diff --git a/frontend/apps/filemanager/filemanagermenu.lua b/frontend/apps/filemanager/filemanagermenu.lua
index 3978a30de..d6393b73f 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/filemanager/filemanagermenu.lua
+++ b/frontend/apps/filemanager/filemanagermenu.lua
@@ -94,7 +94,12 @@ function FileManagerMenu:openLastDoc()
     end
     local ReaderUI = require("apps/reader/readerui")
     ReaderUI:showReader(last_file)
-    self:onCloseFileManagerMenu()
+
+    -- only close menu if we were called from the menu
+    if self.menu_container then
+        self:onCloseFileManagerMenu()
+    end
+
     local FileManager = require("apps/filemanager/filemanager")
     FileManager.instance:onClose()
 end
diff --git a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readergesture.lua b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readergesture.lua
index e73e582ab..e87870985 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readergesture.lua
+++ b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readergesture.lua
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ function ReaderGesture:buildMenu(ges, default)
         {_("Folder up"), "folder_up", self.is_docless},
         {_("Bookmarks"), "bookmarks", not self.is_docless},
         {_("History"), "history", true},
+        {_("Open previous document"), "open_previous_document", true, true},
         {_("Table of contents"), "toc", not self.is_docless},
         {_("Reading progress"), "reading_progress", ReaderGesture.getReaderProgress ~= nil},
         {_("Full screen refresh"), "full_refresh", true},
@@ -130,7 +131,8 @@ function ReaderGesture:buildMenu(ges, default)
             G_reader_settings:saveSetting(self.ges_mode, gesture_manager)
         end
         if entry[2] ~= default and entry[3] then
-            table.insert(return_menu, self:createSubMenu(entry[1], entry[2], ges, entry[2] == "nothing"))
+            local sep = entry[2] == "nothing" or entry[4] == true
+            table.insert(return_menu, self:createSubMenu(entry[1], entry[2], ges, sep))
         end
     end
     return return_menu
@@ -330,6 +332,14 @@ function ReaderGesture:gestureAction(action)
         self.ui:handleEvent(Event:new("GoBackLink"))
     elseif action == "folder_up" then
         self.ui.file_chooser:changeToPath(string.format("%s/..", self.ui.file_chooser.path))
+    elseif action == "open_previous_document" then
+        -- FileManager
+        if self.ui.menu.openLastDoc and G_reader_settings:readSetting("lastfile") ~= nil then
+            self.ui.menu:openLastDoc()
+        -- ReaderUI
+        elseif self.ui.switchDocument and self.ui.menu then
+            self.ui:switchDocument(self.ui.menu:getPreviousFile())
+        end
     elseif action == "toggle_frontlight" then
         Device:getPowerDevice():toggleFrontlight()
         self:onShowFLOnOff()
diff --git a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readermenu.lua b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readermenu.lua
index 82139b856..0d639ba9b 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readermenu.lua
+++ b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readermenu.lua
@@ -70,6 +70,19 @@ function ReaderMenu:init()
     end
 end
 
+function ReaderMenu:getPreviousFile()
+    local previous_file = nil
+    local readhistory = require("readhistory")
+    for i=2, #readhistory.hist do -- skip first one which is current book
+        -- skip deleted items kept in history
+        if lfs.attributes(readhistory.hist[i].file, "mode") == "file" then
+            previous_file = readhistory.hist[i].file
+            break
+        end
+    end
+    return previous_file
+end
+
 function ReaderMenu:onReaderReady()
     -- deligate gesture listener to readerui
     self.ges_events = {}
@@ -191,21 +204,9 @@ function ReaderMenu:setUpdateItemTable()
         self.menu_items.restart_koreader = nil
     end
 
-    local getPreviousFile = function()
-        local previous_file = nil
-        local readhistory = require("readhistory")
-        for i=2, #readhistory.hist do -- skip first one which is current book
-            -- skip deleted items kept in history
-            if lfs.attributes(readhistory.hist[i].file, "mode") == "file" then
-                previous_file = readhistory.hist[i].file
-                break
-            end
-        end
-        return previous_file
-    end
     self.menu_items.open_previous_document = {
         text_func = function()
-            local previous_file = getPreviousFile()
+            local previous_file = self:getPreviousFile()
             if not G_reader_settings:isTrue("open_last_menu_show_filename") or not previous_file then
                 return _("Open previous document")
             end
@@ -213,13 +214,13 @@ function ReaderMenu:setUpdateItemTable()
             return T(_("Previous: %1"), file_name)
         end,
         enabled_func = function()
-            return getPreviousFile() ~= nil
+            return self:getPreviousFile() ~= nil
         end,
         callback = function()
-            self.ui:switchDocument(getPreviousFile())
+            self.ui:switchDocument(self:getPreviousFile())
         end,
         hold_callback = function()
-            local previous_file = getPreviousFile()
+            local previous_file = self:getPreviousFile()
             UIManager:show(ConfirmBox:new{
                 text = T(_("Would you like to open the previous document: %1?"), previous_file),
                 ok_text = _("OK"),
diff --git a/frontend/apps/reader/readerui.lua b/frontend/apps/reader/readerui.lua
index 67f47787f..9377662ca 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/reader/readerui.lua
+++ b/frontend/apps/reader/readerui.lua
@@ -684,6 +684,7 @@ function ReaderUI:reloadDocument(after_close_callback)
 end
 
 function ReaderUI:switchDocument(new_file)
+    if not new_file then return end
     self:handleEvent(Event:new("CloseReaderMenu"))
     self:handleEvent(Event:new("CloseConfigMenu"))
     self.highlight:onClose() -- close highlight dialog if any