diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
index 484e0ed56e..1f0adda504 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.cpp
@@ -277,54 +277,6 @@ void InsetMathNest::draw(PainterInfo &, int, int) const
 }
 
 
-void InsetMathNest::drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
-{
-	BufferView & bv = *pi.base.bv;
-	// this should use the x/y values given, not the cached values
-	Cursor & cur = bv.cursor();
-	if (!cur.selection())
-		return;
-	if (&cur.inset() != this)
-		return;
-
-	// FIXME: hack to get position cache warm
-	bool const original_drawing_state = pi.pain.isDrawingEnabled();
-	pi.pain.setDrawingEnabled(false);
-	draw(pi, x, y);
-	pi.pain.setDrawingEnabled(original_drawing_state);
-
-	CursorSlice s1 = cur.selBegin();
-	CursorSlice s2 = cur.selEnd();
-
-	//lyxerr << "InsetMathNest::drawing selection: "
-	//	<< " s1: " << s1 << " s2: " << s2 << endl;
-	if (s1.idx() == s2.idx()) {
-		MathData const & c = cell(s1.idx());
-		Geometry const & g = bv.coordCache().getArrays().geometry(&c);
-		int x1 = g.pos.x_ + c.pos2x(pi.base.bv, s1.pos());
-		int y1 = g.pos.y_ - g.dim.ascent();
-		int x2 = g.pos.x_ + c.pos2x(pi.base.bv, s2.pos());
-		int y2 = g.pos.y_ + g.dim.descent();
-		pi.pain.fillRectangle(x1, y1, x2 - x1, y2 - y1, Color_selection);
-	//lyxerr << "InsetMathNest::drawing selection 3: "
-	//	<< " x1: " << x1 << " x2: " << x2
-	//	<< " y1: " << y1 << " y2: " << y2 << endl;
-	} else {
-		for (idx_type i = 0; i < nargs(); ++i) {
-			if (idxBetween(i, s1.idx(), s2.idx())) {
-				MathData const & c = cell(i);
-				Geometry const & g = bv.coordCache().getArrays().geometry(&c);
-				int x1 = g.pos.x_;
-				int y1 = g.pos.y_ - g.dim.ascent();
-				int x2 = g.pos.x_ + g.dim.width();
-				int y2 = g.pos.y_ + g.dim.descent();
-				pi.pain.fillRectangle(x1, y1, x2 - x1, y2 - y1, Color_selection);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-
 void InsetMathNest::validate(LaTeXFeatures & features) const
 {
 	for (idx_type i = 0; i < nargs(); ++i)
diff --git a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.h b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.h
index f1cfdd8beb..51670a2c64 100644
--- a/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.h
+++ b/src/mathed/InsetMathNest.h
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ public:
 	void cellsMetrics(MetricsInfo const & mi) const;
 	/// draw background if locked
 	void draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
-	/// draw selection background
-	void drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
 	///
 	void updateBuffer(ParIterator const &, UpdateType);
 	/// identifies NestInsets
@@ -49,7 +47,7 @@ public:
 	void cursorPos(BufferView const & bv, CursorSlice const & sl,
 		bool boundary, int & x, int & y) const;
 	///
-	void edit(Cursor & cur, bool front, 
+	void edit(Cursor & cur, bool front,
 		EntryDirection entry_from = ENTRY_DIRECTION_IGNORE);
 	///
 	Inset * editXY(Cursor & cur, int x, int y);
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathData.cpp b/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
index dcf9647b2e..322a8e9ceb 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathData.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "mathed/InsetMathUnknown.h"
 
 #include "frontends/FontMetrics.h"
+#include "frontends/Painter.h"
 
 #include "support/debug.h"
 #include "support/docstream.h"
@@ -285,6 +286,40 @@ void MathData::metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const
 }
 
 
+void MathData::drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int const x, int const y) const
+{
+	BufferView const * bv = pi.base.bv;
+	Cursor const & cur = bv->cursor();
+	InsetMath const * inset = cur.inset().asInsetMath();
+	if (!cur.selection() || !inset || inset->nargs() == 0)
+		return;
+
+	CursorSlice const s1 = cur.selBegin();
+	CursorSlice const s2 = cur.selEnd();
+	MathData const & c1 = inset->cell(s1.idx());
+
+	if (s1.idx() == s2.idx() && &c1 == this) {
+		// selection indide cell
+		Dimension const dim = bv->coordCache().getArrays().dim(&c1);
+		int const beg = c1.pos2x(bv, s1.pos());
+		int const end = c1.pos2x(bv, s2.pos());
+		pi.pain.fillRectangle(x + beg, y - dim.ascent(),
+		                      end - beg, dim.height(), Color_selection);
+	} else {
+		for (idx_type i = 0; i < inset->nargs(); ++i) {
+			MathData const & c = inset->cell(i);
+			if (&c == this && inset->idxBetween(i, s1.idx(), s2.idx())) {
+				// The whole cell is selected
+				Dimension const dim = bv->coordCache().getArrays().dim(&c);
+				pi.pain.fillRectangle(x, y - dim.ascent(),
+				                      dim.width(), dim.height(),
+				                      Color_selection);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+
 void MathData::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int const x, int const y) const
 {
 	//lyxerr << "MathData::draw: x: " << x << " y: " << y << endl;
@@ -300,6 +335,7 @@ void MathData::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int const x, int const y) const
 		|| x >= bv. workWidth())
 		return;
 
+	drawSelection(pi, x, y);
 	MathRow const & mrow = mrow_cache_[pi.base.bv];
 	mrow.draw(pi, x, y);
 }
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathData.h b/src/mathed/MathData.h
index 1d2617c8dd..ed85c78977 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathData.h
+++ b/src/mathed/MathData.h
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ public:
 	///
 	Dimension const & dimension(BufferView const &) const;
 
+	/// draw the selection over the cell
+	void drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
 	/// redraw cell using cache metrics information
 	void draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
 	/// rebuild cached metrics information
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp b/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
index 4f478d0995..8b86dc6422 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathMacro.cpp
@@ -802,14 +802,6 @@ void MathMacro::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 }
 
 
-void MathMacro::drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
-{
-	// We may have 0 arguments, but InsetMathNest requires at least one.
-	if (!cells_.empty())
-		InsetMathNest::drawSelection(pi, x, y);
-}
-
-
 void MathMacro::setDisplayMode(MathMacro::DisplayMode mode, int appetite)
 {
 	if (d->displayMode_ != mode) {
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathMacro.h b/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
index f1e61dcb4c..5392754969 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
+++ b/src/mathed/MathMacro.h
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ public:
 	bool editMetrics(BufferView const * bv) const;
 	///
 	void draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
-	/// draw selection background
-	void drawSelection(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const;
 	///
 	int kerning(BufferView const * bv) const;
 	/// get cursor position
diff --git a/src/mathed/MathRow.cpp b/src/mathed/MathRow.cpp
index e046add470..c3c9a1c934 100644
--- a/src/mathed/MathRow.cpp
+++ b/src/mathed/MathRow.cpp
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ void MathRow::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int const y) const
 			Dimension d2 = d;
 			d2.wid -= e.before + e.after;
 			coords.insets().add(e.inset, d2);
-			e.inset->drawSelection(pi, x + e.before, y);
 			e.inset->draw(pi, x + e.before, y);
 			coords.insets().add(e.inset, x, y);
 			coords.insets().add(e.inset, d);
@@ -287,14 +286,16 @@ void MathRow::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int const y) const
 			break;
 		}
 		case BEGIN:
+			if (e.ar) {
+				coords.arrays().add(e.ar, x, y);
+				e.ar->drawSelection(pi, x, y);
+			}
 			if (e.inset) {
 				coords.insets().add(e.inset, x, y);
 				drawMarkers(pi, e, x, y);
 				e.inset->beforeDraw(pi);
 			}
 			x += e.before + e.after;
-			if (e.ar)
-				coords.arrays().add(e.ar, x, y);
 			break;
 		case END:
 			if (e.inset)