diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmaplayer.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmaplayer.cpp
index 93d5ca0ba5d..bdabe08c870 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmaplayer.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmaplayer.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "qgsproject.h"
 #include "qgssymbol.h"
 #include "qgsmaplayer.h"
+#include "qgslegend.h"
 #include "qgslegendlayerfile.h"
 
 
@@ -105,6 +106,9 @@ void QgsMapLayer::setLayerName(const QString & _newVal)
 {
   QgsDebugMsg("QgsMapLayer::setLayerName: new name is '" + _newVal);
   layerName = _newVal;
+  // And update the legend if one exists
+  if (mLegend)
+    mLegend->setName(mLegendLayerFile, layerName);
 }
 
 /** Read property of QString layerName. */
diff --git a/src/legend/qgslegend.cpp b/src/legend/qgslegend.cpp
index 706bfda7ae6..6938f9763df 100755
--- a/src/legend/qgslegend.cpp
+++ b/src/legend/qgslegend.cpp
@@ -1281,6 +1281,22 @@ void QgsLegend::changeSymbologySettings(const QString& key, const std::list< std
   setCurrentItem(theCurrentItem);
 }
 
+void QgsLegend::setName(QgsLegendLayerFile* legendLayerFile,
+                        QString layerName)
+{
+  if (legendLayerFile)
+  {
+    QTreeWidgetItem* p = legendLayerFile->parent();
+    if (p)
+    {
+      p = p->parent();
+      if (p)
+        p->setText(0, layerName);
+    }
+  }
+
+}
+
 void QgsLegend::handleItemChange(QTreeWidgetItem* item, int row)
 {
   if(!item)
diff --git a/src/legend/qgslegend.h b/src/legend/qgslegend.h
index d234091023a..a46f95c634c 100755
--- a/src/legend/qgslegend.h
+++ b/src/legend/qgslegend.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 class QgisApp;
 class QgsLegendLayer;
+class QgsLegendLayerFile;
 class QgsLegendItem;
 class QgsMapLayer;
 class QgsMapCanvas;
@@ -145,6 +146,10 @@ class QgsLegend : public QTreeWidget
    Note: the QIcon* are deleted and therefore need to be allocated by calling functions using operator new*/
   void changeSymbologySettings(const QString& key, const std::list< std::pair<QString, QIcon*> >* newSymbologyItems);
 
+  /** Sets the name of the QgsLegendLayer that is the parent of 
+      the given QgsLegendLayerFile */
+  void setName(QgsLegendLayerFile* w, QString layerName);
+
 public slots:
 
     /*!Adds a new layer group with the maplayer to the canvas*/