diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.cc
index fdc4e5b8d9..bd406b06e4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.cc
@@ -34,11 +34,14 @@
 #include "ardour/async_midi_port.h"
 #include "ardour/midi_port.h"
 #include "ardour/audioengine.h"
+#include "ardour/transport_master_manager.h"
 
 #include "midi_tracer.h"
 #include "gui_thread.h"
 #include "pbd/i18n.h"
 
+unsigned int MidiTracer::window_count = 0;
+
 using namespace Gtk;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace MIDI;
@@ -62,6 +65,9 @@ MidiTracer::MidiTracer ()
 {
 	g_atomic_int_set (&_update_queued, 0);
 
+	std::string portname (string_compose(X_("MIDI Tracer %1"), ++window_count));
+	tracer_port = ARDOUR::AudioEngine::instance()->register_input_port (ARDOUR::DataType::MIDI, portname, false, ARDOUR::PortFlags::IsInput);
+
 	ARDOUR::AudioEngine::instance()->PortRegisteredOrUnregistered.connect
 		(_manager_connection, invalidator (*this), boost::bind (&MidiTracer::ports_changed, this), gui_context());
 
@@ -159,10 +165,14 @@ MidiTracer::port_changed ()
 
 	disconnect ();
 
+	if (_port_combo.get_active_text().empty()) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Port> p = AudioEngine::instance()->get_port_by_name (_port_combo.get_active_text());
 
 	if (!p) {
-		std::cerr << "port not found\n";
+		std::cerr << "port not found: " << _port_combo.get_active_text() << "\n";
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.h
index 32ff1fce7d..a3ffb5abbf 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_tracer.h
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ private:
 	PBD::ScopedConnection _manager_connection;
 	MIDI::Parser my_parser;
 
+	boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Port>	tracer_port;
 	boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::MidiPort> traced_port;
+
+	static unsigned int window_count;
 };
 
 #endif /* __ardour_gtk_midi_tracer_h__ */
diff --git a/libs/ardour/globals.cc b/libs/ardour/globals.cc
index d1f3962a9d..91dc245661 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/globals.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/globals.cc
@@ -676,6 +676,10 @@ ARDOUR::init (bool use_windows_vst, bool try_optimization, const char* localedir
 	reserved_io_names[_("Master")]              = true;
 	reserved_io_names[X_("auditioner")]         = true; // auditioner.cc  Track (s, "auditioner",...)
 	reserved_io_names[X_("x-virtual-keyboard")] = false;
+	reserved_io_names[X_("MIDI Tracer 1")]      = false;
+	reserved_io_names[X_("MIDI Tracer 2")]      = false;
+	reserved_io_names[X_("MIDI Tracer 3")]      = false;
+	reserved_io_names[X_("MIDI Tracer 4")]      = false;
 
 	/* pure I/O */
 	reserved_io_names[X_("Click")]           = false; // session.cc ClickIO (*this, X_("Click")