diff --git a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
index 0342408c..53b233e0 100644
--- a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
+++ b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
@@ -400,7 +400,19 @@ AttributeManager.prototype = _(AttributeManager.prototype).extend({
       this.removeAttributeOnLine(lineNum, attributeName) :
       this.setAttributeOnLine(lineNum, attributeName, attributeValue);
 
-  }
+  },
+
+  hasAttributeOnSelectionOrCaretPosition: function(attributeName) {
+    var hasSelection = ((this.rep.selStart[0] !== this.rep.selEnd[0]) || (this.rep.selEnd[1] !== this.rep.selStart[1]));
+    var hasAttrib;
+    if (hasSelection) {
+      hasAttrib = this.getAttributeOnSelection(attributeName);
+    }else {
+      var attributesOnCaretPosition = this.getAttributesOnCaret();
+      hasAttrib = _.contains(_.flatten(attributesOnCaretPosition), attributeName);
+    }
+    return hasAttrib;
+  },
 });
 
 module.exports = AttributeManager;
diff --git a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index 83f947ba..df9c9642 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
   var EDIT_BODY_PADDING_TOP = 8;
   var EDIT_BODY_PADDING_LEFT = 8;
 
+  var FORMATTING_STYLES = ['bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'strikethrough'];
+  var SELECT_BUTTON_CLASS = 'selected';
+
   var caughtErrors = [];
 
   var thisAuthor = '';
@@ -2472,17 +2475,11 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
       }
     }
 
-    if (selectionAllHasIt)
-    {
-      documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
-        [attributeName, '']
-      ]);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
-        [attributeName, 'true']
-      ]);
+
+    var attributeValue = selectionAllHasIt ? '' : 'true';
+    documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [[attributeName, attributeValue]]);
+    if (attribIsFormattingStyle(attributeName)) {
+      updateStyleButtonState(attributeName, !selectionAllHasIt); // italic, bold, ...
     }
   }
   editorInfo.ace_toggleAttributeOnSelection = toggleAttributeOnSelection;
@@ -2911,6 +2908,9 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
       rep.selFocusAtStart = newSelFocusAtStart;
       currentCallStack.repChanged = true;
 
+      // select the formatting buttons when there is the style applied on selection
+      selectFormattingButtonIfLineHasStyleApplied(rep);
+
       hooks.callAll('aceSelectionChanged', {
         rep: rep,
         callstack: currentCallStack,
@@ -2939,6 +2939,22 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
     return (eventType === 'setup') || (eventType === 'setBaseText') || (eventType === 'importText');
   }
 
+  function updateStyleButtonState(attribName, hasStyleOnRepSelection) {
+    var $formattingButton = parent.parent.$('[data-key="' + attribName + '"]').find('a');
+    $formattingButton.toggleClass(SELECT_BUTTON_CLASS, hasStyleOnRepSelection);
+  }
+
+  function attribIsFormattingStyle(attributeName) {
+    return _.contains(FORMATTING_STYLES, attributeName);
+  }
+
+  function selectFormattingButtonIfLineHasStyleApplied (rep) {
+    _.each(FORMATTING_STYLES, function (style) {
+      var hasStyleOnRepSelection = documentAttributeManager.hasAttributeOnSelectionOrCaretPosition(style);
+      updateStyleButtonState(style, hasStyleOnRepSelection);
+    })
+  }
+
   function doCreateDomLine(nonEmpty)
   {
     if (browser.msie && (!nonEmpty))
diff --git a/tests/frontend/specs/select_formatting_buttons.js b/tests/frontend/specs/select_formatting_buttons.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5fb97600
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/frontend/specs/select_formatting_buttons.js
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+describe("select formatting buttons when selection has style applied", function(){
+  var STYLES = ['italic', 'bold', 'underline', 'strikethrough'];
+  var SHORTCUT_KEYS = ['I', 'B', 'U', '5']; // italic, bold, underline, strikethrough
+  var FIRST_LINE = 0;
+
+  before(function(cb){
+    helper.newPad(cb);
+    this.timeout(60000);
+  });
+
+  var applyStyleOnLine = function(style, line) {
+    var chrome$ = helper.padChrome$;
+    selectLine(line);
+    var $formattingButton = chrome$('.buttonicon-' + style);
+    $formattingButton.click();
+  }
+
+  var isButtonSelected = function(style) {
+    var chrome$ = helper.padChrome$;
+    var $formattingButton = chrome$('.buttonicon-' + style);
+   return $formattingButton.parent().hasClass('selected');
+  }
+
+  var selectLine = function(lineNumber, offsetStart, offsetEnd) {
+    var inner$ = helper.padInner$;
+    var $line = inner$("div").eq(lineNumber);
+    helper.selectLines($line, $line, offsetStart, offsetEnd);
+  }
+
+  var placeCaretOnLine = function(lineNumber) {
+    var inner$ = helper.padInner$;
+    var $line = inner$("div").eq(lineNumber);
+    $line.sendkeys('{leftarrow}');
+  }
+
+  var undo = function() {
+    var $undoButton = helper.padChrome$(".buttonicon-undo");
+    $undoButton.click();
+  }
+
+  var testIfFormattingButtonIsDeselected = function(style) {
+    it('deselects the ' + style + ' button', function(done) {
+      helper.waitFor(function(){
+        return isButtonSelected(style) === false;
+      }).done(done)
+    });
+  }
+
+  var testIfFormattingButtonIsSelected = function(style) {
+    it('selects the ' + style + ' button', function(done) {
+      helper.waitFor(function(){
+        return isButtonSelected(style);
+      }).done(done)
+    });
+  }
+
+  var applyStyleOnLineAndSelectIt = function(line, style, cb) {
+    applyStyleOnLineOnFullLineAndRemoveSelection(line, style, selectLine, cb);
+  }
+
+  var applyStyleOnLineAndPlaceCaretOnit = function(line, style, cb) {
+    applyStyleOnLineOnFullLineAndRemoveSelection(line, style, placeCaretOnLine, cb);
+  }
+
+  var applyStyleOnLineOnFullLineAndRemoveSelection = function(line, style, selectTarget, cb) {
+    applyStyleOnLine(style, line);
+
+    // we have to give some time to Etherpad detects the selection changed
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      // remove selection from previous line
+      selectLine(line + 1);
+      setTimeout(function() {
+        // select the text or place the caret on a position that
+        // has the formatting text applied previously
+        selectTarget(line);
+        cb();
+      }, 1000);
+    }, 1000);
+  }
+
+  var pressFormattingShortcutOnSelection = function(key) {
+    var inner$ = helper.padInner$;
+    var chrome$ = helper.padChrome$;
+
+    //get the first text element out of the inner iframe
+    var $firstTextElement = inner$("div").first();
+
+    //select this text element
+    $firstTextElement.sendkeys('{selectall}');
+
+    if(inner$(window)[0].bowser.firefox || inner$(window)[0].bowser.modernIE){ // if it's a mozilla or IE
+      var evtType = "keypress";
+    }else{
+      var evtType = "keydown";
+    }
+
+    var e = inner$.Event(evtType);
+    e.ctrlKey = true; // Control key
+    e.which = key.charCodeAt(0); // I, U, B, 5
+    inner$("#innerdocbody").trigger(e);
+  }
+
+  STYLES.forEach(function(style){
+    context('when selection is in a text with ' + style + ' applied', function(){
+      before(function (done) {
+        this.timeout(4000);
+        applyStyleOnLineAndSelectIt(FIRST_LINE, style, done);
+      });
+
+      after(function () {
+        undo();
+      });
+
+      testIfFormattingButtonIsSelected(style);
+    });
+
+    context('when caret is in a position with ' + style + ' applied', function(){
+      before(function (done) {
+        this.timeout(4000);
+        applyStyleOnLineAndPlaceCaretOnit(FIRST_LINE, style, done);
+      });
+
+      after(function () {
+        undo();
+      });
+
+      testIfFormattingButtonIsSelected(style)
+    });
+  });
+
+  context('when user applies a style and the selection does not change', function() {
+    var style = STYLES[0]; // italic
+    before(function () {
+      applyStyleOnLine(style, FIRST_LINE);
+    });
+
+    // clean the style applied
+    after(function () {
+      applyStyleOnLine(style, FIRST_LINE);
+    });
+
+    it('selects the style button', function (done) {
+      expect(isButtonSelected(style)).to.be(true);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  SHORTCUT_KEYS.forEach(function(key, index){
+    var styleOfTheShortcut = STYLES[index]; // italic, bold, ...
+    context('when user presses CMD + ' + key, function() {
+      before(function () {
+        pressFormattingShortcutOnSelection(key);
+      });
+
+      testIfFormattingButtonIsSelected(styleOfTheShortcut);
+
+      context('and user presses CMD + ' + key + ' again', function() {
+        before(function () {
+          pressFormattingShortcutOnSelection(key);
+        });
+
+        testIfFormattingButtonIsDeselected(styleOfTheShortcut);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});