diff --git a/src/Buffer.cpp b/src/Buffer.cpp
index 6c1619151c..59733d852e 100644
--- a/src/Buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/Buffer.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,11 @@ public:
 	///
 	Undo undo_;
 
+	/// This is increased every time the buffer or one of its relatives is marked dirty
+	int id_ = 0;
+	/// The buffer id at last updateMacros invokation
+	int update_macros_id_ = -1;
+
 	/// A cache for the bibfiles (including bibfiles of loaded child
 	/// documents), needed for appropriate update of natbib labels.
 	mutable docstring_list bibfiles_cache_;
@@ -790,6 +795,20 @@ Undo const & Buffer::undo() const
 }
 
 
+int Buffer::id() const
+{
+	return d->id_;
+}
+
+
+void Buffer::updateId()
+{
+	++d->id_;
+	for(Buffer * b : allRelatives())
+		++(b->d->id_);
+}
+
+
 void Buffer::setChild(DocIterator const & dit, Buffer * child)
 {
 	d->children_positions[child] = dit;
@@ -3305,6 +3324,9 @@ void Buffer::markDirty()
 
 	for (auto & depit : d->dep_clean)
 		depit.second = false;
+
+	// Update the buffer and its relatives' ids.
+	updateId();
 }
 
 
@@ -3899,6 +3921,11 @@ void Buffer::updateMacros() const
 	if (d->macro_lock)
 		return;
 
+	// early exit if the buffer has not changed since last time
+	if (d->update_macros_id_ == d->id_)
+		return;
+	d->update_macros_id_ = d->id_;
+
 	LYXERR(Debug::MACROS, "updateMacro of " << d->filename.onlyFileName());
 
 	// start with empty table
diff --git a/src/Buffer.h b/src/Buffer.h
index fd4d8bc8e3..2cd1495796 100644
--- a/src/Buffer.h
+++ b/src/Buffer.h
@@ -661,6 +661,12 @@ public:
 	///
 	Undo const & undo() const;
 
+	/// poor man versioning of the buffer (and its relatives).
+	int id() const;
+	/// change the id of this buffer and its relatives (indicating
+	/// something has changed). This is currently used by updateMacros().
+	void updateId();
+
 	/// This function is called when the buffer is changed.
 	void changed(bool update_metrics) const;
 	///
diff --git a/src/Undo.cpp b/src/Undo.cpp
index 80dff34baa..5eb29bf7a0 100644
--- a/src/Undo.cpp
+++ b/src/Undo.cpp
@@ -529,9 +529,11 @@ void Undo::Private::doUndoRedoAction(CursorData & cur, UndoElementStack & stack,
 
 	if (!undo.cur_before.empty())
 		cur = undo.cur_before;
-	if (undo.lyx_clean)
+	if (undo.lyx_clean) {
 		buffer_.markClean();
-	else
+		// since we have changed the buffer, update its id.
+		buffer_.updateId();
+	} else
 		buffer_.markDirty();
 	// Now that we're done with undo, we pop it off the stack.
 	stack.pop();