diff --git a/app/actions/layers-actions.c b/app/actions/layers-actions.c
index 491fe334052a4bf7cb256225bd0d8971e814f7a3..ee8b7431ce14c38ce4d1e20772cdd3fc33a3f52d 100644
--- a/app/actions/layers-actions.c
+++ b/app/actions/layers-actions.c
@@ -737,6 +737,9 @@ layers_actions_update (GimpActionGroup *group,
   gboolean       last_mode      = FALSE;
   gboolean       first_mode     = FALSE;
 
+  gboolean       first_selected = FALSE; /* First layer is selected  */
+  gboolean       last_selected  = FALSE; /* Last layer is selected   */
+
   gboolean       have_masks     = FALSE; /* At least 1 selected layer has a mask.             */
   gboolean       have_no_masks  = FALSE; /* At least 1 selected layer has no mask.            */
   gboolean       have_groups    = FALSE; /* At least 1 selected layer is a group.             */
@@ -834,6 +837,11 @@ layers_actions_update (GimpActionGroup *group,
           layer_list = gimp_item_get_container_iter (GIMP_ITEM (iter->data));
           iter2 = g_list_find (layer_list, iter->data);
 
+          if (gimp_item_get_index (iter2->data) == 0)
+            first_selected = TRUE;
+          if (gimp_item_get_index (iter2->data) == n_layers - 1)
+            last_selected = TRUE;
+
           if (iter2)
             {
               GList *next_visible;
@@ -982,9 +990,9 @@ layers_actions_update (GimpActionGroup *group,
   SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-select-previous",  n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_prev);
   SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-select-next",      n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_next);
 
-  SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-raise",            n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_prev);
+  SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-raise",            n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_prev && !first_selected);
   SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-raise-to-top",     n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_prev);
-  SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-lower",            n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_next);
+  SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-lower",            n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_next && !last_selected);
   SET_SENSITIVE ("layers-lower-to-bottom",  n_selected_layers > 0 && !fs && !ac && have_next);
 
   SET_VISIBLE   ("layers-anchor",            fs && !ac);
diff --git a/app/actions/layers-commands.c b/app/actions/layers-commands.c
index 689cb901a38880e01242829871e19adc54005a2e..be04868a6f6b5ad13427b6f2bb200630ba9e564a 100644
--- a/app/actions/layers-commands.c
+++ b/app/actions/layers-commands.c
@@ -657,7 +657,15 @@ layers_raise_cmd_callback (GimpAction *action,
 
       index = gimp_item_get_index (iter->data);
       if (index > 0)
-        raised_layers = g_list_prepend (raised_layers, iter->data);
+        {
+          raised_layers = g_list_prepend (raised_layers, iter->data);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          gimp_image_flush (image);
+          g_list_free (raised_layers);
+          return;
+        }
     }
 
   gimp_image_undo_group_start (image,
@@ -665,6 +673,8 @@ layers_raise_cmd_callback (GimpAction *action,
                                ngettext ("Raise Layer",
                                          "Raise Layers",
                                          g_list_length (raised_layers)));
+
+  raised_layers = g_list_reverse (raised_layers);
   for (iter = raised_layers; iter; iter = iter->next)
     gimp_image_raise_item (image, iter->data, NULL);
 
@@ -728,7 +738,15 @@ layers_lower_cmd_callback (GimpAction *action,
       layer_list = gimp_item_get_container_iter (GIMP_ITEM (iter->data));
       index = gimp_item_get_index (iter->data);
       if (index < g_list_length (layer_list) - 1)
-        lowered_layers = g_list_prepend (lowered_layers, iter->data);
+        {
+          lowered_layers = g_list_prepend (lowered_layers, iter->data);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          gimp_image_flush (image);
+          g_list_free (lowered_layers);
+          return;
+        }
     }
 
   gimp_image_undo_group_start (image,