diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_patch_manager.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_patch_manager.h
index 3c10a3a149..aa4fda108e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_patch_manager.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_patch_manager.h
@@ -57,12 +57,16 @@ public:
 		return *_manager;
 	}
 
+	PBD::Signal0<void> PatchesChanged;
+
+	bool add_custom_midnam (const std::string& id, const std::string& midnam);
+	bool remove_custom_midnam (const std::string& id);
+
 	void add_search_path (const PBD::Searchpath& search_path);
 
 	void remove_search_path (const PBD::Searchpath& search_path);
 
-	boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document_by_model(std::string model_name)
-		{ return _documents[model_name]; }
+	boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document_by_model(std::string model_name) const;
 
 	boost::shared_ptr<MasterDeviceNames> master_device_by_model(std::string model_name)
 		{ return _master_devices_by_model[model_name]; }
@@ -139,7 +143,8 @@ public:
 	const DeviceNamesByMaker& devices_by_manufacturer() const { return _devices_by_manufacturer; }
 
 private:
-	bool add_midi_name_document(const std::string& file_path);
+	bool load_midi_name_document(const std::string& file_path);
+	bool add_midi_name_document(boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument>);
 	bool remove_midi_name_document(const std::string& file_path);
 
 	void add_midnam_files_from_directory(const std::string& directory_path);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_patch_manager.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_patch_manager.cc
index 8a6d8dfd10..e3bf899bf5 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_patch_manager.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_patch_manager.cc
@@ -68,6 +68,28 @@ MidiPatchManager::add_search_path (const Searchpath& search_path)
 	}
 }
 
+bool
+MidiPatchManager::add_custom_midnam (const std::string& id, const std::string& midnam)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document;
+	document = boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument>(new MIDINameDocument());
+	XMLTree mxml;
+	if (mxml.read_buffer (midnam, true)) {
+		if (0 == document->set_state (mxml, *mxml.root())) {
+			document->set_file_path ("custom:" + id);
+			add_midi_name_document (document);
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+bool
+MidiPatchManager::remove_custom_midnam (const std::string& id)
+{
+	return remove_midi_name_document ("custom:" + id);
+}
+
 void
 MidiPatchManager::add_midnam_files_from_directory(const std::string& directory_path)
 {
@@ -80,7 +102,7 @@ MidiPatchManager::add_midnam_files_from_directory(const std::string& directory_p
 	     << endmsg;
 
 	for (vector<std::string>::const_iterator i = result.begin(); i != result.end(); ++i) {
-		add_midi_name_document (*i);
+		load_midi_name_document (*i);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -116,7 +138,7 @@ MidiPatchManager::remove_midnam_files_from_directory(const std::string& director
 }
 
 bool
-MidiPatchManager::add_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
+MidiPatchManager::load_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 {
 	boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document;
 	try {
@@ -127,6 +149,22 @@ MidiPatchManager::add_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 		      << endmsg;
 		return false;
 	}
+	return add_midi_name_document (document);
+}
+
+boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument>
+MidiPatchManager::document_by_model(std::string model_name) const
+{
+	MidiNameDocuments::const_iterator i = _documents.find (model_name);
+	if (i != _documents.end ()) {
+		return i->second;
+	}
+	return boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> ();
+}
+
+bool
+MidiPatchManager::add_midi_name_document (boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document)
+{
 	for (MIDINameDocument::MasterDeviceNamesList::const_iterator device =
 	         document->master_device_names_by_model().begin();
 	     device != document->master_device_names_by_model().end();
@@ -134,7 +172,7 @@ MidiPatchManager::add_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 		if (_documents.find(device->first) != _documents.end()) {
 			warning << string_compose(_("Duplicate MIDI device `%1' in `%2' ignored"),
 			                          device->first,
-			                          file_path) << endmsg;
+			                          document->file_path()) << endmsg;
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -155,6 +193,8 @@ MidiPatchManager::add_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 		assert(_documents.count(device->first) == 1);
 		assert(_master_devices_by_model.count(device->first) == 1);
 	}
+
+	PatchesChanged(); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -167,9 +207,10 @@ MidiPatchManager::remove_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 
 			boost::shared_ptr<MIDINameDocument> document = i->second;
 
+			cout << string_compose(_("Removing MIDI patch file %1"), file_path) << "\n";
 			info << string_compose(_("Removing MIDI patch file %1"), file_path) << endmsg;
 
-			_documents.erase(i++);
+			i = _documents.erase(i);
 
 			for (MIDINameDocument::MasterDeviceNamesList::const_iterator device =
 			         document->master_device_names_by_model().begin();
@@ -189,5 +230,8 @@ MidiPatchManager::remove_midi_name_document (const std::string& file_path)
 			++i;
 		}
 	}
+	if (removed) {
+		PatchesChanged(); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
+	}
 	return removed;
 }
diff --git a/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h b/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
index 683f52f84d..f6f5f12edf 100644
--- a/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
+++ b/libs/midi++2/midi++/midnam_patch.h
@@ -469,9 +469,10 @@ public:
 	virtual ~MIDINameDocument() {};
 
 	const std::string& file_path () const { return _file_path; }
-
 	const std::string& author() const { return _author; }
+
 	void set_author(const std::string& author) { _author = author; }
+	void set_file_path(const std::string& file_path) { _file_path = file_path; }
 
 	boost::shared_ptr<MasterDeviceNames> master_device_names(const std::string& model);
 
@@ -483,7 +484,7 @@ public:
 	int      set_state (const XMLTree&, const XMLNode&);
 
 private:
-	const std::string             _file_path;
+	std::string                   _file_path;
 	std::string                   _author;
 	MasterDeviceNamesList         _master_device_names_list;
 	MasterDeviceNames::Models     _all_models;