diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
index 801037713b..b578556b12 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@
     <Option name="midi note velocity text" value="f4f214bc"/>
     <Option name="midi patch change fill" value="0000ffa0"/>
     <Option name="midi patch change outline" value="a7a7d4ff"/>
+    <Option name="midi patch change inactive channel fill" value="00000000"/>
+    <Option name="midi patch change inactive channel outline" value="222222ff"/>
     <Option name="midi sysex fill" value="f1e139a0"/>
     <Option name="midi sysex outline" value="a7a7d4ff"/>
     <Option name="midi select rect fill" value="8888ff88"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.cc b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.cc
index b4da0d5b46..44389ae96c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.cc
@@ -46,13 +46,18 @@ CanvasPatchChange::CanvasPatchChange(
 		double          y,
 		string&         model_name,
 		string&         custom_device_mode,
-		ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch)
+		ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch,
+		bool active_channel)
 	: CanvasFlag(
 			region,
 			parent,
 			height,
-			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeOutline.get(),
-			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeFill.get(),
+			active_channel ?
+			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeOutline.get() :
+			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeInactiveChannelOutline.get(),
+			active_channel ?
+			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeFill.get() :
+			ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeInactiveChannelFill.get(),
 			x,
 			y)
 	, _model_name(model_name)
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.h b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.h
index 79eb80dfae..2a219fdbb6 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_patch_change.h
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ public:
 		double          y,
 		string&         model_name,
 		string&         custom_device_mode,
-		ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch
+		ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch,
+		bool
 		);
 
 	virtual ~CanvasPatchChange();
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
index fb374692f3..975f5eb2af 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiNoteSelected, "midi note selected")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiNoteVelocityText, "midi note velocity text")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeFill, "midi patch change fill")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeOutline, "midi patch change outline")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeInactiveChannelFill, "midi patch change inactive channel fill")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiPatchChangeInactiveChannelOutline, "midi patch change inactive channel outline")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiSysExFill, "midi sysex fill")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiSysExOutline, "midi sysex outline")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiSelectRectFill, "midi select rect fill")
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
index 592da5aa91..25ef2dfc33 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
@@ -1184,15 +1184,15 @@ MidiRegionView::display_patch_changes ()
 	uint16_t chn_mask = mtv->channel_selector().get_selected_channels();
 
 	for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
-		if (chn_mask & (1<<i)) {
-			display_patch_changes_on_channel (i);
-		}
-		/* TODO gray-out patch instad of not displaying it */
+		display_patch_changes_on_channel (i, chn_mask & (1 << i));
 	}
 }
 
+/** @param active_channel true to display patch changes fully, false to display
+ * them `greyed-out' (as on an inactive channel)
+ */
 void
-MidiRegionView::display_patch_changes_on_channel (uint8_t channel)
+MidiRegionView::display_patch_changes_on_channel (uint8_t channel, bool active_channel)
 {
 	for (MidiModel::PatchChanges::const_iterator i = _model->patch_changes().begin(); i != _model->patch_changes().end(); ++i) {
 
@@ -1207,12 +1207,12 @@ MidiRegionView::display_patch_changes_on_channel (uint8_t channel)
 				_model_name, _custom_device_mode, channel, patch_key);
 
 		if (patch != 0) {
-			add_canvas_patch_change (*i, patch->name());
+			add_canvas_patch_change (*i, patch->name(), active_channel);
 		} else {
 			char buf[16];
 			/* program and bank numbers are zero-based: convert to one-based: MIDI_BP_ZERO */
 			snprintf (buf, 16, "%d %d", (*i)->program() + MIDI_BP_ZERO , (*i)->bank() + MIDI_BP_ZERO);
-			add_canvas_patch_change (*i, buf);
+			add_canvas_patch_change (*i, buf, active_channel);
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -1756,8 +1756,13 @@ MidiRegionView::step_sustain (Evoral::MusicalTime beats)
 	change_note_lengths (false, false, beats, false, true);
 }
 
+/** Add a new patch change flag to the canvas.
+ * @param patch the patch change to add
+ * @param the text to display in the flag
+ * @param active_channel true to display the flag as on an active channel, false to grey it out for an inactive channel.
+ */
 void
-MidiRegionView::add_canvas_patch_change (MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch, const string& displaytext)
+MidiRegionView::add_canvas_patch_change (MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch, const string& displaytext, bool active_channel)
 {
 	assert (patch->time() >= 0);
 
@@ -1773,7 +1778,8 @@ MidiRegionView::add_canvas_patch_change (MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch, const
 		                      x, 1.0,
 		                      _model_name,
 		                      _custom_device_mode,
-		                      patch)
+		                      patch,
+				      active_channel)
 		          );
 
 	// Show unless patch change is beyond the region bounds
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.h
index a6750ef123..f47c94a1a9 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.h
@@ -118,11 +118,7 @@ public:
 	void cut_copy_clear (Editing::CutCopyOp);
 	void paste (framepos_t pos, float times, const MidiCutBuffer&);
 
-	/** Add a new patch change flag to the canvas.
-	 * @param patch the patch change to add
-	 * @param the text to display in the flag
-	 */
-	void add_canvas_patch_change (ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch, const std::string& displaytext);
+	void add_canvas_patch_change (ARDOUR::MidiModel::PatchChangePtr patch, const std::string& displaytext, bool);
 
 	/** Look up the given time and channel in the 'automation' and set keys accordingly.
 	 * @param time the time of the patch change event
@@ -466,7 +462,7 @@ private:
 	void maybe_select_by_position (GdkEventButton* ev, double x, double y);
 	void get_events (Events& e, Evoral::Sequence<Evoral::MusicalTime>::NoteOperator op, uint8_t val, int chan_mask = 0);
 
-	void display_patch_changes_on_channel (uint8_t);
+	void display_patch_changes_on_channel (uint8_t, bool);
 
 	void connect_to_diskstream ();
 	void data_recorded (boost::weak_ptr<ARDOUR::MidiSource>);