diff --git a/includes/ajax.inc b/includes/ajax.inc
index 1568e582f5c764d19ec80238028c08750061a082..49ff7e46b0f007e0efdfa040e10f6a0854054a20 100644
--- a/includes/ajax.inc
+++ b/includes/ajax.inc
@@ -20,11 +20,10 @@
  * forms, it can be used with the #ajax property.
  * The #ajax property can be used to bind events to the AJAX framework. By
  * default, #ajax uses 'system/ajax' as its path for submission and thus calls
- * @link ajax_form_callback ajax_form_callback @endlink and a defined
- * #ajax['callback'] function. However, you may optionally specify a different
- * path to request or a different callback function to invoke, which can return
- * updated HTML or can also return a richer set of
- * @link ajax_commands AJAX framework commands @endlink.
+ * ajax_form_callback() and a defined #ajax['callback'] function.
+ * However, you may optionally specify a different path to request or a
+ * different callback function to invoke, which can return updated HTML or can
+ * also return a richer set of @link ajax_commands AJAX framework commands @endlink.
  *
  * Standard form handling is as follows:
  *   - A form element has a #ajax member.
@@ -124,9 +123,10 @@
  *   selected automatically for the type of form widget being used, and
  *   is only needed if you need to override the default behavior.
  * - #ajax['method']: The jQuery method to use to place the new HTML.
- *   Defaults to 'replace'. May be: 'replace', 'append', 'prepend',
- *   'before', 'after', or 'html'. See the jQuery documentation for more
- *   information on these methods.
+ *   Defaults to 'replaceWith'. May be: 'replaceWith', 'append', 'prepend',
+ *   'before', 'after', or 'html'. See the
+ *   @link http://api.jquery.com/category/manipulation/ jQuery manipulators documentation @endlink
+ *   for more information on these methods.
  * - #ajax['progress']: Choose either a throbber or progress bar that is
  *   displayed while awaiting a response from the callback, and add an optional
  *   message. Possible keys: 'type', 'message', 'url', 'interval'.
@@ -336,13 +336,16 @@ function ajax_deliver($page_callback_result) {
     }
   }
   else {
-    // Like normal page callbacks, simple AJAX callbacks can return html
-    // content, as a string or renderable array, to replace what was previously
-    // there in the wrapper. In this case, in addition to the content, we want
-    // to add the status messages, but inside the new wrapper, so that they get
-    // replaced on subsequent AJAX calls for the same wrapper.
+    // Like normal page callbacks, simple AJAX callbacks can return HTML
+    // content, as a string or render array. This HTML is inserted in some
+    // relationship to #ajax['wrapper'], as determined by which jQuery DOM
+    // manipulation method is used. The method used is specified by
+    // #ajax['method']. The default method is 'replaceWith', which completely
+    // replaces the old wrapper element and its content with the new HTML.
     $html = is_string($page_callback_result) ? $page_callback_result : drupal_render($page_callback_result);
-    $commands[] = ajax_command_replace(NULL, $html);
+    $commands[] = ajax_command_insert(NULL, $html);
+    // Add the status messages inside the new content's wrapper element, so that
+    // on subsequent AJAX requests, it is treated as old content.
     $commands[] = ajax_command_prepend(NULL, theme('status_messages'));
   }
 
@@ -460,10 +463,15 @@ function ajax_process_form($element, &$form_state) {
       'selector' => '#' . $element['#id'],
       'effect' => 'none',
       'speed' => 'none',
-      'method' => 'replace',
+      'method' => 'replaceWith',
       'progress' => array('type' => 'throbber'),
     );
 
+    // @todo Legacy support. Remove in Drupal 8.
+    if ($settings['method'] == 'replace') {
+      $settings['method'] = 'replaceWith';
+    }
+
     // Change path to url.
     $settings['url'] = isset($settings['path']) ? url($settings['path']) : url('system/ajax');
     unset($settings['path']);
@@ -552,6 +560,37 @@ function ajax_command_alert($text) {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Creates a Drupal AJAX 'insert' command using the method in #ajax['method'].
+ *
+ * This command instructs the client to insert the given HTML using whichever
+ * jQuery DOM manipulation method has been specified in the #ajax['method']
+ * variable of the element that triggered the request.
+ *
+ * This command is implemented by Drupal.ajax.prototype.commands.insert()
+ * defined in misc/ajax.js.
+ *
+ * @param $selector
+ *   A jQuery selector string. If the command is a response to a request from
+ *   an #ajax form element then this value can be NULL.
+ * @param $html
+ *   The data to use with the jQuery method.
+ * @param $settings
+ *   An optional array of settings that will be used for this command only.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   An array suitable for use with the ajax_render() function.
+ */
+function ajax_command_insert($selector, $html, $settings = NULL) {
+  return array(
+    'command' => 'insert',
+    'method' => NULL,
+    'selector' => $selector,
+    'data' => $html,
+    'settings' => $settings,
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Creates a Drupal AJAX 'insert/replaceWith' command.
  *
@@ -573,7 +612,7 @@ function ajax_command_alert($text) {
  * @return
  *   An array suitable for use with the ajax_render() function.
  *
- * @see http://docs.jquery.com/Manipulation/replaceWith#content
+ * See @link http://docs.jquery.com/Manipulation/replaceWith#content jQuery replaceWith command @endlink
  */
 function ajax_command_replace($selector, $html, $settings = NULL) {
   return array(
diff --git a/misc/ajax.js b/misc/ajax.js
index 1d6c8295db8c4ab89b72b991e51d58fbb60cc4c4..339d167ebe56044b7bb474c60bd0cb3d60196640 100644
--- a/misc/ajax.js
+++ b/misc/ajax.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Drupal.ajax = function (base, element, element_settings) {
     selector: '#' + base,
     effect: 'none',
     speed: 'slow',
-    method: 'replace',
+    method: 'replaceWith',
     progress: {
       type: 'bar',
       message: 'Please wait...'
diff --git a/modules/field/field.form.inc b/modules/field/field.form.inc
index 5fd367a070964b31386b6bccf346e71741d8eb6c..61a5833bc00714ab8906df2a943018ee0f348951 100644
--- a/modules/field/field.form.inc
+++ b/modules/field/field.form.inc
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ function field_multiple_value_form($field, $instance, $langcode, $items, &$form,
           '#ajax' => array(
             'callback' => 'field_add_more_js',
             'wrapper' => $wrapper_id,
-            'method' => 'replace',
             'effect' => 'fade',
           ),
           // The field_add_more_submit() and field_add_more_js() handlers will
diff --git a/modules/file/file.module b/modules/file/file.module
index b925d7c2eb7d747bba5bb83b1a7d5688958070cc..44ef83c066a4740a870d4029a4cf16bfedcffdaa 100644
--- a/modules/file/file.module
+++ b/modules/file/file.module
@@ -351,7 +351,6 @@ function file_managed_file_process($element, &$form_state, $form) {
   $ajax_settings = array(
     'path' => 'file/ajax/' . implode('/', $element['#parents']) . '/' . $form['form_build_id']['#value'],
     'wrapper' => $element['#id'] . '-ajax-wrapper',
-    'method' => 'replace',
     'effect' => 'fade',
     'progress' => array(
       'type' => $element['#progress_indicator'],
diff --git a/modules/poll/poll.module b/modules/poll/poll.module
index 729a51dc945582131602893611a59f88fbf12ab6..f7eb9ebaad0f3ce023126b52782b23eecc1c89f3 100644
--- a/modules/poll/poll.module
+++ b/modules/poll/poll.module
@@ -297,7 +297,6 @@ function poll_form($node, &$form_state) {
     '#ajax' => array(
       'callback' => 'poll_choice_js',
       'wrapper' => 'poll-choices',
-      'method' => 'replace',
       'effect' => 'fade',
     ),
   );
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test
index 80ea29f5819f993e2ad28d3ebd1b65be43b7a2b5..97cd2f5d2ff3751e5d66e4e51abea0cd831e45f9 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax.test
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ class AJAXCommandsTestCase extends AJAXTestCase {
     $command = $commands[0];
     $this->assertTrue($command['command'] == 'insert' && $command['method'] == 'html' && $command['data'] == 'replacement text', "'html' AJAX command issued with correct data");
 
+    // Tests the 'insert' command.
+    $commands = $this->discardSettings($this->drupalPostAJAX($form_path, $edit, array('op' => t("AJAX insert: Let client insert based on #ajax['method']."))));
+    $command = $commands[0];
+    $this->assertTrue($command['command'] == 'insert' && $command['method'] == NULL && $command['data'] == 'insert replacement text', "'insert' AJAX command issued with correct data");
+
     // Tests the 'prepend' command.
     $commands = $this->discardSettings($this->drupalPostAJAX($form_path, $edit, array('op' => t("AJAX 'prepend': Click to prepend something"))));
     $command = $commands[0];
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_forms_test.module b/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_forms_test.module
index 5de2b842c694aac4fd5bb708b1fe6011b8a565da..db8aa3b9253cd3e23b13c88ae623029247ffd28b 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_forms_test.module
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/ajax_forms_test.module
@@ -186,6 +186,17 @@ function ajax_forms_test_ajax_commands_form($form, &$form_state) {
     '#suffix' => '<div id="html_div">Original contents</div>',
   );
 
+  // Shows the AJAX 'insert' command.
+  $form['insert_command_example'] = array(
+    '#value' => t("AJAX insert: Let client insert based on #ajax['method']."),
+    '#type' => 'submit',
+    '#ajax' => array(
+      'callback' => 'ajax_forms_test_advanced_commands_insert_callback',
+      'method' => 'prepend',
+    ),
+    '#suffix' => '<div id="insert_div">Original contents</div>',
+  );
+
   // Shows the AJAX 'prepend' command.
   $form['prepend_command_example'] = array(
     '#value' => t("AJAX 'prepend': Click to prepend something"),
@@ -320,6 +331,15 @@ function ajax_forms_test_advanced_commands_html_callback($form, $form_state) {
   return array('#type' => 'ajax', '#commands' => $commands);
 }
 
+/**
+ * AJAX callback for 'insert'.
+ */
+function ajax_forms_test_advanced_commands_insert_callback($form, $form_state) {
+  $commands = array();
+  $commands[] = ajax_command_insert('#insert_div', 'insert replacement text');
+  return array('#type' => 'ajax', '#commands' => $commands);
+}
+
 /**
  * AJAX callback for 'prepend'.
  */