diff --git a/src/mathed/math_binominset.C b/src/mathed/math_binominset.C
index 7e89c8f3f3..c2718bb049 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_binominset.C
+++ b/src/mathed/math_binominset.C
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ void MathBinomInset::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 }
 
 
+bool MathBinomInset::extraBraces() const
+{
+	return choose_;
+}
+
+
 void MathBinomInset::write(WriteStream & os) const
 {
 	if (choose_)
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_binominset.h b/src/mathed/math_binominset.h
index 08a8985765..28a2bbadf8 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_binominset.h
+++ b/src/mathed/math_binominset.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ public:
 	void metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const;
 	///
 	void draw(PainterInfo &, int x, int y) const;
+	///
+	bool extraBraces() const;
 private:
 	virtual std::auto_ptr<InsetBase> doClone() const;
 	///
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_dfracinset.C b/src/mathed/math_dfracinset.C
index 3b0c76d280..164b3c705b 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_dfracinset.C
+++ b/src/mathed/math_dfracinset.C
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ using std::auto_ptr;
 
 
 MathDfracInset::MathDfracInset()
-	: MathFracInset(false)
+	: MathFracInset()
 {}
 
 
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_factory.C b/src/mathed/math_factory.C
index 9faf0e8090..b25e25d6a8 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_factory.C
+++ b/src/mathed/math_factory.C
@@ -315,12 +315,14 @@ MathAtom createMathInset(string const & s)
 		return MathAtom(new MathStackrelInset);
 	if (s == "binom" || s == "choose")
 		return MathAtom(new MathBinomInset(s == "choose"));
-	if (s == "over" || s == "frac")
+	if (s == "frac")
 		return MathAtom(new MathFracInset);
+	if (s == "over")
+		return MathAtom(new MathFracInset(MathFracInset::OVER));
 	//if (s == "infer")
 	//	return MathAtom(new MathInferInset);
 	if (s == "atop")
-		return MathAtom(new MathFracInset(true));
+		return MathAtom(new MathFracInset(MathFracInset::ATOP));
 	if (s == "lefteqn")
 		return MathAtom(new MathLefteqnInset);
 	if (s == "boldsymbol")
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_fracinset.C b/src/mathed/math_fracinset.C
index 829ddf5134..2fc4b39c6d 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_fracinset.C
+++ b/src/mathed/math_fracinset.C
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ using std::max;
 using std::auto_ptr;
 
 
-MathFracInset::MathFracInset(bool atop)
-	: atop_(atop)
+MathFracInset::MathFracInset(Kind kind)
+	: kind_(kind)
 {}
 
 
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ auto_ptr<InsetBase> MathFracInset::doClone() const
 
 MathFracInset * MathFracInset::asFracInset()
 {
-	return atop_ ? 0 : this;
+	return kind_ == ATOP ? 0 : this;
 }
 
 
 MathFracInset const * MathFracInset::asFracInset() const
 {
-	return atop_ ? 0 : this;
+	return kind_ == ATOP ? 0 : this;
 }
 
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ void MathFracInset::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 	FracChanger dummy(pi.base);
 	cell(0).draw(pi, m - cell(0).width() / 2, y - cell(0).descent() - 2 - 5);
 	cell(1).draw(pi, m - cell(1).width() / 2, y + cell(1).ascent()  + 2 - 5);
-	if (!atop_)
+	if (kind_ == FRAC || kind_ == OVER)
 		pi.pain.line(x + 1, y - 5, x + dim_.wid - 2, y - 5, LColor::math);
 	drawMarkers(pi, x, y);
 }
@@ -89,23 +89,46 @@ void MathFracInset::drawT(TextPainter & pain, int x, int y) const
 	int m = x + dim_.width() / 2;
 	cell(0).drawT(pain, m - cell(0).width() / 2, y - cell(0).descent() - 1);
 	cell(1).drawT(pain, m - cell(1).width() / 2, y + cell(1).ascent());
-	if (!atop_)
+	if (kind_ == FRAC || kind_ == OVER)
 		pain.horizontalLine(x, y, dim_.width());
 }
 
 
 void MathFracInset::write(WriteStream & os) const
 {
-	if (atop_)
+	switch (kind_) {
+	case ATOP:
 		os << '{' << cell(0) << "\\atop " << cell(1) << '}';
-	else // it's \\frac
+		break;
+	case OVER:
+		// \\over is only for compatibility, normalize this to \\frac
+		os << "\\frac{" << cell(0) << "}{" << cell(1) << '}';
+		break;
+	case FRAC:
 		MathNestInset::write(os);
+		break;
+	}
 }
 
 
 string MathFracInset::name() const
 {
-	return atop_ ? "atop" : "frac";
+	switch (kind_) {
+	case FRAC:
+		return "frac";
+	case OVER:
+		return "over";
+	case ATOP:
+		return "atop";
+	}
+	// shut up stupid compiler
+	return string();
+}
+
+
+bool MathFracInset::extraBraces() const
+{
+	return kind_ == ATOP || kind_ == OVER;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_fracinset.h b/src/mathed/math_fracinset.h
index 2707fe8cc0..4ed809662d 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_fracinset.h
+++ b/src/mathed/math_fracinset.h
@@ -20,7 +20,14 @@
 class MathFracInset : public MathFracbaseInset {
 public:
 	///
-	explicit MathFracInset(bool atop = false);
+	enum Kind {
+		FRAC,
+		OVER,
+		ATOP,
+	};
+
+	///
+	explicit MathFracInset(Kind kind = FRAC);
 	///
 	void metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const;
 	///
@@ -35,6 +42,8 @@ public:
 	MathFracInset const * asFracInset() const;
 	///
 	std::string name() const;
+	///
+	bool extraBraces() const;
 
 	///
 	void write(WriteStream & os) const;
@@ -49,7 +58,7 @@ public:
 public:
 	virtual std::auto_ptr<InsetBase> doClone() const;
 	///
-	bool const atop_;
+	Kind const kind_;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/mathed/math_tfracinset.C b/src/mathed/math_tfracinset.C
index 9671363c2f..cd55d5f285 100644
--- a/src/mathed/math_tfracinset.C
+++ b/src/mathed/math_tfracinset.C
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ using std::auto_ptr;
 
 
 MathTfracInset::MathTfracInset()
-	: MathFracInset(false)
+	: MathFracInset()
 {}
 
 
diff --git a/status.14x b/status.14x
index d3abe8e802..7cb424488a 100644
--- a/status.14x
+++ b/status.14x
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ What's new
 - Make sure enough passes are made to update the table of contents
   when running latex (bug 2616).
 
+- Don't add extra braces when reading documents containing \choose, \atop or
+  \over (bug 2481).
+
 * User Interface:
 
 - Show an error box when failing to update the TeX Information dalog data.