--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor-tab.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor-tab.cc
@@ -1324,6 +1324,11 @@
           // constructor argument.
           fileDialog->setDirectory (_file_name);
         }
+
+      // propose a name corresponding to the function name
+      QString fname = get_function_name ();
+      if (! fname.isEmpty ())
+        fileDialog->selectFile (fname + ".m");
     }
 
   fileDialog->setNameFilter (tr ("Octave Files (*.m);;All Files (*)"));
@@ -1739,4 +1744,26 @@
   emit set_global_edit_shortcuts_signal (! focus);
 }
 
+QString
+file_editor_tab::get_function_name ()
+{
+  QRegExp rxfun1 ("^([\t ]*)function([^=]+)=([^\\(]+)\\(([^\\)]*)\\)");
+  QRegExp rxfun2 ("^([\t ]*)function([^\\(]+)\\(([^\\)]*)\\)");
+  QRegExp rxfun3 ("^([\t ]*)function([\t ]*)([^\t ]+)");
+
+  QStringList lines = _edit_area->text ().split ("\n");
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < lines.count (); i++)
+    {
+      if (rxfun1.indexIn (lines.at (i)) != -1)
+        return rxfun1.cap (3).remove (QRegExp("[ \t]*"));
+      else if (rxfun2.indexIn (lines.at (i)) != -1)
+        return rxfun2.cap (2).remove (QRegExp("[ \t]*"));
+      else if (rxfun3.indexIn (lines.at (i)) != -1)
+        return rxfun3.cap (3).remove (QRegExp("[ \t]*"));
+    }
+
+  return QString ();
+}
+
 #endif

--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor-tab.h
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor-tab.h
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@
   void center_current_line ();
 
   void add_octave_apis (octave_value_list key_ovl);
+  QString get_function_name ();
 
   octave_qscintilla *_edit_area;