diff --git a/development/FORMAT b/development/FORMAT
index d992e04a6e..bea1049b5f 100644
--- a/development/FORMAT
+++ b/development/FORMAT
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 LyX file-format changes
 -----------------------
+2007-06-13 Bo Peng <ben.bob@gmail.com>
+	* format incremented to 273: add --Separator-- environment to 
+		separate consecutive environments
+
 2007-06-13 Bo Peng <bpeng@lyx.org>
 	* format incremented to 272: convert listings to ERT because
 		earlier versions of lyx can not handle unrecognizable 
diff --git a/lib/doc/UserGuide.lyx b/lib/doc/UserGuide.lyx
index d4df082646..c72480cb4c 100644
--- a/lib/doc/UserGuide.lyx
+++ b/lib/doc/UserGuide.lyx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #LyX 1.5.0svn created this file. For more info see http://www.lyx.org/
-\lyxformat 263
+\lyxformat 273
 \begin_document
 \begin_header
 \textclass scrbook
@@ -91,8 +91,9 @@
 \paperpagestyle default
 \tracking_changes false
 \output_changes false
-\author "usti"
-\author "Uwe Stöhr"
+\author "Bo Peng" 
+\author "usti" 
+\author "Uwe Stöhr" 
 \end_header
 
 \begin_body
@@ -9278,6 +9279,42 @@ Once again, LyX doesn't enforce this limitation.
 
 \end_layout
 
+\begin_layout Standard
+In case that you want to start a new list immediately after a list, or consecuti
+ve definitions, proofs etc, you can use the 
+\family sans
+--Separator--
+\family default
+ environment to separate them.
+ For example
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_layout Enumerate
+item1
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_layout --Separator--
+
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_layout Enumerate
+another item1
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_deeper
+\begin_layout Enumerate
+nested item1
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_layout --Separator--
+
+\end_layout
+
+\begin_layout Enumerate
+nested another item1
+\end_layout
+
+\end_deeper
 \begin_layout Subsection
 Some Examples
 \end_layout
diff --git a/lib/layouts/stdlayouts.inc b/lib/layouts/stdlayouts.inc
index dbc01612c6..e2ac0eb883 100644
--- a/lib/layouts/stdlayouts.inc
+++ b/lib/layouts/stdlayouts.inc
@@ -61,5 +61,20 @@ Style Verse
 End
 
 
-
-
+Style --Separator--
+	KeepEmpty             1
+	Margin                Dynamic
+	LatexType             Paragraph
+	LatexName             dummy
+	ParIndent             MM
+	Align                 Block
+	AlignPossible         Block
+	LabelType             Static
+	LabelString           "--- Separate Environment ---"
+	LabelFont
+	  Family              Roman
+	  Series              Medium
+	  Size                Normal
+	  Color               Blue
+	EndFont
+End
diff --git a/lib/lyx2lyx/LyX.py b/lib/lyx2lyx/LyX.py
index 0fbfe1fe95..3b4e3e88f1 100644
--- a/lib/lyx2lyx/LyX.py
+++ b/lib/lyx2lyx/LyX.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ format_relation = [("0_06",    [200], generate_minor_versions("0.6" , 4)),
                    ("1_2",     [220], generate_minor_versions("1.2" , 4)),
                    ("1_3",     [221], generate_minor_versions("1.3" , 7)),
                    ("1_4", range(222,246), generate_minor_versions("1.4" , 4)),
-                   ("1_5", range(246,273), generate_minor_versions("1.5" , 0))]
+                   ("1_5", range(246,274), generate_minor_versions("1.5" , 0))]
 
 
 def formats_list():
diff --git a/lib/lyx2lyx/lyx_1_5.py b/lib/lyx2lyx/lyx_1_5.py
index 862f8fdff0..d24d323992 100644
--- a/lib/lyx2lyx/lyx_1_5.py
+++ b/lib/lyx2lyx/lyx_1_5.py
@@ -1656,6 +1656,53 @@ def convert_ext_font_sizes(document):
     else:
         del document.header[i]
 
+def revert_separator_layout(document):
+    r'''Revert --Separator-- to a lyx note
+From
+
+\begin_layout --Separator--
+something
+\end_layout
+
+to
+
+\begin_layout Standard
+\begin_inset Note Note
+status open
+
+\begin_layout Standard
+Separate Evironment
+\end_layout
+
+\end_inset
+something
+
+\end_layout
+
+    '''
+
+    i = 0
+    while True:
+        i = find_token(document.body, r'\begin_layout --Separator--', i)
+        if i == -1:
+            break
+        j = find_end_of_layout(document.body, i + 1)
+        if j == -1:
+            # this should not happen
+            break
+        document.body[i : j + 1] = [r'\begin_layout Standard',
+                                    r'\begin_inset Note Note',
+                                    'status open',
+                                    '',
+                                    r'\begin_layout Standard',
+                                    'Separate Environment',
+                                    r'\end_layout',
+                                    '',
+                                    r'\end_inset'] + \
+                                    document.body[ i + 1 : j] + \
+                                    ['',
+                                    r'\end_layout'
+                                    ]
 
 ##
 # Conversion hub
@@ -1687,11 +1734,13 @@ convert = [[246, []],
            [268, []],
            [269, []],
            [270, []],
-           [271, [convert_ext_font_sizes]]
+           [271, [convert_ext_font_sizes]],
            [272, []],
+           [273, []],
           ]
 
 revert =  [
+           [272, [revert_separator_layout]],
            [271, [revert_preamble_listings_params, revert_listings_inset, revert_include_listings]],
            [270, [revert_ext_font_sizes]],
            [269, [revert_beamer_alert, revert_beamer_structure]],
diff --git a/src/Buffer.cpp b/src/Buffer.cpp
index d867193cde..d9c704e204 100644
--- a/src/Buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/Buffer.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ using std::string;
 
 namespace {
 
-int const LYX_FORMAT = 272;
+int const LYX_FORMAT = 273;
 
 } // namespace anon