diff --git a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
index 3110c62ea6..d90071fed2 100644
--- a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
+++ b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
@@ -1439,6 +1439,7 @@ lib_images_files = Split('''
     footnote-insert.xpm
     index-insert.xpm
     label-insert.xpm
+    layout.xpm
     layout-document.xpm
     layout-paragraph.xpm
     layout_Description.xpm
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 38dfd8cc2f..8e2d9ac1cd 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ dist_images_DATA = \
 	images/footnote-insert.xpm \
 	images/index-insert.xpm \
 	images/label-insert.xpm \
+	images/layout.xpm \
 	images/layout-document.xpm \
 	images/layout-paragraph.xpm \
 	images/layout_Description.xpm \
diff --git a/lib/images/layout.xpm b/lib/images/layout.xpm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b916c074f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/images/layout.xpm
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* XPM */
+static char * layout_xpm[] = {
+"20 20 2 1",
+" 	c None",
+".	c #000000",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    ",
+" .................  ",
+"                    ",
+"                    "};
diff --git a/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.ui b/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.ui
index 6b40aa97de..d28f848c4a 100644
--- a/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.ui
+++ b/lib/ui/stdtoolbars.ui
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ Toolbar "standard" "Standard"
 End
 
 Toolbar "extra" "Extra"
+	Item "Default" "layout"
 	Item "Numbered list" "layout Enumerate"
 	Item "Itemized list" "layout Itemize"
 	Item "List" "layout List"
diff --git a/src/text3.C b/src/text3.C
index 79619b8f73..18ee7bb08a 100644
--- a/src/text3.C
+++ b/src/text3.C
@@ -788,21 +788,13 @@ void LyXText::dispatch(LCursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 		lyxerr[Debug::INFO] << "LFUN_LAYOUT: (arg) "
 		  << cmd.argument << endl;
 
-		// This is not the good solution to the empty argument
-		// problem, but it will hopefully suffice for 1.2.0.
-		// The correct solution would be to augument the
-		// function list/array with information about what
-		// functions needs arguments and their type.
-		if (cmd.argument.empty()) {
-			cur.errorMessage(_("LyX function 'layout' needs an argument."));
-			break;
-		}
-
 		// Derive layout number from given argument (string)
 		// and current buffer's textclass (number)
 		LyXTextClass const & tclass = bv->buffer()->params().getLyXTextClass();
-		bool hasLayout = tclass.hasLayout(cmd.argument);
-		string layout = cmd.argument;
+		string layout = cmd.argument.empty() ?
+			tclass.defaultLayoutName() :
+			cmd.argument;
+		bool hasLayout = tclass.hasLayout(layout);
 
 		// If the entry is obsolete, use the new one instead.
 		if (hasLayout) {
@@ -812,7 +804,7 @@ void LyXText::dispatch(LCursor & cur, FuncRequest & cmd)
 		}
 
 		if (!hasLayout) {
-			cur.errorMessage(string(N_("Layout ")) + cmd.argument +
+			cur.errorMessage(string(N_("Layout ")) + layout +
 				N_(" not known"));
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/status.14x b/status.14x
index 5302ad866b..5afa6583e7 100644
--- a/status.14x
+++ b/status.14x
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ What's new
 - New Galician translation of the documentation (splash, Intro);
   Update Hebrew (Intro) and Italian (UserGuide) documentation.
 
+- The layout lfun without an argument does now set the layout to the default
+  layout of the text class. This is used by a new button "Default" in the
+  extra toolbar.
+
 ** Bug fixes:
 
 * Document Input/Output