diff --git a/lib/bind/de/menus.bind b/lib/bind/de/menus.bind
index fb72535c1d..e9dc373184 100644
--- a/lib/bind/de/menus.bind
+++ b/lib/bind/de/menus.bind
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Format 4
 \bind "M-a Down"		"outline-down"
 
 
-\bind "M-a Return"		"environment-split"
+\bind "M-a Return"		"command-alternatives environment-split ; environment-split previous"
 \bind "M-a S-Return"		"environment-split outer"
 
 # Obsolete Tastenbelegung: in die persönliche *.bind Datei kopieren und
diff --git a/lib/bind/menus.bind b/lib/bind/menus.bind
index 458d9c9bcb..a27fab842d 100644
--- a/lib/bind/menus.bind
+++ b/lib/bind/menus.bind
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ Format 4
 \bind "M-p Up"			"outline-up"
 \bind "M-p Down"		"outline-down"
 
-\bind "M-p Return"		"environment-split"
+\bind "M-p Return"		"command-alternatives environment-split ; environment-split previous"
 \bind "M-p S-Return"		"environment-split outer"
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc b/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
index c3a0c841a3..1b79adb31b 100644
--- a/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
+++ b/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ Menuset
 # obvious what the context is for the others)
 		OptItem "Increase List Depth|I" "depth-increment"
 		OptItem "Decrease List Depth|D" "depth-decrement"
-		EnvironmentSeparators
 		OptItem "Dissolve Inset" "inset-dissolve"
 		OptItem "TeX Code Settings...|C" "inset-settings ert"
 # 'a' shortcut to match Insert entry, shouldn't clash with Table Settings
@@ -393,6 +392,7 @@ Menuset
 		Item "Hyperlink...|k" "href-insert"
 		Item "Footnote|F" "footnote-insert"
 		Item "Marginal Note|M" "marginalnote-insert"
+		EnvironmentSeparators
 		Arguments
 		Item "TeX Code" "ert-insert"
 		Item "Program Listing[[Menu]]" "listing-insert"
diff --git a/src/LyXAction.cpp b/src/LyXAction.cpp
index e0d4e473d7..7cd103b1c4 100644
--- a/src/LyXAction.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXAction.cpp
@@ -1513,9 +1513,13 @@ void LyXAction::init()
 /*!
  * \var lyx::FuncCode lyx::LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT
  * \li Action: Splits the current environment with a Separator.
- * \li Syntax: environment-split [outer]
+ * \li Syntax: environment-split [before|outer|previous]
  * \li Params: outer: If this is given, LyX will split the outermost environment in
- *                    the current nesting hierarchy.
+                      the current nesting hierarchy.\n
+               previous: If this is given, LyX will split the environment in the previous
+                      paragraph (is there is one).\n
+               before: If this is given, the new environment will be appended rather than
+                      prepended.
  * \li Origin: spitz, 23 Dec 2012
  * \endvar
  */
diff --git a/src/Text3.cpp b/src/Text3.cpp
index af244002d1..9c4c7f9f7c 100644
--- a/src/Text3.cpp
+++ b/src/Text3.cpp
@@ -1491,36 +1491,74 @@ void Text::dispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 
 	case LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT: {
 		bool const outer = cmd.argument() == "outer";
+		bool const previous = cmd.argument() == "previous";
+		bool const before = cmd.argument() == "before";
+		bool const normal = cmd.argument().empty();
 		Paragraph const & para = cur.paragraph();
-		docstring layout = para.layout().name();
+		docstring layout;
+		if (para.layout().isEnvironment())
+			layout = para.layout().name();
 		depth_type split_depth = cur.paragraph().params().depth();
-		if (outer) {
-			// check if we have an environment in our nesting hierarchy
+		depth_type nextpar_depth = 0;
+		if (outer || previous) {
+			// check if we have an environment in our scope
 			pit_type pit = cur.pit();
 			Paragraph cpar = pars_[pit];
 			while (true) {
-				if (pit == 0 || cpar.params().depth() == 0)
+				if (pit == 0)
 					break;
 				--pit;
 				cpar = pars_[pit];
+				if (layout.empty() && previous
+				    && cpar.layout().isEnvironment()
+				    && cpar.params().depth() <= split_depth)
+					layout = cpar.layout().name();
 				if (cpar.params().depth() < split_depth
 				    && cpar.layout().isEnvironment()) {
-						layout = cpar.layout().name();
+						if (!previous)
+							layout = cpar.layout().name();
 						split_depth = cpar.params().depth();
 				}
+				if (cpar.params().depth() == 0)
+					break;
 			}
 		}
-		if (cur.pos() > 0)
+		if ((outer || normal) && cur.pit() < cur.lastpit()) {
+			// save nesting of following paragraph
+			Paragraph cpar = pars_[cur.pit() + 1];
+			nextpar_depth = cpar.params().depth();
+		}
+		if (before)
+			cur.top().setPitPos(cur.pit(), 0);
+		if (before || cur.pos() > 0)
 			lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_PARAGRAPH_BREAK));
+		else if (previous && cur.nextInset() && cur.nextInset()->lyxCode() == SEPARATOR_CODE)
+			lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_PARAGRAPH_BREAK, "inverse ignoresep"));
 		if (outer) {
 			while (cur.paragraph().params().depth() > split_depth)
 				lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_DEPTH_DECREMENT));
 		}
 		DocumentClass const & tc = bv->buffer().params().documentClass();
-		lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_LAYOUT, tc.plainLayout().name()));
+		lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_LAYOUT, from_ascii("\"") + tc.plainLayout().name()
+					  + from_ascii("\" ignoreautonests")));
 		lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_SEPARATOR_INSERT, "plain"));
-		lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_PARAGRAPH_BREAK, "inverse"));
+		if (before) {
+			cur.backwardPos();
+			lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_PARAGRAPH_BREAK, "inverse ignoresep"));
+			while (cur.paragraph().params().depth() < split_depth)
+				lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_DEPTH_INCREMENT));
+		}
+		else
+			lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_PARAGRAPH_BREAK, "inverse"));
 		lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_LAYOUT, layout));
+		if ((outer || normal) && nextpar_depth > 0) {
+			// restore nesting of following paragraph
+			DocIterator scur = cur;
+			cur.forwardPar();
+			while (cur.paragraph().params().depth() < nextpar_depth)
+				lyx::dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_DEPTH_INCREMENT));
+			cur.setCursor(scur);
+		}
 
 		break;
 	}
@@ -3180,6 +3218,19 @@ bool Text::getStatus(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest const & cmd,
 			enable = res;
 			break;
 		}
+		else if (cmd.argument() == "previous") {
+			// look if we have an environment in the previous par
+			pit_type pit = cur.pit();
+			Paragraph cpar = pars_[pit];
+			if (pit > 0) {
+				--pit;
+				cpar = pars_[pit];
+				enable = cpar.layout().isEnvironment();
+				break;
+			}
+			enable = false;
+			break;
+		}
 		else if (cur.paragraph().layout().isEnvironment()) {
 			enable = true;
 			break;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
index c97d23d44c..ecae50d581 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Menus.cpp
@@ -1856,33 +1856,56 @@ void MenuDefinition::expandEnvironmentSeparators(BufferView const * bv)
 		return;
 
 	pit_type pit = bv->cursor().selBegin().pit();
+	pos_type pos = bv->cursor().selBegin().pos();
 	Paragraph const & par = text->getPar(pit);
 	docstring const curlayout = par.layout().name();
 	docstring outerlayout;
+	docstring prevlayout;
 	depth_type current_depth = par.params().depth();
-	// check if we have an environment in our nesting hierarchy
+	// check if we have an environment in our scope
 	Paragraph cpar = par;
 	while (true) {
-		if (pit == 0 || cpar.params().depth() == 0)
+		if (pit == 0)
 			break;
 		--pit;
 		cpar = text->getPar(pit);
+		if (cpar.layout().isEnvironment() && prevlayout.empty()
+		    && cpar.params().depth() <= current_depth)
+				prevlayout = cpar.layout().name();
 		if (cpar.params().depth() < current_depth
 		    && cpar.layout().isEnvironment()) {
 				outerlayout = cpar.layout().name();
 				current_depth = cpar.params().depth();
 		}
+		if (cpar.params().depth() == 0)
+			break;
 	}
 	if (par.layout().isEnvironment()) {
-		docstring const label =
-			bformat(_("Start New Environment (%1$s)"),
+		docstring label = bformat(_("Separated %1$s Above"),
 				translateIfPossible(curlayout));
 		add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, toqstr(label),
-			     FuncRequest(LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT)));
+			     FuncRequest(LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT,
+					 from_ascii("before"))));
+		if (!par.layout().keepempty || pos > 0 || !text->isFirstInSequence(pit)) {
+			label = bformat(_("Separated %1$s Below"),
+					translateIfPossible(curlayout));
+			add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, toqstr(label),
+				     FuncRequest(LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT)));
+		}
+	}
+	else if (!prevlayout.empty()) {
+		docstring const label =
+			bformat(_("Separated %1$s Below"),
+				translateIfPossible(prevlayout));
+		add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, toqstr(label),
+			     FuncRequest(LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT,
+					 from_ascii("previous"))));
 	}
 	if (!outerlayout.empty()) {
-		docstring const label =
-			bformat(_("Start New Parent Environment (%1$s)"),
+		docstring const label = (outerlayout == curlayout) ?
+			bformat(_("Separated Outer %1$s Below"),
+				translateIfPossible(outerlayout)) :
+			bformat(_("Separated %1$s Below"),
 				translateIfPossible(outerlayout));
 		add(MenuItem(MenuItem::Command, toqstr(label),
 			     FuncRequest(LFUN_ENVIRONMENT_SPLIT,