diff --git a/src/Counters.h b/src/Counters.h
index a195889e31..ce122c4140 100644
--- a/src/Counters.h
+++ b/src/Counters.h
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ public:
 	bool isSubfloat() const { return subfloat_; }
 	/// Set the state variable indicating whether we are in a subfloat.
 	void isSubfloat(bool s) { subfloat_ = s; }
+	/// Are we in a longtable?
+	bool isLongtable() const { return longtable_; }
+	/// Set the state variable indicating whether we are in a longtable.
+	void isLongtable(bool s) { longtable_ = s; }
 	
 	/// \name refstepcounter	
 	// @{
@@ -225,6 +229,8 @@ private:
 	std::string current_float_;
 	/// Are we in a subfloat?
 	bool subfloat_;
+	/// Are we in a longtable?
+	bool longtable_;
 	/// Used to keep track of active counters.
 	std::vector<docstring> counter_stack_;
 	/// Same, but for last layout.
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetCaption.cpp b/src/insets/InsetCaption.cpp
index 2303a1d82a..f1f0983810 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetCaption.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetCaption.cpp
@@ -404,7 +404,9 @@ void InsetCaption::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType utype)
 		docstring const labelstring = isAscii(lstring) ?
 				master.B_(to_ascii(lstring)) : lstring;
 		if (cnts.hasCounter(counter)) {
-			cnts.step(counter, utype);
+			// for longtables, we step the counter upstream
+			if (!cnts.isLongtable())
+				cnts.step(counter, utype);
 			sec = cnts.theCounter(counter, lang);
 		}
 		if (labelstring != master.B_("standard")) {
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp b/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
index b633c492e1..f89c34a285 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetTabular.cpp
@@ -3897,8 +3897,12 @@ void InsetTabular::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType utype)
 	// In a longtable, tell captions what the current float is
 	Counters & cnts = buffer().masterBuffer()->params().documentClass().counters();
 	string const saveflt = cnts.current_float();
-	if (tabular.is_long_tabular)
+	if (tabular.is_long_tabular) {
 		cnts.current_float("table");
+		// in longtables, we only step the counter once
+		cnts.step(from_ascii("table"), utype);
+		cnts.isLongtable(true);
+	}
 
 	ParIterator it2 = it;
 	it2.forwardPos();
@@ -3907,8 +3911,10 @@ void InsetTabular::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType utype)
 		buffer().updateBuffer(it2, utype);
 
 	//reset afterwards
-	if (tabular.is_long_tabular)
+	if (tabular.is_long_tabular) {
 		cnts.current_float(saveflt);
+		cnts.isLongtable(false);
+	}
 }