diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
index 4d1e457794..7b16e1a75a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ public:
 	PBD::Searchpath                   preset_search_path () const;
 
 	boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m;
+	bool has_editor;
 };
 
 #if defined(__clang__)
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
index bcd197d0f6..24c1535f38 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct VST3Info {
 		, n_aux_outputs (0)
 		, n_midi_inputs (0)
 		, n_midi_outputs (0)
+		, has_editor (false)
 	{}
 
 	VST3Info (XMLNode const&);
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ struct VST3Info {
 	int n_aux_outputs;
 	int n_midi_inputs;
 	int n_midi_outputs;
+
+	bool has_editor;
 };
 
 LIBARDOUR_API extern std::string
diff --git a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
index 3d1befb552..3ee9d81944 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
@@ -2078,16 +2078,17 @@ PluginManager::vst3_discover_from_path (string const& path, bool cache_only)
 void
 PluginManager::vst3_plugin (string const& module_path, string const& bundle_path, VST3Info const& i)
 {
-	PluginInfoPtr info (new VST3PluginInfo ());
+	boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginInfo> info (new VST3PluginInfo ());
 
-	info->path      = module_path;
-	info->index     = i.index;
-	info->unique_id = i.uid;
-	info->name      = i.name;
-	info->category  = i.category; // TODO process split at "|" -> tags
-	info->creator   = i.vendor;
-	info->n_inputs  = ChanCount();
-	info->n_outputs = ChanCount();
+	info->path       = module_path;
+	info->index      = i.index;
+	info->unique_id  = i.uid;
+	info->name       = i.name;
+	info->category   = i.category; // TODO process split at "|" -> tags
+	info->creator    = i.vendor;
+	info->n_inputs   = ChanCount();
+	info->n_outputs  = ChanCount();
+	info->has_editor = i.has_editor;
 
 	info->n_inputs.set_audio (i.n_inputs + i.n_aux_inputs);
 	info->n_inputs.set_midi (i.n_midi_inputs);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
index 1fa855d82b..bb7b3836b5 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
@@ -341,7 +341,12 @@ VST3Plugin::possible_output () const
 bool
 VST3Plugin::has_editor () const
 {
+#if 1
+	boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginInfo> nfo = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<VST3PluginInfo> (get_info ());
+	return nfo->has_editor;
+#else
 	return _plug->has_editor ();
+#endif
 }
 
 Steinberg::IPlugView*
@@ -1040,6 +1045,7 @@ VST3Plugin::find_presets ()
 /* ****************************************************************************/
 
 VST3PluginInfo::VST3PluginInfo ()
+	: has_editor (false)
 {
 	type = ARDOUR::VST3;
 }
@@ -3069,14 +3075,17 @@ VST3PI::try_create_view () const
 {
 	IPlugView* view = _controller->createView (Vst::ViewType::kEditor);
 	if (!view) {
+		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::VST3Config, "View: Trying createView (0)");
 		view = _controller->createView (0);
 	}
 	if (!view) {
+		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::VST3Config, "View: Trying to cast controller");
 		view = FUnknownPtr<IPlugView> (_controller).take ();
 		if (view) {
 			view->addRef ();
 		}
 	}
+	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::VST3Config, string_compose ("View created: %1\n", view != 0));
 	return view;
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
index f1a0c94952..537cf17d19 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 using namespace std;
 using namespace Steinberg;
 
-#define ARDOUR_VST3_CACHE_FILE_VERSION 2
+#define ARDOUR_VST3_CACHE_FILE_VERSION 3
 
 static const char* fmt_media (Vst::MediaType m) {
 	switch (m) {
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<ARDOUR
 			}
 
 			if (processor->canProcessSampleSize (Vst::kSample32) != kResultTrue) {
-				cerr << "VST3: Cannot process 32bit float";
+				cerr << "VST3: Cannot process 32bit float\n";
 				component->terminate ();
 				component->release ();
 				continue;
@@ -216,9 +216,86 @@ discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<ARDOUR
 			nfo.n_midi_inputs  = count_channels (component, Vst::kEvent, Vst::kInput,  Vst::kMain, verbose);
 			nfo.n_midi_outputs = count_channels (component, Vst::kEvent, Vst::kOutput, Vst::kMain, verbose);
 
+			bool has_editor = false;
+			Vst::IEditController* controller = FUnknownPtr<Vst::IEditController> (component).take ();
+
+			if (!controller) {
+				TUID controllerCID;
+				if (component->getControllerClassId (controllerCID) == kResultTrue) {
+					if (factory->createInstance (controllerCID, Vst::IEditController::iid, (void**)&controller) != kResultTrue) {
+						component->terminate ();
+						component->release ();
+						cerr << "VST3: creating controller instance failed\n";
+						continue;
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			if (!controller) {
+				cerr << "VST3: no controller was found\n";
+				component->terminate ();
+				component->release ();
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			controller->initialize (HostApplication::getHostContext ());
+
+			FUnknownPtr<Vst::IConnectionPoint> componentCP (component);
+			FUnknownPtr<Vst::IConnectionPoint> controllerCP (controller);
+			boost::shared_ptr<ConnectionProxy> component_cproxy;
+			boost::shared_ptr<ConnectionProxy> controller_cproxy;
+
+			if (componentCP && controllerCP) {
+				component_cproxy  = boost::shared_ptr<ConnectionProxy> (new ConnectionProxy (componentCP));
+				controller_cproxy = boost::shared_ptr<ConnectionProxy> (new ConnectionProxy (controllerCP));
+				component_cproxy->connect (controllerCP);
+				controller_cproxy->connect (componentCP);
+			}
+
+			if (verbose) {
+				PBD::info << "Found controller, checking for GUI" << endmsg;
+			}
+
+			IPlugView* view = controller->createView (Vst::ViewType::kEditor);
+			if (!view) {
+				view = controller->createView (0);
+			}
+			if (!view) {
+				view = FUnknownPtr<IPlugView> (controller).take ();
+				if (view) {
+					view->addRef ();
+				}
+			}
+			if (view) {
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+				has_editor = kResultOk == view->isPlatformTypeSupported (kPlatformTypeHWND);
+#elif defined(__APPLE__)
+				has_editor = kResultOk == view->isPlatformTypeSupported (kPlatformTypeNSView);
+#else
+				has_editor = kResultOk == view->isPlatformTypeSupported (kPlatformTypeX11EmbedWindowID);
+#endif
+				if (verbose) {
+					PBD::info << "Created View, platform support: " << has_editor << endmsg;
+				}
+				view->release ();
+			} else if (verbose) {
+					PBD::info << "Plugin does not have an IPlugView" << endmsg;
+			}
+			nfo.has_editor = has_editor;
+
 			processor->setProcessing (false);
 			component->setActive (false);
 
+			if (component_cproxy && controller_cproxy) {
+				component_cproxy->disconnect ();
+				controller_cproxy->disconnect ();
+				component_cproxy.reset ();
+				controller_cproxy.reset ();
+			}
+
+			controller->setComponentHandler (0);
+			controller->terminate ();
+			controller->release ();
+
 			component->terminate ();
 			component->release ();
 			rv.push_back (nfo);
@@ -508,6 +585,7 @@ VST3Info::VST3Info (XMLNode const& node)
 	, n_aux_outputs (0)
 	, n_midi_inputs (0)
 	, n_midi_outputs (0)
+	, has_editor (false)
 {
 	bool err = false;
 
@@ -530,6 +608,8 @@ VST3Info::VST3Info (XMLNode const& node)
 	err |= !node.get_property ("n_midi_inputs", n_midi_inputs);
 	err |= !node.get_property ("n_midi_outputs", n_midi_outputs);
 
+	err |= !node.get_property ("has_editor", has_editor);
+
 	if (err) {
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
@@ -554,5 +634,7 @@ VST3Info::state () const
 	node->set_property ("n_aux_outputs",  n_aux_outputs);
 	node->set_property ("n_midi_inputs",  n_midi_inputs);
 	node->set_property ("n_midi_outputs", n_midi_outputs);
+
+	node->set_property ("has_editor", has_editor);
 	return *node;
 }