diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
index cba282dff6..de455aceac 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ using namespace Gtkmm2ext;
 using namespace ARDOUR;
 using namespace ARDOUR_UI_UTILS;
 
-list<Gdk::Color> AxisView::used_colors;
-
 AxisView::AxisView ()
 {
 }
@@ -63,9 +61,9 @@ AxisView::~AxisView()
 }
 
 Gdk::Color
-AxisView::unique_random_color()
+AxisView::round_robin_palette_color ()
 {
-	return ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_palette_color (used_colors);
+	return ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::round_robin_palette_color ();
 }
 
 string
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.h b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.h
index afc1cc0a80..d63a410e9d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.h
@@ -122,19 +122,12 @@ public:
 	static GUIObjectState& gui_object_state();
 	void clear_property_cache() { property_hashtable.clear(); }
 
-	/**
-	 * Generate a new random TrackView color, unique from those colors already used.
-	 *
-	 * @return the unique random color.
-	 */
-	static Gdk::Color unique_random_color();
+	static Gdk::Color round_robin_palette_color ();
 
 protected:
 	AxisView ();
 	virtual ~AxisView();
 
-	static std::list<Gdk::Color> used_colors;
-
 	Gtk::Label name_label;
 	void set_name_ellipsize_mode ();
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
index f081f6f5e4..ea2a524e93 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ RouteUI::set_route (std::shared_ptr<Route> rp)
 
 	if (set_color_from_route()) {
 		if (UIConfiguration::instance().get_use_palette_for_new_route ()) {
-			set_color (gdk_color_to_rgba (AxisView::unique_random_color ()));
+			set_color (gdk_color_to_rgba (AxisView::round_robin_palette_color ()));
 		} else {
 			set_color (UIConfiguration::instance ().color (X_("neutral:midground")));
 		}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
index 2241e3e46d..9ee38d12a7 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::escape_underscores (string const & s)
 }
 
 Gdk::Color
-ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_palette_color (list<Gdk::Color>& used_colors)
+ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::round_robin_palette_color ()
 {
 	Gdk::Color newcolor;
 	string cp = UIConfiguration::instance().get_stripable_color_palette ();
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
index 3c2a0e2495..4d15f1d2bc 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void resize_window_to_proportion_of_monitor (Gtk::Window*, int, int);
 
 std::string escape_underscores (std::string const &);
 
-Gdk::Color unique_palette_color (std::list<Gdk::Color> &);
+Gdk::Color round_robin_palette_color ();
 Gdk::Color unique_random_color (std::list<Gdk::Color> &);
 
 std::string rate_as_string (float r);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
index 8c958e4897..15864fb645 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ VCAMasterStrip::VCAMasterStrip (Session* s, std::shared_ptr<VCA> v)
 
 	if (!_vca->presentation_info().color_set()) {
 		if (UIConfiguration::instance().get_use_palette_for_new_vca ()) {
-			_vca->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (unique_random_color()));
+			_vca->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (AxisView::round_robin_palette_color ()));
 		} else {
 			_vca->presentation_info().set_color (UIConfiguration::instance ().color (X_("neutral:midground")));
 		}