diff --git a/docs/api/row().child.show().xml b/docs/api/row().child.show().xml
index 9e99f8f19..2032d17f4 100644
--- a/docs/api/row().child.show().xml
+++ b/docs/api/row().child.show().xml
@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@
 	<since>1.10</since>
 
 	<type type="function">
-		<signature>row().child.show()</signature>
+		<signature>row().child.show( [placeBefore] )</signature>
 		<description>Show the child row(s) of a parent row</description>
+		<parameter type="boolean" name="placeBefore" default="false">
+			<![CDATA[
+			This optional parameter specifies whether the child row(s) are being  placed before or after the parent row. The latter is the default.
+			]]>
+		</parameter>
 		<returns type="DataTables.Api">DataTables API instance.</returns>
 	</type>
 
diff --git a/docs/api/row().child.xml b/docs/api/row().child.xml
index 65cc078ec..5749441fc 100644
--- a/docs/api/row().child.xml
+++ b/docs/api/row().child.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 	<type type="object" />
 
 	<description>
-		DataTables has the ability to show child rows for each row (termed a "parent row" in this documentation to distinguish from the child rows). This child rows are attached to each parent row, and can be used, for example, to provide extra information about the parent row, or an editing form. The child rows will always be placed immediately after a parent row (if the child rows are designated to be visible, using the `dt-api row().child.show()` method), regardless of ordering, search terms applied to the table etc. If a parent row is not available in the DataTables' current view, the child rows will not be visible either.
+		DataTables has the ability to show child rows for each row (termed a "parent row" in this documentation to distinguish from the child rows). This child rows are attached to each parent row, and can be used, for example, to provide extra information about the parent row, or an editing form. The child rows will be placed immediately after or immediately before a parent row (if the child rows are designated to be visible, using the `dt-api row().child.show()` method), regardless of ordering, search terms applied to the table etc. If a parent row is not available in the DataTables' current view, the child rows will not be visible either.
 
 		This property is a static object of the DataTables API which is used simply to provide a namespace to its child methods, which are used to control the child row operations in DataTables.
 
diff --git a/js/api/api.row.details.js b/js/api/api.row.details.js
index 6c0e831d2..894be55ff 100644
--- a/js/api/api.row.details.js
+++ b/js/api/api.row.details.js
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ var __details_add = function ( ctx, row, data, klass )
 
 	// If the children were already shown, that state should be retained
 	if ( row._detailsShow ) {
-		row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+		if ( row._detailsShow !== 2 ) {
+			row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+		} else {
+			row._details.insertBefore( row.nTr );
+		}
 	}
 };
 
@@ -72,7 +76,11 @@ var __details_display = function ( api, show ) {
 			row._detailsShow = show;
 
 			if ( show ) {
-				row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+				if ( show !== 2 ) {
+					row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+				} else {
+					row._details.insertBefore( row.nTr );
+				}
 			}
 			else {
 				row._details.detach();
@@ -107,7 +115,11 @@ var __details_events = function ( settings )
 				var row = data[ idx ];
 
 				if ( row._detailsShow ) {
-					row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+					if ( row._detailsShow !== 2 ) {
+						row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
+					} else {
+						row._details.insertBefore( row.nTr );
+					}
 				}
 			} );
 		} );
@@ -183,9 +195,9 @@ _api_register( _child_mth, function ( data, klass ) {
 
 _api_register( [
 	_child_obj+'.show()',
-	_child_mth+'.show()' // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
-], function ( show ) {   // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
-	__details_display( this, true );
+	_child_mth+'.show()'      // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
+], function ( placeBefore ) { // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
+	__details_display( this, placeBefore === true ? 2 : 1 );
 	return this;
 } );
 
@@ -194,7 +206,7 @@ _api_register( [
 	_child_obj+'.hide()',
 	_child_mth+'.hide()' // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
 ], function () {         // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
-	__details_display( this, false );
+	__details_display( this, 0 );
 	return this;
 } );
 
@@ -212,9 +224,8 @@ _api_register( _child_obj+'.isShown()', function () {
 	var ctx = this.context;
 
 	if ( ctx.length && this.length ) {
-		// _detailsShown as false or undefined will fall through to return false
-		return ctx[0].aoData[ this[0] ]._detailsShow || false;
+		// _detailsShown as 0 or undefined will return false, otherwise true
+		return ctx[0].aoData[this[0]]._detailsShow > 0;
 	}
 	return false;
 } );
-