diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
index db5c609e7c..162ddaaf54 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
@@ -1419,7 +1419,7 @@ AudioRegionView::set_one_waveform_color (ArdourCanvas::WaveView* wave)
 {
 	ArdourCanvas::Color fill;
 	ArdourCanvas::Color outline;
-	
+
 	if (_selected) {
 		if (_region->muted()) {
 			/* hide outline with zero alpha */
@@ -1428,6 +1428,13 @@ AudioRegionView::set_one_waveform_color (ArdourCanvas::WaveView* wave)
 		} else {
 			outline = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_SelectedWaveForm();
 			fill = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_SelectedWaveFormFill();
+
+			if (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_color_regions_using_track_color()) {
+				/* just use a slightly transparent version of the selected
+				 * color so that some of the track color bleeds through
+				 */
+				fill = UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (fill, 217);
+			}
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (_recregion) {
@@ -1441,22 +1448,17 @@ AudioRegionView::set_one_waveform_color (ArdourCanvas::WaveView* wave)
 			} else {
 				outline = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_WaveForm();
 				fill = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_WaveFormFill();
+
+				if (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_color_regions_using_track_color()) {
+					/* just use a slightly transparent version of the selected
+					 * color so that some of the track color bleeds through
+					 */
+					fill = UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (fill, 217);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_color_regions_using_track_color()) {
-
-		/* just use a slightly transparent version of the selected
-		 * color so that some of the track color bleeds through
-		 */
-
-		double r, g, b, a;
-		ArdourCanvas::color_to_rgba (fill, r, g, b, a);
-		fill = ArdourCanvas::rgba_to_color (r, g, b, 0.85); /* magic number, not user controllable */
-		outline = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_WaveForm();
-	}
-
 	wave->set_fill_color (fill);
 	wave->set_outline_color (outline);
 	wave->set_clip_color (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_WaveFormClip());
@@ -1470,13 +1472,7 @@ AudioRegionView::set_frame_color ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (_region->opaque()) {
-		fill_opacity = 130;
-	} else {
-		fill_opacity = 0;
-	}
-
-	TimeAxisViewItem::set_frame_color ();
+	RegionView::set_frame_color ();
 
 	set_waveform_colors ();
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/region_view.cc
index d6c006a77b..c566d54f2d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/region_view.cc
@@ -535,6 +535,10 @@ RegionView::set_colors ()
 void
 RegionView::set_frame_color ()
 {
+	if (!frame) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (_region->opaque()) {
 		fill_opacity = 130;
 	} else {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
index ccf4eab096..0ae4ec72f2 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
@@ -755,12 +755,23 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::set_name_text_color ()
 uint32_t
 TimeAxisViewItem::get_fill_color () const
 {
-        uint32_t f = 0;
+        uint32_t f;
+	uint32_t o;
 
 	if (_selected) {
 
                 f = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_SelectedFrameBase();
 
+		if (fill_opacity != 0) {
+			o = fill_opacity;
+		} else {
+			/* some condition of this item has set fill opacity to
+			 * zero, but it has been selected, so use a mid-way
+			 * alpha value to make it reasonably visible.
+			 */
+			o = 130;
+		}
+		
 	} else {
 
 		if (_recregion) {
@@ -773,9 +784,18 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::get_fill_color () const
 				f = fill_color;
 			}
 		}
+
+		/* tweak opacity */
+
+		if (!rect_visible) {
+			o = 0;
+		} else {
+			o = fill_opacity;
+		}
+
 	}
 
-	return f;
+	return UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (f, o);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -784,26 +804,16 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::get_fill_color () const
 void
 TimeAxisViewItem::set_frame_color()
 {
-        uint32_t f = 0;
-
 	if (!frame) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	f = get_fill_color ();
-
-	if (fill_opacity) {
-		f = UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (f, fill_opacity);
-	}
-	
-	if (!rect_visible) {
-		f = UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (f, 0);
-	}
-
-        frame->set_fill_color (f);
+        frame->set_fill_color (get_fill_color());
 	set_frame_gradient ();
 
         if (!_recregion) {
+		uint32_t f;
+
                 if (_selected) {
                         f = ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_SelectedTimeAxisFrame();
                 } else {
@@ -811,6 +821,7 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::set_frame_color()
                 }
 
                 if (!rect_visible) {
+			/* make the frame outline be visible but rather transparent */
                         f = UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (f, 64);
                 }