diff --git a/src/BufferParams.cpp b/src/BufferParams.cpp
index 3dbd9b7e96..c18e9b9e7d 100644
--- a/src/BufferParams.cpp
+++ b/src/BufferParams.cpp
@@ -1225,10 +1225,19 @@ void BufferParams::setTextClass(TextClass_ptr tc) {
 }
 
 
-void BufferParams::setBaseClass(textclass_type tc)
+bool BufferParams::setBaseClass(textclass_type tc)
 {
+	if (!textclasslist[tc].load()) {
+		docstring s = bformat(_("The document class %1$s."
+					"could not be loaded."),
+		 from_utf8(textclasslist[tc].name()));
+		frontend::Alert::error(_("Could not load class"), s);
+		return false;
+	}
+	
 	baseClass_ = tc;
 	makeTextClass();
+	return true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/BufferParams.h b/src/BufferParams.h
index 7922c66792..620b78e2a9 100644
--- a/src/BufferParams.h
+++ b/src/BufferParams.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public:
 	///Set the LyX TextClass (that is, the layout file) this document is using.
 	///NOTE This also calls makeTextClass(), to update the local
 	///TextClass.
-	void setBaseClass(textclass_type);
+	bool setBaseClass(textclass_type);
 	///Returns the TextClass currently in use: the BaseClass as modified
 	///by modules.
 	TextClass const & getTextClass() const;
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.cpp b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.cpp
index e7452ac2be..d2ef46d55b 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.cpp
@@ -111,25 +111,12 @@ void ControlDocument::dispatchParams()
 	// This must come first so that a language change is correctly noticed
 	setLanguage();
 
-	// Set the document class.
-	textclass_type const old_class =
-		kernel().buffer().params().getBaseClass();
-	textclass_type const new_class = bp_->getBaseClass();
-	if (new_class != old_class) {
-		string const name = textclasslist[new_class].name();
-		kernel().dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_TEXTCLASS_APPLY, name));
-	}
-
-	int const old_secnumdepth = kernel().buffer().params().secnumdepth;
-	int const new_secnumdepth = bp_->secnumdepth;
-
-	// Apply the BufferParams.
+	// Apply the BufferParams. Note that this will set the base class
+	// and then update the buffer's layout.
+	//FIXME Could this be done last? Then, I think, we'd get the automatic
+	//update mentioned in the next FIXME...
 	dispatch_bufferparams(kernel(), params(), LFUN_BUFFER_PARAMS_APPLY);
 
-	// redo the numbering if necessary
-	if (new_secnumdepth != old_secnumdepth)
-		updateLabels(kernel().buffer());
-
 	// Generate the colours requested by each new branch.
 	BranchList & branchlist = params().branchlist();
 	if (!branchlist.empty()) {
@@ -166,17 +153,6 @@ void ControlDocument::setLanguage() const
 }
 
 
-bool ControlDocument::loadTextclass(textclass_type tc) const
-{
-	string const name = textclasslist[tc].name();
-	kernel().dispatch(FuncRequest(LFUN_TEXTCLASS_LOAD, name));
-
-	// Report back whether we were able to change the class.
-	bool const success = textclasslist[tc].loaded();
-	return success;
-}
-
-
 void ControlDocument::saveAsDefault() const
 {
 	dispatch_bufferparams(kernel(), params(), LFUN_BUFFER_SAVE_AS_DEFAULT);
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.h b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.h
index 71f7d01122..2e725bfa0a 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.h
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlDocument.h
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ public:
 	///
 	void saveAsDefault() const;
 	///
-	bool loadTextclass(textclass_type tc) const;
-	///
 	bool const isFontAvailable(std::string const & font) const;
 	/// does this font provide Old Style figures?
 	bool const providesOSF(std::string const & font) const;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiDocument.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiDocument.cpp
index 8f61c641eb..954a433e3d 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiDocument.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiDocument.cpp
@@ -825,19 +825,12 @@ void GuiDocumentDialog::updatePagestyle(string const & items, string const & sel
 
 void GuiDocumentDialog::classChanged()
 {
-	ControlDocument & cntrl = form_->controller();
-	BufferParams & params = cntrl.params();
-
+	BufferParams & params = form_->controller().params();
 	textclass_type const tc = latexModule->classCO->currentIndex();
-
-	if (form_->controller().loadTextclass(tc)) {
-		params.setJustBaseClass(tc);
-		if (lyxrc.auto_reset_options)
-			params.useClassDefaults();
-		form_->update_contents();
-	} else {
-		latexModule->classCO->setCurrentIndex(params.getBaseClass());
-	}
+	params.setJustBaseClass(tc);
+	if (lyxrc.auto_reset_options)
+		params.useClassDefaults();
+	form_->update_contents();
 }