diff --git a/lib/ui/classic.ui b/lib/ui/classic.ui
index c8db2bd85c..0afc34bab1 100644
--- a/lib/ui/classic.ui
+++ b/lib/ui/classic.ui
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ Menuset
 
 	Menu "insert_math"
 		Item "Inline Formula|I" "math-mode on"
-		Item "Display Formula|D" "math-display"
+		Item "Display Formula|D" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate equation"
 		Item "Eqnarray Environment|E" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate eqnarray;"
 		Item "AMS align Environment|a" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate align;"
 		Item "AMS alignat Environment|t" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate alignat;"
diff --git a/lib/ui/stdcontext.inc b/lib/ui/stdcontext.inc
index bde1ac2542..ed84cb75fa 100644
--- a/lib/ui/stdcontext.inc
+++ b/lib/ui/stdcontext.inc
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ Menuset
 #
 	Menu "insert_math_context"
 		Item "Array Environment|y" "math-matrix 2 2"
-		Item "Cases Environment|C" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \cases"
-		Item "Aligned Environment|l" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \aligned; tabular-feature append-column"
-		Item "AlignedAt Environment|v" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \alignedat; tabular-feature append-column"
-		Item "Gathered Environment|h" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \gathered"
-		Item "Split Environment|S" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \split; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "Cases Environment|C" "math-insert \cases"
+		Item "Aligned Environment|l" "command-sequence math-insert \aligned; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "AlignedAt Environment|v" "command-sequence math-insert \alignedat; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "Gathered Environment|h" "math-insert \gathered"
+		Item "Split Environment|S" "command-sequence math-insert \split; tabular-feature append-column"
 		Separator
 		Item "Delimiters...|r" "dialog-show mathdelimiter"
 		Item "Matrix...|x" "dialog-show mathmatrix"
diff --git a/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc b/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
index b686040a10..e268ede036 100644
--- a/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
+++ b/lib/ui/stdmenus.inc
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ Menuset
 		Item "Protected Hyphen|y" "specialchar-insert nobreakdash"
 		Item "Breakable Slash|a" "specialchar-insert slash"
 		Item "Menu Separator|M" "specialchar-insert menu-separator"
-		Item "Phonetic Symbols|P" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \text\textipa ; char-forward ;"
+		Item "Phonetic Symbols|P" "command-sequence math-insert \text\textipa ; char-forward ;"
 	End
 
 	Menu "insert_formatting"
@@ -394,8 +394,9 @@ Menuset
 	End
 
 	Menu "insert_math"
+# Always use "math-mode on" instead of "math-display" etc. because this disables the commands in math mode
 		Item "Inline Formula|I" "math-mode on"
-		Item "Display Formula|D" "math-display"
+		Item "Display Formula|D" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate equation"
 		Item "Numbered Formula|N" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate equation; math-number-toggle;"
 		Item "Eqnarray Environment|E" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate eqnarray;"
 		Item "AMS align Environment|a" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate align;"
@@ -404,12 +405,13 @@ Menuset
 		Item "AMS gather Environment|g" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate gather;"
 		Item "AMS multline Environment|m" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-mutate multline;"
 		Separator
+# "math-matrix" and "math-insert" create an inline formula first if called from text mode
 		Item "Array Environment|y" "math-matrix 2 2"
-		Item "Cases Environment|C" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \cases"
-		Item "Aligned Environment|l" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \aligned; tabular-feature append-column"
-		Item "AlignedAt Environment|v" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \alignedat; tabular-feature append-column"
-		Item "Gathered Environment|h" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \gathered"
-		Item "Split Environment|S" "command-sequence math-mode on; math-insert \split; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "Cases Environment|C" "math-insert \cases"
+		Item "Aligned Environment|l" "command-sequence math-insert \aligned; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "AlignedAt Environment|v" "command-sequence math-insert \alignedat; tabular-feature append-column"
+		Item "Gathered Environment|h" "math-insert \gathered"
+		Item "Split Environment|S" "command-sequence math-insert \split; tabular-feature append-column"
 		Separator
 		Item "Delimiters...|r" "dialog-show mathdelimiter"
 		Item "Matrix...|x" "dialog-show mathmatrix"
diff --git a/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.inc b/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.inc
index 8e9a27c78b..d344dc74e5 100644
--- a/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.inc
+++ b/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.inc
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ ToolbarSet
 		Item "Toggle noun" "font-noun"
 		Item "Apply last" "textstyle-apply"
 		Separator
-		Item "Insert math" "math-mode"
+		Item "Insert math" "math-mode on"
 		Item "Insert graphics" "dialog-show-new-inset graphics"
 		TableInsert "Insert table"
 		Separator
diff --git a/src/Text3.cpp b/src/Text3.cpp
index bb0ea5767e..f6f449af34 100644
--- a/src/Text3.cpp
+++ b/src/Text3.cpp
@@ -1618,6 +1618,7 @@ void Text::dispatch(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 	case LFUN_MATH_MODE:
 		if (cmd.argument() == "on")
 			// don't pass "on" as argument
+			// (it would appear literally in the first cell)
 			mathDispatch(cur, FuncRequest(LFUN_MATH_MODE), false);
 		else
 			mathDispatch(cur, cmd, false);
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
index 60add28f4c..61133dd146 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
@@ -1270,6 +1270,12 @@ bool InsetMathNest::getStatus(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest const & cmd,
 		break;
 	}
 
+	case LFUN_MATH_MODE:
+		// forbid "math-mode on" in math mode to prevent irritating
+		// behaviour of menu entries (bug 6709)
+		flag.setEnabled(currentMode() == TEXT_MODE || arg != "on");
+		break;
+
 	case LFUN_MATH_INSERT:
 		flag.setEnabled(currentMode() != TEXT_MODE);
 		break;
diff --git a/status.16x b/status.16x
index ee513bc475..e40bcf415c 100644
--- a/status.16x
+++ b/status.16x
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ What's new
 
 - Fix save of personal dictionary path to preferences. (bug 6688)
 
+- Fix unexpected behavior of some "insert math" menu/toolbar entries. (bug 6709)
+
 
 * DOCUMENTATION AND LOCALIZATION