diff --git a/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp b/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
index e14c5562d8..4b2ac51268 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
@@ -760,6 +760,7 @@ void Tabular::updateIndexes()
 				continue;
 			rowofcell[i] = row;
 			columnofcell[i] = column;
+			setFixedWidth(row, column);
 			++i;
 		}
 }
@@ -994,6 +995,18 @@ void Tabular::setColumnPWidth(Cursor & cur, idx_type cell,
 }
 
 
+bool Tabular::setFixedWidth(row_type r, col_type c)
+{
+	if (!column_info[c].p_width.zero() ||
+				(cell_info[r][c].multicolumn != CELL_NORMAL && 
+				!cell_info[r][c].p_width.zero())) {
+		cell_info[r][c].inset->toggleFixedWidth(true);
+		return true;
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+
 bool Tabular::setMColumnPWidth(Cursor & cur, idx_type cell,
 		Length const & width)
 {
@@ -1404,6 +1417,7 @@ void Tabular::read(Lexer & lex)
 			getTokenValue(line, "rotate", cell_info[i][j].rotate);
 			getTokenValue(line, "usebox", cell_info[i][j].usebox);
 			getTokenValue(line, "width", cell_info[i][j].p_width);
+			setFixedWidth(i,j);
 			getTokenValue(line, "special", cell_info[i][j].align_special);
 			l_getline(is, line);
 			if (prefixIs(line, "\\begin_inset")) {
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetTabular.h b/src/insets/InsetTabular.h
index 84bec94c96..60664a49ff 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetTabular.h
+++ b/src/insets/InsetTabular.h
@@ -575,6 +575,8 @@ public:
 		  col_type columns_arg);
 	///
 	void updateIndexes();
+	///
+	bool setFixedWidth(row_type r, col_type c);
 	/// return true of update is needed
 	bool updateColumnWidths();
 	///
@@ -654,6 +656,29 @@ private:
 	InsetTableCell();
 	/// unimplemented
 	void operator=(InsetTableCell const &);
+	// FIXME
+	// This boolean is supposed to track whether the cell has had its
+	// width explicitly set. We need to know this to determine whether
+	// layout changes and paragraph customization are allowed---that is,
+	// we need it in forcePlainLayout() and allowParagraphCustomization(). 
+	// Unfortunately, that information is not readily available in 
+	// InsetTableCell. In the case of multicolumn cells, it is present
+	// in CellData, and so would be available here if CellData were to
+	// become a member of InsetTableCell. But in the other case, it isn't
+	// even available there, but is held in Tabular::ColumnData.
+	// So, the present solution uses this boolean to track the information
+	// we need to track, and tries to keep it updated. This is not ideal,
+	// but the other solutions are no better. These are:
+	// (i)  Keep a pointer in InsetTableCell to the table;
+	// (ii) Find the table by iterating over the Buffer's insets.
+	// Solution (i) raises the problem of updating the pointer when an 
+	// InsetTableCell is copied, and we'd therefore need a copy constructor
+	// in InsetTabular and then in Tabular, which seems messy, given how 
+	// complicated those classes are. Solution (ii) involves a lot of 
+	// iterating, since this information is needed quite often, and so may
+	// be quite slow.
+	// So, well, if someone can do better, please do!
+	// --rgh
 	///
 	bool isFixedWidth;
 };