diff --git a/lib/symbols b/lib/symbols
index 07830c6b35..cee45b9314 100644
--- a/lib/symbols
+++ b/lib/symbols
@@ -111,12 +111,11 @@ ce                font        forcetext
 cf                font        forcetext
 
 # old-style font commands
-# name           "oldfont"    alias
-bf                oldfont     textbf
-cal               oldfont     mathcal
-it                oldfont     textit
-rm                oldfont     textrm
-tt                oldfont     texttt
+bf                oldfont     none
+cal               oldfont     none
+it                oldfont     none
+rm                oldfont     none
+tt                oldfont     none
 
 # matrix environments
 Bmatrix           matrix      none
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.cpp b/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.cpp
index 88a3cdfca9..c14c4e36a8 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.cpp
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@
 #include "InsetMathFontOld.h"
 
 #include "MathData.h"
-#include "MathStream.h"
 #include "MathParser.h"
+#include "MathStream.h"
+#include "MathSupport.h"
 #include "MetricsInfo.h"
 
 #include <ostream>
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@
 namespace lyx {
 
 InsetMathFontOld::InsetMathFontOld(Buffer * buf, latexkeys const * key)
-	: InsetMathNest(buf, 1), key_(key)
+	: InsetMathNest(buf, 1), key_(key), current_mode_(TEXT_MODE)
 {
 	//lock(true);
 }
@@ -37,7 +38,16 @@ Inset * InsetMathFontOld::clone() const
 
 void InsetMathFontOld::metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const
 {
-	FontSetChanger dummy(mi.base, key_->extra);
+	current_mode_ = isTextFont(from_ascii(mi.base.fontname))
+				? TEXT_MODE : MATH_MODE;
+
+	docstring const font = current_mode_ == MATH_MODE
+				? "math" + key_->name : "text" + key_->name;
+
+	// When \cal is used in text mode, the font is not changed
+	bool really_change_font = font != "textcal";
+
+	FontSetChanger dummy(mi.base, font, really_change_font);
 	cell(0).metrics(mi, dim);
 	metricsMarkers(dim);
 }
@@ -45,7 +55,16 @@ void InsetMathFontOld::metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const
 
 void InsetMathFontOld::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 {
-	FontSetChanger dummy(pi.base, key_->extra);
+	current_mode_ = isTextFont(from_ascii(pi.base.fontname))
+				? TEXT_MODE : MATH_MODE;
+
+	docstring const font = current_mode_ == MATH_MODE
+				? "math" + key_->name : "text" + key_->name;
+
+	// When \cal is used in text mode, the font is not changed
+	bool really_change_font = font != "textcal";
+
+	FontSetChanger dummy(pi.base, font, really_change_font);
 	cell(0).draw(pi, x + 1, y);
 	drawMarkers(pi, x, y);
 }
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.h b/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.h
index c27bfa6658..3046d03d48 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.h
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathFontOld.h
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ class InsetMathFontOld : public InsetMathNest {
 public:
 	///
 	explicit InsetMathFontOld(Buffer * buf, latexkeys const * key);
-	/// we are in text mode.
-	mode_type currentMode() const { return TEXT_MODE; }
+	/// we inherit the mode
+	mode_type currentMode() const { return current_mode_; }
 	/// we write extra braces in any case...
 	bool extraBraces() const { return true; }
 	///
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ private:
 	virtual Inset * clone() const;
 	/// the font to be used on screen
 	latexkeys const * key_;
+	/// the inherited mode
+	mutable mode_type current_mode_;
 };