diff --git a/lib/syntax.default b/lib/syntax.default
index 9f7cb271b2..59ac2dae1b 100644
--- a/lib/syntax.default
+++ b/lib/syntax.default
@@ -629,7 +629,16 @@ $$
 \textcircled{translate}
 \textcolor[]{,,}{translate}
 %\textcolor{}{}
-\textnormal{translate}
+\textbf{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textbf
+\textnormal{translate} % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textnormal
+\textmd{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textmd
+\textit{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textit
+\textrm{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textrm
+\textsc{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textsc
+\textsf{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textsf
+\textsl{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textsl
+\texttt{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\texttt
+\textup{translate}     % hardcoded, but needed nevertheless for \let\xyz\textup
 \textfraction
 \thanks{translate}
 \thicklines
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/Parser.cpp b/src/tex2lyx/Parser.cpp
index 1d698cc44c..1242b67ff2 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/Parser.cpp
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/Parser.cpp
@@ -293,6 +293,38 @@ char Parser::getChar()
 }
 
 
+bool Parser::hasOpt()
+{
+	// An optional argument can occur in any of the following forms:
+	// - \foo[bar]
+	// - \foo [bar]
+	// - \foo
+	//   [bar]
+	// - \foo %comment
+	//   [bar]
+
+	// remember current position
+	unsigned int oldpos = pos_;
+	// skip spaces and comments
+	while (good()) {
+		get_token();
+		if (isParagraph()) {
+			putback();
+			break;
+		}
+		if (curr_token().cat() == catSpace ||
+		    curr_token().cat() == catNewline ||
+		    curr_token().cat() == catComment)
+			continue;
+		putback();
+		break;
+	}
+	bool const retval = (next_token().asInput() == "[");
+	pos_ = oldpos;
+	return retval;
+}
+
+
 Parser::Arg Parser::getFullArg(char left, char right)
 {
 	skip_spaces(true);
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/Parser.h b/src/tex2lyx/Parser.h
index 546b3ff72d..51c063ebf7 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/Parser.h
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/Parser.h
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ public:
 	/// dump contents to screen
 	void dump() const;
 
+	/// Does an optional argument follow after the current token?
+	bool hasOpt();
 	///
 	typedef std::pair<bool, std::string> Arg;
 	/*!
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/table.cpp b/src/tex2lyx/table.cpp
index 987dc87a21..de4e7bd9ec 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/table.cpp
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/table.cpp
@@ -968,6 +968,7 @@ void handle_tabular(Parser & p, ostream & os, bool is_long_tabular,
 				// special cell properties alignment
 				vector<ColInfo> t;
 				handle_colalign(p, t, ColInfo());
+				p.skip_spaces(true);
 				ColInfo & ci = t.front();
 
 				// The logic of LyX for multicolumn vertical
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/test/test-insets.tex b/src/tex2lyx/test/test-insets.tex
index 5f6ef3739d..d4df53a127 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/test/test-insets.tex
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/test/test-insets.tex
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 \newcommand{\lyxarrow}{\leavevmode\,$\triangleright$\,\allowbreak}
 
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% User specified LaTeX commands.
-\usepackage{doc}
 \usepackage{subscript} % user specified as long as tex2lyx
 % produces a format less than 408
 
@@ -94,7 +93,8 @@ Now the natbib things:
 \textbackslash{}nocite: \nocite{article-crossref}
 
 \bibliographystyle{unsrt}
-\bibliography{xampl}
+% Remove duplicate call of \bibliography since LaTeX throws an error.
+% \bibliography{xampl}
 
 With \textbackslash{}nocite\{{*}\}:
 \bibliographystyle{unsrt}
@@ -129,12 +129,13 @@ There is also some basic support for graphics, in the form
 \section{Tables\index{Tables}}
 
 The following example is stolen from the longtable documentation.
+Since tex2lyx does not understand the special verbatim code that
+was used in the original some lines have been rewritten using
+\textbackslash textbackslash etc.
 \let\package\textsf
 \let\env\textsf
+\let\code\texttt
 \providecommand\finalclearpage{\clearpage}
-\DeleteShortVerb{\|}
-\MakeShortVerb{\"}
-\def\v{\char`}
 
 \begin{longtable}{@{*}r||p{1in}@{*}}
 KILLED & LINE!!!! \kill
@@ -166,28 +167,28 @@ at the end& of the table\\
 \endlastfoot
 \env{longtable}  columns  are specified& in the \\
 same way as  in the \env{tabular}& environment.\\
-"@{*}r||p{1in}@{*}"& in this case.\\
-Each row ends with a& "\\" command.\\
-The "\\"  command  has an& optional\\
+%\code{@\{*\}r||p\{1in\}@\{*\}}& in this case.\\
+Each row ends with a& \code{\textbackslash\textbackslash} command.\\
+The \code{\textbackslash\textbackslash} command  has an& optional\\
 argument, just as in& the\\
  \env{tabular}&environment.\\[10pt]
-See the  effect  of "\\[10pt]"&?\\
+See the effect of \code{\textbackslash\textbackslash[10pt]}&?\\
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
-Also  "\hline"  may be used,&  as in \env{tabular}.\\
+Also \code{\textbackslash hline} may be used,&  as in \env{tabular}.\\
 \hline
-That  was a "\hline"&.\\
+That  was a \code{\textbackslash hline}&.\\
 \hline\hline
-That  was "\hline\hline"&.\\
+That  was \code{\textbackslash hline\textbackslash hline}&.\\
 \multicolumn{2}{||c||}%
-{This is a \ttfamily\v\\multicolumn\v{2\v}\v{||c||\v}}\\
-If a  page break  occurs at a "\hline" then& a line is drawn\\
+{This is a \code{\textbackslash multicolumn\{2\}\{||c||\}}}\\
+If a  page break  occurs at a \code{\textbackslash hline} then& a line is drawn\\
 at the bottom of one  page  and at the& top of the next.\\
 \hline
-The  "[t] [b] [c]"  argument of \env{tabular}& can  not be used.\\
-The optional argument may be  one of& "[l] [r] [c]"\\
+The \code{[t] [b] [c]} argument of \env{tabular}& can  not be used.\\
+The optional argument may be  one of& \code{[l] [r] [c]}\\
 to specify whether  the  table  should be& adjusted\\
 to the  left, right& or centrally.\\
 \hline\hline
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ Some lines may take up a lot of space, like this: &
     \raggedleft This last column is a ``p'' column so this
     ``row'' of the table can take up several lines. Note however that
     \TeX\ will  never break a page within such a row. Page breaks only
-    occur between rows of the table or at "\hline" commands.
+    occur between rows of the table or at \code{\textbackslash hline} commands.
     \tabularnewline
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
 Lots of lines& like this.\\
@@ -268,9 +269,13 @@ test
 \subsection{Line breaks}
 
 They can also or be broken by a newline\\
-or a newline command \newline
+or by a starred newline \\*
+or by a newline with space, comment and argument \\ %hu
+[3cm]
+or by a newline command \newline
 or by a line break \linebreak
-or by a defined line break \linebreak[4]
+or by a defined line break \linebreak % again with a comment
+	[4]
 
 There are even newlines with weird arguments, but these are not
 handled by LyX\\*[1cm]
@@ -280,7 +285,8 @@ so we try to use ERT in this case.
 
 They can also or be broken by a newpage \newpage
 or by a page break \pagebreak
-or by a defined page break \pagebreak[4]
+or by a defined page break \pagebreak % again with a comment
+	[4]
 
 \section{Special characters\index{Special characters}}
 
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/text.cpp b/src/tex2lyx/text.cpp
index 122aa3c074..4543c488ab 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/text.cpp
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/text.cpp
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ void eat_whitespace(Parser &, ostream &, Context &, bool);
  * This should be called after a command has been parsed that is not put into
  * ERT, and where LyX adds "{}" if needed.
  */
-void skip_spaces_braces(Parser & p)
+void skip_spaces_braces(Parser & p, bool keepws = false)
 {
 	/* The following four examples produce the same typeset output and
 	   should be handled by this function:
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ void skip_spaces_braces(Parser & p)
 	// results in different output in some cases.
 	bool const skipped_spaces = p.skip_spaces(true);
 	bool const skipped_braces = skip_braces(p);
-	if (skipped_spaces && !skipped_braces)
+	if (keepws && skipped_spaces && !skipped_braces)
 		// put back the space (it is better handled by check_space)
 		p.unskip_spaces(true);
 }
@@ -643,17 +643,17 @@ void parse_box(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 	string height_unit = "in";
 	string height_special = "totalheight";
 	string latex_height;
-	if (p.next_token().asInput() == "[") {
+	if (p.hasOpt()) {
 		position = p.getArg('[', ']');
 		if (position != "t" && position != "c" && position != "b") {
 			position = "c";
 			cerr << "invalid position for minipage/parbox" << endl;
 		}
-		if (p.next_token().asInput() == "[") {
+		if (p.hasOpt()) {
 			latex_height = p.getArg('[', ']');
 			translate_box_len(latex_height, height_value, height_unit, height_special);
 
-			if (p.next_token().asInput() == "[") {
+			if (p.hasOpt()) {
 				inner_pos = p.getArg('[', ']');
 				if (inner_pos != "c" && inner_pos != "t" &&
 				    inner_pos != "b" && inner_pos != "s") {
@@ -794,9 +794,8 @@ void parse_environment(Parser & p, ostream & os, bool outer,
 		eat_whitespace(p, os, parent_context, false);
 		parent_context.check_layout(os);
 		begin_inset(os, "Float " + unstarred_name + "\n");
-		if (p.next_token().asInput() == "[") {
+		if (p.hasOpt())
 			os << "placement " << p.getArg('[', ']') << '\n';
-		}
 		os << "wide " << convert<string>(is_starred)
 		   << "\nsideways false"
 		   << "\nstatus open\n\n";
@@ -2464,19 +2463,6 @@ void parse_text(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 			p.setEncoding(enc);
 		}
 
-		else if (t.cs() == "LyX" || t.cs() == "TeX"
-			 || t.cs() == "LaTeX") {
-			context.check_layout(os);
-			os << t.cs();
-			skip_spaces_braces(p);
-		}
-
-		else if (t.cs() == "LaTeXe") {
-			context.check_layout(os);
-			os << "LaTeX2e";
-			skip_spaces_braces(p);
-		}
-
 		else if (t.cs() == "ldots") {
 			context.check_layout(os);
 			os << "\\SpecialChar \\ldots{}\n";
@@ -2603,11 +2589,13 @@ void parse_text(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 
 		else if (t.cs() == "\\") {
 			context.check_layout(os);
-			string const next = p.next_token().asInput();
-			if (next == "[")
+			if (p.hasOpt())
 				handle_ert(os, "\\\\" + p.getOpt(), context);
-			else if (next == "*") {
+			else if (p.next_token().asInput() == "*") {
 				p.get_token();
+				// getOpt() eats the following space if there
+				// is no optional argument, but that is OK
+				// here since it has no effect in the output.
 				handle_ert(os, "\\\\*" + p.getOpt(), context);
 			}
 			else {
@@ -2617,8 +2605,7 @@ void parse_text(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 		}
 
 		else if (t.cs() == "newline" ||
-		         (t.cs() == "linebreak" &&
-		          p.next_token().asInput() != "[")) {
+		         (t.cs() == "linebreak" && !p.hasOpt())) {
 			context.check_layout(os);
 			begin_inset(os, "Newline ");
 			os << t.cs();
@@ -2804,8 +2791,7 @@ void parse_text(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 		}
 
 		else if (t.cs() == "newpage" ||
-		         (t.cs() == "pagebreak" &&
-		          p.next_token().asInput() != "[") ||
+		         (t.cs() == "pagebreak" && !p.hasOpt()) ||
 		         t.cs() == "clearpage" ||
 		         t.cs() == "cleardoublepage") {
 			context.check_layout(os);
@@ -2843,7 +2829,38 @@ void parse_text(Parser & p, ostream & os, unsigned flags, bool outer,
 				end_inset(os);
 			}
 		}
-		
+
+		else if (t.cs() == "let" && p.next_token().asInput() != "*") {
+			// let could be handled by parse_command(),
+			// but we need to call add_known_command() here.
+			string ert = t.asInput();
+			string name;
+			p.skip_spaces();
+			if (p.next_token().cat() == catBegin) {
+				name = p.verbatim_item();
+				ert += '{' + name + '}';
+			} else {
+				name = p.verbatim_item();
+				ert += name;
+			}
+			string command;
+			p.skip_spaces();
+			if (p.next_token().cat() == catBegin) {
+				command = p.verbatim_item();
+				ert += '{' + command + '}';
+			} else {
+				command = p.verbatim_item();
+				ert += command;
+			}
+			// If command is known, make name known too, to parse
+			// its arguments correctly. For this reason we also
+			// have commands in syntax.default that are hardcoded.
+			CommandMap::iterator it = known_commands.find(command);
+			if (it != known_commands.end())
+				known_commands[t.asInput()] = it->second;
+			handle_ert(os, ert, context);
+		}
+
 		else if (t.cs() == "hspace" || t.cs() == "vspace") {
 			bool starred = false;
 			if (p.next_token().asInput() == "*") {