diff --git a/basic_format_and_style_settings.ly b/basic_format_and_style_settings.ly
index 7c4e0ef..6b93435 100644
--- a/basic_format_and_style_settings.ly
+++ b/basic_format_and_style_settings.ly
@@ -101,10 +101,44 @@ romanStanza =
 
 stanza =
 #(define-music-function (parser location stanzanumber) (number?)
-  (make-apply-context
-    (lambda (context)
-      (let* ((stanzastyle (ly:assoc-get 'style (ly:context-grob-definition context 'StanzaNumber)))
-             (formattedStanzaNumber (format #f (if (eq? stanzastyle 'roman) romanStanzaFormat stanzaFormat) stanzanumber)))
-        (ly:context-set-property! context 'stanza formattedStanzaNumber)))))
+#{
+  \once \override StanzaNumber.layer = 23 % set this to signal that there is a real stanza and no repeat signs
+  \applyContext
+  #(lambda (context)
+    (let* ((stanzastyle (ly:assoc-get 'style (ly:context-grob-definition context 'StanzaNumber)))
+           (formattedStanzaNumber (format #f (if (eq? stanzastyle 'roman) romanStanzaFormat stanzaFormat) stanzanumber)))
+        (ly:context-set-property! context 'stanza formattedStanzaNumber)))
+#}
+)
 
-ref = { \set stanza = \refString }
+ref = {
+  \once \override StanzaNumber.layer = 23 % set this to signal that there is a real stanza and no repeat signs
+  \set stanza = \refString
+}
+
+% prints a repStart Sign as stanza if the tag 'repeats is kept.
+% if there was a stanza already set by the stanza function with StanzaNumber.layer = 23 we set that also as stanza.
+repStartWithTag = \lyricmode {
+  \tag #'repeats {
+    \applyContext
+    #(lambda (context)
+      (let ((lastStanza (ly:context-property context 'stanza))
+            (printLastStanza (= (ly:assoc-get 'layer (ly:context-grob-definition context 'StanzaNumber) 0) 23))
+            (stanzaFontSeries (ly:assoc-get 'font-series (ly:context-grob-definition context 'StanzaNumber) 'normal)))
+      (ly:context-set-property! context 'stanza
+        (make-concat-markup
+          (if printLastStanza
+            (list (make-override-markup `(font-series . ,stanzaFontSeries) lastStanza) (make-hspace-markup 1) repStart)
+            (list repStart)
+            )))))
+    \once \override StanzaNumber.font-series = #'normal
+  }
+}
+
+repStopWithTag = \lyricmode {
+  \tag #'repeats {
+    \once \override StanzaNumber.font-series = #'normal
+    \once \override StanzaNumber.direction = 1
+    \set stanza = \markup { \repStop }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file