diff --git a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
index 48e7da0c1b9..b4f2f15c12c 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
@@ -614,6 +614,9 @@ QString QgsMapLayer::loadNamedStyle( const QString theURI, bool &theResultFlag )
     return myErrorMessage;
   }
 
+  //also restore custom properties (for labeling-ng)
+  readCustomProperties( myRoot, "labeling" );
+
   return "";
 }
 
@@ -653,6 +656,9 @@ QString QgsMapLayer::saveNamedStyle( const QString theURI, bool & theResultFlag
     return tr( "Could not save symbology because:\n%1" ).arg( errorMsg );
   }
 
+  //save customproperties (for labeling ng)
+  writeCustomProperties( myRootNode, myDocument );
+
   // check if the uri is a file or ends with .qml,
   // which indicates that it should become one
   // everything else goes to the database
@@ -804,7 +810,7 @@ void QgsMapLayer::removeCustomProperty( const QString& key )
   mCustomProperties.remove( key );
 }
 
-void QgsMapLayer::readCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode )
+void QgsMapLayer::readCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, const QString& keyStartsWith )
 {
   QDomNode propsNode = layerNode.namedItem( "customproperties" );
   if ( propsNode.isNull() ) // no properties stored...
@@ -822,17 +828,20 @@ void QgsMapLayer::readCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode )
     QDomElement propElement = propNode.toElement();
 
     QString key = propElement.attribute( "key" );
-    QString value = propElement.attribute( "value" );
-    mCustomProperties[key] = QVariant( value );
+    if ( key.isEmpty() || key.startsWith( keyStartsWith ) )
+    {
+      QString value = propElement.attribute( "value" );
+      mCustomProperties[key] = QVariant( value );
+    }
   }
 
 }
 
-void QgsMapLayer::writeCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, QDomDocument & doc )
+void QgsMapLayer::writeCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, QDomDocument & doc ) const
 {
   QDomElement propsElement = doc.createElement( "customproperties" );
 
-  for ( QMap<QString, QVariant>::const_iterator it = mCustomProperties.begin(); it != mCustomProperties.end(); ++it )
+  for ( QMap<QString, QVariant>::const_iterator it = mCustomProperties.constBegin(); it != mCustomProperties.constEnd(); ++it )
   {
     QDomElement propElement = doc.createElement( "property" );
     propElement.setAttribute( "key", it.key() );
diff --git a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
index 38459199da2..6544cf15edb 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
@@ -373,11 +373,12 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsMapLayer : public QObject
     virtual bool writeXml( QDomNode & layer_node, QDomDocument & document );
 
 
-    /** Read custom properties from project file. Added in v1.4 */
-    void readCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode );
+    /** Read custom properties from project file. Added in v1.4
+        @param keyStartsWith reads only properties starting with the specified string (or all if the string is empty)*/
+    void readCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, const QString& keyStartsWith = "" );
 
     /** Write custom properties to project file. Added in v1.4 */
-    void writeCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, QDomDocument & doc );
+    void writeCustomProperties( QDomNode & layerNode, QDomDocument & doc ) const;
 
     /** debugging member - invoked when a connect() is made to this object */
     void connectNotify( const char * signal );