diff --git a/src/insets/insetbase.h b/src/insets/insetbase.h
index 448c2dab4b..885c6356a0 100644
--- a/src/insets/insetbase.h
+++ b/src/insets/insetbase.h
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public:
 	/// does this contain text that can be change track marked in DVI?
 	virtual bool canTrackChanges() const { return false; }
 	/// is this inset based on the TextInset class?
-	virtual InsetText * asTextInset() const { return 0; }
+	virtual InsetText const * asTextInset() const { return 0; }
 	/// return true if the inset should be removed automatically
 	virtual bool autoDelete() const;
 
diff --git a/src/insets/insettext.h b/src/insets/insettext.h
index 1e17937c45..0307dcf788 100644
--- a/src/insets/insettext.h
+++ b/src/insets/insettext.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public:
 	///
 	bool canTrackChanges() const { return true; }
 	///
-	InsetText * asTextInset() const { return const_cast<InsetText *>(this); }
+	InsetText const * asTextInset() const { return this; }
 	///
 	int latex(Buffer const &, std::ostream &,
 		  OutputParams const &) const;
diff --git a/src/rowpainter.C b/src/rowpainter.C
index b387a83ac3..77a1ebd7b5 100644
--- a/src/rowpainter.C
+++ b/src/rowpainter.C
@@ -164,10 +164,10 @@ void RowPainter::paintInset(pos_type const pos, LyXFont const & font)
 	pi.ltr_pos = (text_.bidi.level(pos) % 2 == 0);
 	pi.erased_ = erased_ || isDeletedText(par_, pos);
 	theCoords.insets().add(inset, int(x_), yo_);
-	InsetBase * in = const_cast<InsetBase *>(inset);
+	InsetText const * const in = inset->asTextInset();
 	// non-wide insets are painted completely. Recursive
 	bool tmp = bv_.repaintAll();
-	if (!in->asTextInset() || !static_cast<InsetText*>(in)->Wide()) {
+	if (!in || !in->Wide()) {
 		bv_.repaintAll(true);
 		lyxerr[Debug::PAINTING] << endl << "Paint inset fully" << endl;
 	}
@@ -812,12 +812,12 @@ void paintPar
 
 		// If this is the only object on the row, we can make it wide
 		for (pos_type i = rit->pos() ; i != rit->endpos(); ++i) {
-			InsetBase* in 
-			    = const_cast<InsetBase*>(par.getInset(i));
-			if (in && in->asTextInset()) {
-				static_cast<InsetText*>(in)->Wide()
-				    = in_inset_alone_on_row  &&
-					static_cast<InsetText*>(in)->Tall();
+			InsetBase const * const in = par.getInset(i);
+			if (in) {
+				InsetText const * const t = in->asTextInset();
+				if (t)
+					t->Wide() = in_inset_alone_on_row &&
+					            t->Tall();
 			}
 		}