diff --git a/src/LyX.cpp b/src/LyX.cpp
index efb1237950..b6d1df8d4b 100644
--- a/src/LyX.cpp
+++ b/src/LyX.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 
 #include "frontends/alert.h"
 #include "frontends/Application.h"
-#include "frontends/Gui.h"
 #include "frontends/LyXView.h"
 
 #include "support/environment.h"
@@ -375,22 +374,6 @@ void LyX::setGuiLanguage(std::string const & language)
 }
 
 
-Buffer const * LyX::updateInset(Inset const * inset) const
-{
-	if (quitting || !inset)
-		return 0;
-	return application().gui().updateInset(inset);
-}
-
-
-void LyX::hideDialogs(std::string const & name, Inset * inset) const
-{
-	if (quitting || !use_gui)
-		return;
-	application().gui().hideDialogs(name, inset);
-}
-
-
 int LyX::exec(int & argc, char * argv[])
 {
 	// Here we need to parse the command line. At least
diff --git a/src/LyX.h b/src/LyX.h
index f02ea652df..25529e55d5 100644
--- a/src/LyX.h
+++ b/src/LyX.h
@@ -101,13 +101,6 @@ public:
 	///
 	frontend::LyXView * newLyXView();
 
-	/** redraw \c inset in all the BufferViews in which it is currently
-	 *  visible. If successful return a pointer to the owning Buffer.
-	 */
-	Buffer const * updateInset(Inset const *) const;
-
-	void hideDialogs(std::string const & name, Inset * inset) const;
-
 	/// Execute batch commands if available.
 	void execBatchCommands();
 
diff --git a/src/LyXFunc.cpp b/src/LyXFunc.cpp
index 557e7148e6..28ff404be2 100644
--- a/src/LyXFunc.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXFunc.cpp
@@ -1562,7 +1562,9 @@ void LyXFunc::dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd)
 		}
 
 		case LFUN_DIALOG_HIDE: {
-			LyX::cref().hideDialogs(argument, 0);
+			if (quitting || !use_gui)
+				break;
+			theApp()->gui().hideDialogs(argument, 0);
 			break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/insets/Inset.cpp b/src/insets/Inset.cpp
index 5f0754b8e6..b8e6c7cb51 100644
--- a/src/insets/Inset.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/Inset.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include "MetricsInfo.h"
 
 #include "frontends/Painter.h"
+#include "frontends/Application.h"
+#include "frontends/Gui.h"
 
 #include "support/convert.h"
 
@@ -44,10 +46,11 @@
 
 namespace lyx {
 
+extern bool quitting;
+
 class InsetName {
 public:
-	InsetName(std::string const & n, InsetCode c)
-		: name(n), code(c) {}
+	InsetName(std::string const & n, InsetCode c) : name(n), code(c) {}
 	std::string name;
 	InsetCode code;
 };
@@ -382,4 +385,12 @@ void Inset::setDimCache(MetricsInfo const & mi, Dimension const & dim) const
 	mi.base.bv->coordCache().insets().add(this, dim);
 }
 
+
+Buffer const * Inset::updateFrontend() const
+{
+	if (quitting)
+		return 0;
+	return theApp()->gui().updateInset(this);
+}
+
 } // namespace lyx
diff --git a/src/insets/Inset.h b/src/insets/Inset.h
index 2caf998873..14bd75fa39 100644
--- a/src/insets/Inset.h
+++ b/src/insets/Inset.h
@@ -353,6 +353,8 @@ public:
 	/// Update the counters of this inset and of its contents
 	virtual void updateLabels(Buffer const &, ParIterator const &) {}
 
+	/// Updates the inset's dialog
+	virtual Buffer const * updateFrontend() const;
 
 public:
 	/// returns LyX code associated with the inset. Used for TOC, ...)
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetExternal.cpp b/src/insets/InsetExternal.cpp
index 2ca4511163..75aeb66580 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetExternal.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetExternal.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include "FuncRequest.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 #include "LaTeXFeatures.h"
-#include "LyX.h"
 #include "Lexer.h"
 #include "LyXRC.h"
 #include "MetricsInfo.h"
@@ -65,6 +64,8 @@ string defaultTemplateName;
 
 namespace lyx {
 
+extern bool use_gui;
+
 namespace external {
 
 TempName::TempName()
@@ -89,8 +90,7 @@ TempName::~TempName()
 }
 
 
-TempName &
-TempName::operator=(TempName const & other)
+TempName & TempName::operator=(TempName const & other)
 {
 	if (this != &other)
 		tempname_ = TempName()();
@@ -385,8 +385,7 @@ bool InsetExternalParams::read(Buffer const & buffer, Lexer & lex)
 			break;
 
 		default:
-			lex.printError("ExternalInset::read: "
-				       "Wrong tag: $$Token");
+			lex.printError("ExternalInset::read: Wrong tag: $$Token");
 			read_error = true;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -437,7 +436,7 @@ InsetExternal::~InsetExternal()
 
 void InsetExternal::statusChanged() const
 {
-	LyX::cref().updateInset(this);
+	updateFrontend();
 }
 
 
@@ -633,8 +632,9 @@ void InsetExternal::setParams(InsetExternalParams const & p,
 
 		button_ptr->update(getScreenLabel(params_, buffer), true);
 		break;
+	}
 
-	} case RENDERGRAPHIC: {
+	case RENDERGRAPHIC: {
 		RenderGraphic * graphic_ptr = renderer_->asGraphic();
 		if (!graphic_ptr) {
 			renderer_.reset(new RenderGraphic(this));
@@ -644,8 +644,9 @@ void InsetExternal::setParams(InsetExternalParams const & p,
 		graphic_ptr->update(get_grfx_params(params_));
 
 		break;
+	}
 
-	} case RENDERPREVIEW: {
+	case RENDERPREVIEW: {
 		RenderMonitoredPreview * preview_ptr =
 			renderer_->asMonitoredPreview();
 		if (!preview_ptr) {
@@ -667,16 +668,15 @@ void InsetExternal::setParams(InsetExternalParams const & p,
 
 void InsetExternal::fileChanged() const
 {
-	Buffer const * const buffer_ptr = LyX::cref().updateInset(this);
-	if (!buffer_ptr)
+	Buffer const * const buffer = updateFrontend();
+	if (!buffer)
 		return;
 
 	RenderMonitoredPreview * const ptr = renderer_->asMonitoredPreview();
 	BOOST_ASSERT(ptr);
 
-	Buffer const & buffer = *buffer_ptr;
-	ptr->removePreview(buffer);
-	add_preview_and_start_loading(*ptr, *this, buffer);
+	ptr->removePreview(*buffer);
+	add_preview_and_start_loading(*ptr, *this, *buffer);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetInclude.cpp b/src/insets/InsetInclude.cpp
index ecab91e252..bfc286de5d 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetInclude.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetInclude.cpp
@@ -770,14 +770,13 @@ Inset::DisplayType InsetInclude::display() const
 
 void InsetInclude::fileChanged() const
 {
-	Buffer const * const buffer_ptr = LyX::cref().updateInset(this);
-	if (!buffer_ptr)
+	Buffer const * const buffer = updateFrontend();
+	if (!buffer)
 		return;
 
-	Buffer const & buffer = *buffer_ptr;
-	preview_->removePreview(buffer);
-	add_preview(*preview_.get(), *this, buffer);
-	preview_->startLoading(buffer);
+	preview_->removePreview(*buffer);
+	add_preview(*preview_.get(), *this, *buffer);
+	preview_->startLoading(*buffer);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/insets/MailInset.cpp b/src/insets/MailInset.cpp
index 3babfeaa1e..a7a843845c 100644
--- a/src/insets/MailInset.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/MailInset.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
 
 #include "BufferView.h"
 #include "debug.h"
-#include "LyX.h"
+
+#include "frontends/Application.h"
+#include "frontends/Gui.h"
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
 
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ void MailInset::updateDialog(BufferView * bv) const
 
 void MailInset::hideDialog() const
 {
-	LyX::cref().hideDialogs(name(), &inset());
+	theApp()->gui().hideDialogs(name(), &inset());
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/insets/RenderGraphic.cpp b/src/insets/RenderGraphic.cpp
index dbc3fd21ff..74e3181989 100644
--- a/src/insets/RenderGraphic.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/RenderGraphic.cpp
@@ -31,26 +31,17 @@
 
 namespace lyx {
 
-using support::onlyFilename;
-
-using std::string;
-
 
 RenderGraphic::RenderGraphic(Inset const * inset)
 {
-	loader_.connect(boost::bind(&LyX::updateInset,
-				    boost::cref(LyX::cref()), inset));
+	loader_.connect(boost::bind(&Inset::updateFrontend, inset));
 }
 
 
-RenderGraphic::RenderGraphic(RenderGraphic const & other,
-			     Inset const * inset)
-	: RenderBase(other),
-	  loader_(other.loader_),
-	  params_(other.params_)
+RenderGraphic::RenderGraphic(RenderGraphic const & other, Inset const * inset)
+	: RenderBase(other), loader_(other.loader_), params_(other.params_)
 {
-	loader_.connect(boost::bind(&LyX::updateInset,
-				    boost::cref(LyX::cref()), inset));
+	loader_.connect(boost::bind(&Inset::updateFrontend, inset));
 }
 
 
@@ -64,9 +55,8 @@ void RenderGraphic::update(graphics::Params const & params)
 {
 	params_ = params;
 
-	if (!params_.filename.empty()) {
+	if (!params_.filename.empty())
 		loader_.reset(params_.filename, params_);
-	}
 }
 
 
@@ -155,12 +145,10 @@ void RenderGraphic::metrics(MetricsInfo & mi, Dimension & dim) const
 		msgFont.setFamily(SANS_FAMILY);
 
 		// FIXME UNICODE
-		docstring const justname =
-			from_utf8(onlyFilename(params_.filename.absFilename()));
+		docstring const justname = from_utf8(params_.filename.onlyFileName());
 		if (!justname.empty()) {
 			msgFont.setSize(FONT_SIZE_FOOTNOTE);
-			font_width = theFontMetrics(msgFont)
-				.width(justname);
+			font_width = theFontMetrics(msgFont).width(justname);
 		}
 
 		docstring const msg = statusMessage(params_, loader_.status());
@@ -206,7 +194,7 @@ void RenderGraphic::draw(PainterInfo & pi, int x, int y) const
 		// Print the file name.
 		FontInfo msgFont = pi.base.font;
 		msgFont.setFamily(SANS_FAMILY);
-		string const justname = onlyFilename(params_.filename.absFilename());
+		std::string const justname = params_.filename.onlyFileName();
 
 		if (!justname.empty()) {
 			msgFont.setSize(FONT_SIZE_FOOTNOTE);
diff --git a/src/insets/RenderPreview.cpp b/src/insets/RenderPreview.cpp
index d21f638eee..81a48f5946 100644
--- a/src/insets/RenderPreview.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/RenderPreview.cpp
@@ -240,13 +240,12 @@ void RenderPreview::imageReady(graphics::PreviewImage const & pimage)
 {
 	// Check the current snippet is the same as that previewed.
 	if (snippet_ == pimage.snippet())
-		LyX::cref().updateInset(parent_);
+		parent_->updateFrontend();
 }
 
 
 RenderMonitoredPreview::RenderMonitoredPreview(Inset const * inset)
-	: RenderPreview(inset),
-	  monitor_(FileName(), 2000)
+	: RenderPreview(inset), monitor_(FileName(), 2000)
 {}