 1) {
+			tabbar->show();
+			closeTabButton->show();
+		} else {
+			tabbar->hide();
+			closeTabButton->hide();
+		}
+	}
 
 	TabWidget(QWidget* w, bool topTabBar)
 	{
+		closeTabButton = new QToolButton(this);
+		FileName const file = support::libFileSearch("images", "closetab", "xpm");
+		if (!file.empty()) {
+			QPixmap pm(toqstr(file.absFilename()));
+			closeTabButton->setIcon(QIcon(pm));
+		} else {
+			closeTabButton->setText("Close");
+		}
+		closeTabButton->setCursor(Qt::ArrowCursor);
+		closeTabButton->setAutoRaise(true);
+		closeTabButton->setToolTip(tr("Close tab"));
+		closeTabButton->setEnabled(true);
+
 		tabbar = new QTabBar;
-		QVBoxLayout* layout = new QVBoxLayout;
+		hlayout = new QHBoxLayout;
+		QVBoxLayout* vlayout = new QVBoxLayout;
+		hlayout->addWidget(tabbar);
+		hlayout->addStretch(1);
+		hlayout->addWidget(closeTabButton);
 		if (topTabBar) {
-			layout->addWidget(tabbar);
-			layout->addWidget(w);
+			vlayout->addLayout(hlayout);
+			vlayout->addWidget(w);
 		} else {
 			tabbar->setShape(QTabBar::RoundedSouth);
-			layout->addWidget(w);
-			layout->addWidget(tabbar);
+			vlayout->addWidget(w);
+			vlayout->addLayout(hlayout);
 		}
-		layout->setMargin(0);
-		setLayout(layout);
+		vlayout->setMargin(0);
+		hlayout->setMargin(0);
+		setLayout(vlayout);
+		hideTabsIfNecessary();
 	}
 
 	void clearTabbar()
@@ -141,7 +176,6 @@ struct GuiView::GuiViewPrivate
 		QObject::connect(normalIcons, SIGNAL(triggered()), parent, SLOT(normalSizedIcons()));
 		menu->addAction(normalIcons);
 
-
 		QAction *bigIcons = new QAction(iconSizeGroup);
 		bigIcons->setText(qt_("Big-sized icons"));
 		bigIcons->setCheckable(true);
@@ -534,6 +568,8 @@ void GuiView::initTab(QWidget* workarea)
 	setCentralWidget(d.tabWidget);
 	QObject::connect(d.tabWidget->tabbar, SIGNAL(currentChanged(int)),
 			this, SLOT(currentTabChanged(int)));
+	QObject::connect(d.tabWidget->closeTabButton, SIGNAL(clicked()),
+			this, SLOT(closeCurrentTab()));
 }
 
 
@@ -571,6 +607,13 @@ void GuiView::updateTab()
 		}
 	}
 	tabbar.blockSignals(false);
+	d.tabWidget->hideTabsIfNecessary();
+}
+
+
+void GuiView::closeCurrentTab()
+{
+	dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_BUFFER_CLOSE));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.h b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.h
index 5d10faeda2..2d8d172eee 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiView.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 	/// populate a toplevel menu and all its children on demand
 	void updateMenu(QAction *);
 
-	void currentTabChanged (int index);
+	void currentTabChanged(int index);
+	void closeCurrentTab();
 
 	/// slots to change the icon size
 	void smallSizedIcons();