diff --git a/src/Text3.cpp b/src/Text3.cpp
index 2d7b15659c..11f5e4e901 100644
--- a/src/Text3.cpp
+++ b/src/Text3.cpp
@@ -1992,10 +1992,10 @@ bool Text::getStatus(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest const & cmd,
 		string s = cmd.getArg(0);
 		InsetLayout il =
 			cur.buffer().params().documentClass().insetLayout(from_utf8(s));
-		if (il.lyxtype() != "charstyle" &&
-		    il.lyxtype() != "custom" &&
-		    il.lyxtype() != "element" &&
-		    il.lyxtype ()!= "standard")
+		if (il.lyxtype() != InsetLayout::CHARSTYLE &&
+		    il.lyxtype() != InsetLayout::CUSTOM &&
+		    il.lyxtype() != InsetLayout::ELEMENT &&
+		    il.lyxtype ()!= InsetLayout::STANDARD)
 			enable = false;
 		break;
 		}
@@ -2145,9 +2145,11 @@ bool Text::getStatus(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest const & cmd,
 
 	case LFUN_INSET_DISSOLVE:
 		if (!cmd.argument().empty()) {
-			InsetLayout il = cur.inset().getLayout(cur.buffer().params());
+			InsetLayout const & il = cur.inset().getLayout(cur.buffer().params());
+			InsetLayout::InsetLyXType const type = 
+					translateLyXType(to_utf8(cmd.argument()));
 			enable = cur.inset().lyxCode() == FLEX_CODE
-			         && il.lyxtype() == to_utf8(cmd.argument());
+			         && il.lyxtype() == type;
 		} else {
 			enable = !isMainText(cur.bv().buffer())
 			         && cur.inset().nargs() == 1;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
index f40c54fa96..f8fcc96382 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public:
 	void expandFormats(MenuItem::Kind kind, Buffer const * buf);
 	void expandFloatListInsert(Buffer const * buf);
 	void expandFloatInsert(Buffer const * buf);
-	void expandFlexInsert(Buffer const * buf, std::string s);
+	void expandFlexInsert(Buffer const * buf, InsetLayout::InsetLyXType type);
 	void expandToc2(Toc const & toc_list, size_t from, size_t to, int depth);
 	void expandToc(Buffer const * buf);
 	void expandPasteRecent(Buffer const * buf);
@@ -834,7 +834,8 @@ void MenuDefinition::expandFloatInsert(Buffer const * buf)
 }
 
 
-void MenuDefinition::expandFlexInsert(Buffer const * buf, string s)
+void MenuDefinition::expandFlexInsert(
+		Buffer const * buf, InsetLayout::InsetLyXType type)
 {
 	if (!buf) {
 		add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, qt_("No Document Open!"),
@@ -847,13 +848,13 @@ void MenuDefinition::expandFlexInsert(Buffer const * buf, string s)
 	TextClass::InsetLayouts::const_iterator end = insetLayouts.end();
 	for (; cit != end; ++cit) {
 		docstring const label = cit->first;
-		if (cit->second.lyxtype() == s)
+		if (cit->second.lyxtype() == type)
 			addWithStatusCheck(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, 
 				toqstr(translateIfPossible(label)),
 				FuncRequest(LFUN_FLEX_INSERT, label)));
 	}
 	// FIXME This is a little clunky.
-	if (items_.empty() && s == "custom")
+	if (items_.empty() && type == InsetLayout::CUSTOM)
 		add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command,
 				    qt_("No custom insets defined!"),
 				    FuncRequest(LFUN_NOACTION)));
@@ -1358,15 +1359,15 @@ void Menus::Impl::expand(MenuDefinition const & frommenu,
 			break;
 
 		case MenuItem::CharStyles:
-			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, "charstyle");
+			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, InsetLayout::CHARSTYLE);
 			break;
 
 		case MenuItem::Custom:
-			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, "custom");
+			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, InsetLayout::CUSTOM);
 			break;
 
 		case MenuItem::Elements:
-			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, "element");
+			tomenu.expandFlexInsert(buf, InsetLayout::ELEMENT);
 			break;
 
 		case MenuItem::FloatListInsert:
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLayout.cpp b/src/insets/InsetLayout.cpp
index 823e61b085..a46cdb4d1e 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLayout.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ using std::vector;
 namespace lyx {
 
 InsetLayout::InsetLayout() :
-	name_(from_ascii("undefined")), labelstring_(from_ascii("UNDEFINED")),
-	decoration_(InsetLayout::Default),
+	name_(from_ascii("undefined")), lyxtype_(STANDARD),
+	labelstring_(from_ascii("UNDEFINED")), decoration_(InsetLayout::Default),
 	font_(sane_font), labelfont_(sane_font), bgcolor_(Color_error), 
 	multipar_(false), custompars_(false), forceplain_(true), 
 	passthru_(false), needprotect_(false), freespacing_(false), 
@@ -136,9 +136,14 @@ bool InsetLayout::read(Lexer & lex, TextClass & tclass)
 			break;
 		}
 		switch (le) {
-		case IL_LYXTYPE:
-			lex >> lyxtype_;
+		case IL_LYXTYPE: {
+			string lt;
+			lex >> lt;
+			lyxtype_ = translateLyXType(lt);
+			if (lyxtype_  == NOLYXTYPE)
+				LYXERR0("Unknown LyXType `" << lt << "'.");
 			break;
+		}
 		case IL_LATEXTYPE:
 			lex >> latextype_;
 			break;
@@ -258,4 +263,21 @@ bool InsetLayout::read(Lexer & lex, TextClass & tclass)
 	return true;
 }
 
+
+InsetLayout::InsetLyXType translateLyXType(std::string const & str) 
+{
+	
+	if (support::compare_ascii_no_case(str, "charstyle") == 0)
+		return InsetLayout::CHARSTYLE;
+	if (support::compare_ascii_no_case(str, "custom") == 0)
+		return InsetLayout::CUSTOM;
+	if (support::compare_ascii_no_case(str, "element") == 0)
+		return InsetLayout::ELEMENT;
+	if (support::compare_ascii_no_case(str, "end") == 0)
+		return InsetLayout::END;
+	if (support::compare_ascii_no_case(str, "standard") == 0)
+		return InsetLayout::STANDARD;
+	return InsetLayout::NOLYXTYPE;
+}
+
 } //namespace lyx
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetLayout.h b/src/insets/InsetLayout.h
index 8d7193021b..7cab643560 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetLayout.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetLayout.h
@@ -38,12 +38,20 @@ public:
 		Conglomerate,
 		Default
 	};
+	enum InsetLyXType {
+		NOLYXTYPE,
+		CHARSTYLE,
+		CUSTOM,
+		ELEMENT,
+		END,
+		STANDARD
+	};
 	///
 	bool read(Lexer & lexrc, TextClass & tclass);
 	///
 	docstring name() const { return name_; };
 	///
-	std::string lyxtype() const { return lyxtype_; };
+	InsetLyXType lyxtype() const { return lyxtype_; };
 	///
 	docstring labelstring() const { return labelstring_; };
 	///
@@ -88,7 +96,7 @@ private:
 		* Values are 'charstyle', 'custom' (things that by default look like a
 		* footnote), 'element' (docbook), 'standard'.
 		*/
-	std::string lyxtype_;
+	InsetLyXType lyxtype_;
 	///
 	docstring labelstring_;
 	///
@@ -127,6 +135,9 @@ private:
 	bool forceltr_;
 };
 
+///
+InsetLayout::InsetLyXType translateLyXType(std::string const & str);
+
 } // namespace lyx
 
 #endif