diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.cpp b/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.cpp
index 39ac88586a..ac6cafaa43 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
 namespace lyx {
 
 
-InsetMathXYMatrix::InsetMathXYMatrix(Buffer * buf, Length const & s, char c)
-	: InsetMathGrid(buf, 1, 1), spacing_(s), spacing_code_(c)
+InsetMathXYMatrix::InsetMathXYMatrix(Buffer * buf, Length const & s, char c,
+	bool e) : InsetMathGrid(buf, 1, 1), spacing_(s), spacing_code_(c),
+	equal_spacing_(e)
 {
 }
 
@@ -56,19 +57,29 @@ void InsetMathXYMatrix::write(WriteStream & os) const
 {
 	MathEnsurer ensurer(os);
 	os << "\\xymatrix";
-	switch (spacing_code_) {
-	case 'R':
-	case 'C':
-	case 'M':
-	case 'W':
-	case 'H':
-	case 'L':
-		os << '@' << spacing_code_ << '='
-		   << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString());
-		break;
-	default:
-		if (!spacing_.empty())
-			os << "@=" << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString());
+	if (equal_spacing_) {
+		os << "@!";
+		switch (spacing_code_) {
+		case '0':
+		case 'R':
+		case 'C':
+			os << spacing_code_;
+		}
+	} else {
+		switch (spacing_code_) {
+		case 'R':
+		case 'C':
+		case 'M':
+		case 'W':
+		case 'H':
+		case 'L':
+			os << '@' << spacing_code_ << '='
+			   << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString());
+			break;
+		default:
+			if (!spacing_.empty())
+				os << "@=" << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString());
+		}
 	}
 	os << '{';
 	InsetMathGrid::write(os);
@@ -79,19 +90,28 @@ void InsetMathXYMatrix::write(WriteStream & os) const
 void InsetMathXYMatrix::infoize(odocstream & os) const
 {
 	os << "xymatrix ";
-	switch (spacing_code_) {
-	case 'R':
-	case 'C':
-	case 'M':
-	case 'W':
-	case 'H':
-	case 'L':
-		os << spacing_code_ << ' '
-		   << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString()) << ' ';
-		break;
-	default:
-		if (!spacing_.empty())
-			os << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString()) << ' ';
+	if (equal_spacing_) {
+		switch (spacing_code_) {
+		case '0':
+		case 'R':
+		case 'C':
+			os << '!' << spacing_code_ << ' ';
+		}
+	} else {
+		switch (spacing_code_) {
+		case 'R':
+		case 'C':
+		case 'M':
+		case 'W':
+		case 'H':
+		case 'L':
+			os << spacing_code_ << ' '
+			   << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString()) << ' ';
+			break;
+		default:
+			if (!spacing_.empty())
+				os << from_ascii(spacing_.asLatexString()) << ' ';
+		}
 	}
 	InsetMathGrid::infoize(os);
 }
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.h b/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.h
index ee20149d30..6d72e8b9e5 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.h
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathXYMatrix.h
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ namespace lyx {
 class InsetMathXYMatrix : public InsetMathGrid {
 public:
 	///
-	InsetMathXYMatrix(Buffer * buf, Length const & = Length(), char c = '\0');
+	InsetMathXYMatrix(Buffer * buf, Length const & = Length(), char c = '\0',
+		bool equal_spacing = false);
 	///
 	void metrics(MetricsInfo &, Dimension &) const;
 	///
@@ -54,6 +55,8 @@ private:
 	Length spacing_;
 	///
 	char spacing_code_;
+	///
+	bool equal_spacing_;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathFactory.cpp b/src/mathed/MathFactory.cpp
index b1af651497..8cce5f010a 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathFactory.cpp
@@ -374,11 +374,23 @@ MathAtom createInsetMath(docstring const & s, Buffer * buf)
 	if (s.substr(0, 8) == "xymatrix") {
 		char spacing_code = '\0';
 		Length spacing;
+		bool equal_spacing = false;
 		size_t const len = s.length();
 		size_t i = 8;
 		if (i < len && s[i] == '@') {
 			++i;
-			if (i < len) {
+			if (i < len && s[i] == '!') {
+				equal_spacing = true;
+				++i;
+				if (i < len) {
+					switch (s[i]) {
+					case '0':
+					case 'R':
+					case 'C':
+						spacing_code = static_cast<char>(s[i]);
+					}
+				}
+			} else if (i < len) {
 				switch (s[i]) {
 				case 'R':
 				case 'C':
@@ -390,13 +402,14 @@ MathAtom createInsetMath(docstring const & s, Buffer * buf)
 					++i;
 					break;
 				}
-			}
-			if (i < len && s[i] == '=') {
-				++i;
-				spacing = Length(to_ascii(s.substr(i)));
+				if (i < len && s[i] == '=') {
+					++i;
+					spacing = Length(to_ascii(s.substr(i)));
+				}
 			}
 		}
-		return MathAtom(new InsetMathXYMatrix(buf, spacing, spacing_code));
+		return MathAtom(new InsetMathXYMatrix(buf, spacing, spacing_code,
+			equal_spacing));
 	}
 	if (s == "xrightarrow" || s == "xleftarrow")
 		return MathAtom(new InsetMathXArrow(buf, s));