diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/DialogView.h b/src/frontends/qt4/DialogView.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6309f0821c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/DialogView.h
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+// -*- C++ -*-
+/**
+ * \file DialogView.h
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author Abdelrazak Younes
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
+ */
+
+#ifndef DIALOG_VIEW_H
+#define DIALOG_VIEW_H
+
+#include "controllers/Dialog.h"
+#include "GuiView.h"
+#include "qt_helpers.h"
+#include "debug.h"
+
+#include <QDialog>
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace lyx {
+namespace frontend {
+
+/// Window Dialog container for LyX dialogs.
+/// This template class that encapsulates a given Widget inside a
+/// QDialog and presents a Dialog interface
+template<class MyController, class MyWidget>
+class DialogView : public QDialog, public Dialog
+{
+public:
+	DialogView(
+		GuiViewBase & parent, ///< the main window where to dock.
+		std::string const & name, ///< dialog identifier.
+		bool modal = false, ///< Window modality.
+		Qt::WindowFlags flags = 0
+		)
+		: QDialog(&parent, flags), name_(name)
+	{
+		setModal(modal);
+		MyController * c = new MyController(*this);
+		controller_ = c;
+		controller_->setLyXView(parent);
+		widget_ = new MyWidget(*c, this);
+		setWindowTitle("LyX: " + widget_->windowTitle());
+	}
+
+	/// Dialog inherited methods
+	//@{
+	void applyView() {}
+	void hideView()
+	{
+		controller().clearParams();
+		QDialog::hide();
+	}
+	void showData(std::string const & data)
+	{
+		controller_->initialiseParams(data);
+		showView();
+	}
+	void showView()
+	{
+		widget_->updateView();  // make sure its up-to-date
+		QDialog::show();
+		raise();
+		activateWindow();
+	}
+	bool isVisibleView() const { return QDialog::isVisible(); }
+	void checkStatus() { updateView(); }
+	void redraw() { redrawView(); }
+	void redrawView() {}
+	void updateData(std::string const & data)
+	{
+		controller_->initialiseParams(data);
+		updateView();
+	}
+	void updateView()
+	{
+		widget_->updateView();
+	}
+	void partialUpdateView(int /*id*/) {}
+	Controller & controller() { return *controller_; }
+	std::string name() const { return name_; }
+	//@}
+private:
+	/// The encapsulated widget.
+	MyWidget * widget_;
+	Controller * controller_;
+	std::string name_;
+};
+
+} // frontend
+} // lyx
+
+#endif // DIALOG_VIEW_H
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Dialogs.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/Dialogs.cpp
index 9ec2290a91..2fdd7c6857 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Dialogs.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Dialogs.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "GuiDialog.h"
 
 #include "ButtonController.h"
+#include "DialogView.h"
 #include "DockView.h"
 #include "GuiAbout.h"
 #include "GuiBibitem.h"
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@
 #include "GuiThesaurus.h"
 #endif
 
+// Uncomment this if you prefer dock widget
+//#define USE_DOCK_WIDGET
+
 #include "qt_helpers.h"
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
@@ -172,9 +176,14 @@ Dialog * Dialogs::build(string const & name)
 	} else if (name == "note") {
 		dialog = new GuiNoteDialog(lyxview_);
 	} else if (name == "paragraph") {
+#ifdef USE_DOCK_WIDGET
 		DockView<ControlParagraph, GuiParagraph> * dv =
-			new DockView<ControlParagraph, GuiParagraph>(guiview, name);
-		dv->setFloating(true);
+			new DockView<ControlParagraph, GuiParagraph>(guiview, name,
+				Qt::TopDockWidgetArea);
+#else
+		DialogView<ControlParagraph, GuiParagraph> * dv =
+			new DialogView<ControlParagraph, GuiParagraph>(guiview, name);
+#endif
 		dialog = dv;
 	} else if (name == "prefs") {
 		dialog = new GuiPrefsDialog(lyxview_);
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.cpp
index 877d8a3b25..091ed7b7bb 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.cpp
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ using std::endl;
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
-GuiParagraph::GuiParagraph(ControlParagraph & controller)
-	: controller_(controller)
+GuiParagraph::GuiParagraph(ControlParagraph & controller, QWidget * parent)
+	: QWidget(parent), controller_(controller)
 {
 	setupUi(this);
 	setWindowTitle(qt_("Paragraph Settings"));
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.h b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.h
index 1bc6657814..9e4604c56b 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiParagraph.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class GuiParagraph : public QWidget, public Ui::ParagraphUi
 {
 	Q_OBJECT
 public:
-	GuiParagraph(ControlParagraph & controller);
+	GuiParagraph(ControlParagraph & controller, QWidget * parent = 0);
 
 	/// update
 	void updateView();
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am b/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
index e073f62467..d1709a8e82 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Makefile.am
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ MOCHEADER = \
 	Action.h \
 	BulletsModule.h \
 	ColorCache.h \
+	DialogView.h \
 	DockView.h \
 	EmptyTable.h \
 	FloatPlacement.h \