diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/common.lua b/lib/awful/widget/common.lua
index 138a8c6bb..c45143fa4 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/common.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/common.lua
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ function common.list_update(w, buttons, label, data, objects, args)
     for i, o in ipairs(objects) do
         local cache = data[o]
 
+        -- Allow the buttons to be replaced.
+        if cache and cache._buttons ~= buttons then
+            cache = nil
+        end
+
         if not cache then
             cache = (args and args.widget_template) and
                 custom_template(args) or default_template()
@@ -139,6 +144,7 @@ function common.list_update(w, buttons, label, data, objects, args)
                 args.create_callback(cache.primary, o, i, objects)
             end
 
+            cache._buttons = buttons
             data[o] = cache
         elseif cache.update_callback then
             cache.update_callback(cache.primary, o, i, objects)
diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/layoutlist.lua b/lib/awful/widget/layoutlist.lua
index 301724dc9..a9c8ccaca 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/layoutlist.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/layoutlist.lua
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 --
 --@DOC_awful_widget_layoutlist_popup_EXAMPLE@
 --
--- This example extends 'awful.widget.layoutbox' to show a layout list popup:
+-- This example extends `awful.widget.layoutbox` to show a layout list popup:
 --
 --@DOC_awful_widget_layoutlist_bar_EXAMPLE@
 --
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ local surface  = require("gears.surface")
 
 local module = {}
 
-local default_buttons = gtable.join(
-    abutton({ }, 1, function(a) a.callback() end)
-)
+local default_buttons = {
+    abutton({ }, 1, function(a) a.callback(  ) end),
+    abutton({ }, 4, function() alayout.inc(-1) end),
+	abutton({ }, 5, function() alayout.inc( 1) end),
+}
 
 local function wb_label(item, _, textbox)
     local selected = alayout.get(item.screen) == item.layout
@@ -201,17 +203,6 @@ local layoutlist = {}
 -- @property filter
 -- @param[opt=awful.widget.layoutlist.source.for_screen] function
 
---- The layoutlist buttons.
---
--- The default is:
---
---    gears.table.join(
---        awful.button({ }, 1, awful.layout.set)
---    )
---
--- @property buttons
--- @param table
-
 --- The default foreground (text) color.
 -- @beautiful beautiful.layoutlist_fg_normal
 -- @tparam[opt=nil] string|pattern fg_normal
@@ -308,7 +299,10 @@ end
 
 function layoutlist:set_buttons(buttons)
     self._private.buttons = buttons
-    update(self)
+
+    if self._private.layout then
+        update(self)
+    end
 end
 
 function layoutlist:get_buttons()
@@ -376,7 +370,6 @@ end
 --  function to generate the list of layouts.
 -- @tparam[opt] table args.widget_template A custom widget to be used for each action.
 -- @tparam[opt=ascreen.focused()] screen args.screen A screen
--- @tparam[opt=nil] table args.buttons The list of `awful.buttons`.
 -- @tparam[opt={}] table args.style Extra look and feel parameters
 -- @tparam boolean args.style.disable_icon
 -- @tparam boolean args.style.disable_name
diff --git a/tests/examples/awful/widget/layoutlist/popup.lua b/tests/examples/awful/widget/layoutlist/popup.lua
index 3aab72907..8eddca029 100644
--- a/tests/examples/awful/widget/layoutlist/popup.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/awful/widget/layoutlist/popup.lua
@@ -59,16 +59,18 @@ local modkey = "mod4" --DOC_HIDE
         start_callback = function() layout_popup.visible = true  end,
         stop_callback  = function() layout_popup.visible = false end,
         export_keybindings = true,
-        release_event = "release",
+        stop_event = "release",
         stop_key = {"Escape", "Super_L", "Super_R"},
         keybindings = {
             {{ modkey          } , " " , function()
-                awful.layout.set(gears.table.cycle_value(ll.layouts, ll.current_layout, 1))
+                awful.layout.set((gears.table.cycle_value(ll.layouts, ll.current_layout, 1)))
             end},
             {{ modkey, "Shift" } , " " , function()
-                awful.layout.set(gears.table.cycle_value(ll.layouts, ll.current_layout, -1), nil)
+                awful.layout.set((gears.table.cycle_value(ll.layouts, ll.current_layout, -1)), nil)
             end},
         }
     }
 
+    layout_popup.visible = true --DOC_HIDE
+
 --DOC_HIDE vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80