diff --git a/plugins/keyboard/gsd-keyboard-xkb.c b/plugins/keyboard/gsd-keyboard-xkb.c
index cb969e3..3a5ed6c 100644
--- a/plugins/keyboard/gsd-keyboard-xkb.c
+++ b/plugins/keyboard/gsd-keyboard-xkb.c
@@ -137,6 +137,103 @@ apply_desktop_settings (void)
 	gkbd_desktop_config_activate (&current_config);
 }
 
+#define GROUP_SWITCHERS_GROUP "grp"
+#define DEFAULT_GROUP_SWITCH "grp:shifts_toggle"
+
+static void
+_maybe_add_layout_switcher (GSList      *layouts,
+                            GConfClient *conf_client)
+{
+        GSList   *options;
+        GSList   *option;
+        gboolean  any_switcher;
+
+        /* do we have more than one layout? */
+        if (g_slist_length (layouts) > 1)
+                return;
+
+        /* If yes, we need to make sure there's a way to change the layout
+         * Based on xkl_layout_chooser_add_default_switcher_if_necessary() in
+         * capplets/keyboard/gnome-keyboard-properties-xkbltadd.c
+         * (gnome-control-center) */
+        options = gconf_client_get_list (conf_client,
+                                         GKBD_KEYBOARD_CONFIG_KEY_OPTIONS,
+                                         GCONF_VALUE_STRING,
+                                         NULL);
+
+        if (options == NULL) {
+                /* nothing in gconf, get the current options from X */
+                GkbdKeyboardConfig kbd_config;
+
+                gkbd_keyboard_config_init (&kbd_config,
+                                           conf_client,
+                                           xkl_engine);
+                gkbd_keyboard_config_load_from_x_initial (&kbd_config, NULL);
+
+                for (option = kbd_config.options; option != NULL; option = option->next) {
+                        options = g_slist_prepend (options,
+                                                   g_strdup (option->data));
+                }
+
+                options = g_slist_reverse (options);
+
+                gkbd_keyboard_config_term (&kbd_config);
+        }
+
+        any_switcher = FALSE;
+
+        while (option != NULL) {
+                char *g, *o;
+
+                if (gkbd_keyboard_config_split_items (option->data, &g, &o)) {
+                        if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (g, GROUP_SWITCHERS_GROUP)) {
+                                any_switcher = TRUE;
+                                break;
+                        }
+                }
+                option = option->next;
+        }
+
+        /* no option to switch between layouts, let's add one */
+        if (!any_switcher) {
+                XklConfigItem *ci = xkl_config_item_new ();
+
+                g_snprintf (ci->name, XKL_MAX_CI_NAME_LENGTH,
+                            DEFAULT_GROUP_SWITCH);
+
+                /* we make sure the option we want to add is known */
+                if (!xkl_registry) {
+                        xkl_registry = xkl_config_registry_get_instance (xkl_engine);
+                        if (!xkl_config_registry_load (xkl_registry, TRUE)) {
+                                g_object_unref (xkl_registry);
+                                xkl_registry = NULL;
+                        }
+                }
+
+                if (xkl_registry &&
+                    xkl_config_registry_find_option (xkl_registry,
+                                                     GROUP_SWITCHERS_GROUP,
+                                                     ci)) {
+                        const char *id;
+
+                        id = gkbd_keyboard_config_merge_items
+                                            (GROUP_SWITCHERS_GROUP,
+                                             DEFAULT_GROUP_SWITCH);
+
+                        options = g_slist_append (options, g_strdup (id));
+                        gconf_client_set_list (conf_client,
+                                               GKBD_KEYBOARD_CONFIG_KEY_OPTIONS,
+                                               GCONF_VALUE_STRING, options,
+                                               NULL);
+                }
+
+                g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (ci));
+        }
+
+        g_slist_foreach (options, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
+        g_slist_free (options);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 try_activating_xkb_config_if_new (GkbdKeyboardConfig *current_sys_kbd_config)
 {
@@ -274,6 +371,8 @@ apply_xkb_settings (void)
 
 				g_slist_foreach (free_layouts, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
 				g_slist_free (free_layouts);
+
+				_maybe_add_layout_switcher (layouts, conf_client);
 			}
 
 			gconf_client_set_list (conf_client,