diff --git a/src/Length.cpp b/src/Length.cpp
index 89061e104b..ec89e5b837 100644
--- a/src/Length.cpp
+++ b/src/Length.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <iomanip>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace lyx::support;
 
 namespace lyx {
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ string const Length::asString() const
 {
 	ostringstream os;
 	if (unit_ != UNIT_NONE)
-		os << val_ << unit_name[unit_]; // setw?
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << unit_name[unit_]; // setw?
 	return os.str();
 }
 
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ docstring const Length::asDocstring() const
 {
 	odocstringstream os;
 	if (unit_ != UNIT_NONE)
-		os << val_ << unit_name[unit_]; // setw?
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << unit_name[unit_]; // setw?
 	return os.str();
 }
 
@@ -86,27 +87,27 @@ string const Length::asLatexString() const
 	// LaTeX (bug 9416)
 	switch (unit_) {
 	case PTW:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\textwidth";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\textwidth";
 		break;
 	case PCW:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\columnwidth";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\columnwidth";
 		break;
 	case PPW:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\paperwidth";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\paperwidth";
 		break;
 	case PLW:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\linewidth";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\linewidth";
 		break;
 	case PTH:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\textheight";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\textheight";
 		break;
 	case PPH:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\paperheight";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 100.0) << "\\paperheight";
 		break;
 	case UNIT_NONE:
 		break;
 	default:
-		os << support::formatFPNumber(val_) << unit_name[unit_];
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << unit_name[unit_];
 	  break;
 	}
 	return os.str();
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ string const Length::asHTMLString() const
  	case BP:
 	case DD:
 		// close enough
-		os << val_ << "pt";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << "pt";
 		break;
  	case MM:
 	case CM:
@@ -129,13 +130,13 @@ string const Length::asHTMLString() const
 	case IN:
 	case EX:
 	case EM:
-		os << val_ << unit_name[unit_];
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << unit_name[unit_];
 		break;
 	case CC:
-		os << val_/12.0 << "pt";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 12.0) << "pt";
 		break;
  	case MU:
-		os << val_/18.0 << "em";
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_ / 18.0) << "em";
 		break;
 	case PTW:
 	case PPW:
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ string const Length::asHTMLString() const
 	case PPH:
 		// what it's a percentage of probably won't make sense for HTML,
 		// so we'll assume people have chosen these appropriately
-		os << val_ << '%';
+		os << formatFPNumber(val_) << '%';
 		break;
 	case SP:
 	case UNIT_NONE:
@@ -377,7 +378,7 @@ string const GlueLength::asString() const
 
 	ostringstream buffer;
 
-	buffer << len_.value();
+	buffer << formatFPNumber(len_.value());
 
 	if (plus_.zero() && minus_.zero()) {
 		buffer << unit_name[len_.unit()];
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ string const GlueLength::asString() const
 	if (minus_.zero()) {
 		if (len_.unit() != plus_.unit())
 			buffer << unit_name[len_.unit()];
-		buffer << '+' << plus_.value();
+		buffer << '+' << formatFPNumber(plus_.value());
 		buffer << unit_name[plus_.unit()];
 		return buffer.str();
 	}
@@ -397,7 +398,7 @@ string const GlueLength::asString() const
 	if (plus_.zero()) {
 		if (len_.unit() != minus_.unit())
 			buffer << unit_name[len_.unit()];
-		buffer << '-' << minus_.value();
+		buffer << '-' << formatFPNumber(minus_.value());
 		buffer << unit_name[minus_.unit()];
 		return buffer.str();
 	}
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ string const GlueLength::asString() const
 	if (minus_ == plus_) {
 		if (len_.unit() != minus_.unit())
 			buffer << unit_name[len_.unit()];
-		buffer << "+-" << minus_.value();
+		buffer << "+-" << formatFPNumber(minus_.value());
 		buffer << unit_name[minus_.unit()];
 		return buffer.str();
 	}
@@ -416,8 +417,8 @@ string const GlueLength::asString() const
 	// this is so rare a case, why bother minimising units ?
 
 	buffer << unit_name[len_.unit()];
-	buffer << '+' << plus_.value() << unit_name[plus_.unit()];
-	buffer << '-' << minus_.value() << unit_name[minus_.unit()];
+	buffer << '+' << formatFPNumber(plus_.value()) << unit_name[plus_.unit()];
+	buffer << '-' << formatFPNumber(minus_.value()) << unit_name[minus_.unit()];
 
 	return buffer.str();
 }
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.cpp
index eb495f56fd..a395abf6b0 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void lengthToWidgets(QLineEdit * input, LengthCombo * combo,
 		combo->setCurrentItem(len.unit());
 		QLocale loc;
 		loc.setNumberOptions(QLocale::OmitGroupSeparator);
-		input->setText(loc.toString(Length(len).value()));
+		input->setText(formatLocFPNumber(Length(len).value()));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -204,6 +204,15 @@ void doubleToWidget(QLineEdit * input, string const & value, char f, int prec)
 }
 
 
+QString formatLocFPNumber(double d)
+{
+	QString result = toqstr(formatFPNumber(d));
+	QLocale loc;
+	result.replace('.', loc.decimalPoint());
+	return result;
+}
+
+
 void setValid(QWidget * widget, bool valid)
 {
 	if (valid) {
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.h b/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.h
index defd1a827f..fcdcd53102 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/qt_helpers.h
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ void doubleToWidget(QLineEdit * input, double const & value,
 /// method to set a (localized) double value in a widget (QLineEdit)
 void doubleToWidget(QLineEdit * input, std::string const & value,
 	char f = 'g', int prec = 6);
+/**
+ * method to format localized floating point numbers without
+ * ever using scientific notation
+ */
+QString formatLocFPNumber(double d);
 
 /// colors a widget red if invalid
 void setValid(QWidget * widget, bool valid);