diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/tempo.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/tempo.h
index 15cd1662f0..19fe5b0b12 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/tempo.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/tempo.h
@@ -359,7 +359,9 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API TempoMap : public PBD::StatefulDestructible
 	framecnt_t bbt_duration_at_unlocked (const Timecode::BBT_Time& when, const Timecode::BBT_Time& bbt, int dir);
 	
 	const MeterSection& first_meter() const;
+	MeterSection&       first_meter();
 	const TempoSection& first_tempo() const;
+	TempoSection&       first_tempo();
 	
 	void do_insert (MetricSection* section);
 };
diff --git a/libs/ardour/tempo.cc b/libs/ardour/tempo.cc
index e775092066..57bf9fe674 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/tempo.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/tempo.cc
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ TempoMap::do_insert (MetricSection* section)
 void
 TempoMap::replace_tempo (const TempoSection& ts, const Tempo& tempo, const BBT_Time& where)
 {
-	const TempoSection& first (first_tempo());
+	TempoSection& first (first_tempo());
 
 	if (ts.start() != first.start()) {
 		remove_tempo (ts, false);
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ TempoMap::replace_tempo (const TempoSection& ts, const Tempo& tempo, const BBT_T
 		{
 			Glib::Threads::RWLock::WriterLock lm (lock);
 			/* cannot move the first tempo section */
-			*((Tempo*)&first) = tempo;
+			*static_cast<Tempo*>(&first) = tempo;
 			recompute_map (false);
 		}
 	}
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ TempoMap::add_tempo (const Tempo& tempo, BBT_Time where)
 void
 TempoMap::replace_meter (const MeterSection& ms, const Meter& meter, const BBT_Time& where)
 {
-	const MeterSection& first (first_meter());
+	MeterSection& first (first_meter());
 
 	if (ms.start() != first.start()) {
 		remove_meter (ms, false);
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ TempoMap::replace_meter (const MeterSection& ms, const Meter& meter, const BBT_T
 		{
 			Glib::Threads::RWLock::WriterLock lm (lock);
 			/* cannot move the first meter section */
-			*((Meter*)&first) = meter;
+			*static_cast<Meter*>(&first) = meter;
 			recompute_map (true);
 		}
 	}
@@ -681,6 +681,22 @@ TempoMap::first_meter () const
 	return *m;
 }
 
+MeterSection&
+TempoMap::first_meter ()
+{
+	MeterSection *m = 0;
+
+	for (Metrics::iterator i = metrics.begin(); i != metrics.end(); ++i) {
+		if ((m = dynamic_cast<MeterSection *> (*i)) != 0) {
+			return *m;
+		}
+	}
+
+	fatal << _("programming error: no tempo section in tempo map!") << endmsg;
+	abort(); /*NOTREACHED*/
+	return *m;
+}
+
 const TempoSection&
 TempoMap::first_tempo () const
 {
@@ -697,6 +713,22 @@ TempoMap::first_tempo () const
 	return *t;
 }
 
+TempoSection&
+TempoMap::first_tempo ()
+{
+	TempoSection *t = 0;
+
+	for (Metrics::const_iterator i = metrics.begin(); i != metrics.end(); ++i) {
+		if ((t = dynamic_cast<TempoSection *> (*i)) != 0) {
+			return *t;
+		}
+	}
+
+	fatal << _("programming error: no tempo section in tempo map!") << endmsg;
+	abort(); /*NOTREACHED*/
+	return *t;
+}
+
 void
 TempoMap::require_map_to (framepos_t pos)
 {