diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.cc b/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.cc
index 63ceaeec85..2e0285b143 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.cc
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@
 
 #include "actions.h"
 #include "ardour_ui.h"
-#include "audio_clock.h"
 #include "gui_thread.h"
 #include "keyboard.h"
 #include "main_clock.h"
 #include "public_editor.h"
 #include "region_list_base.h"
 #include "ui_config.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 #include "pbd/i18n.h"
 
@@ -441,73 +441,9 @@ RegionListBase::clock_format_changed ()
 }
 
 void
-RegionListBase::format_position (timepos_t const& p, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff)
+RegionListBase::format_position (timepos_t const& p, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff) const
 {
-	Temporal::BBT_Time bbt;
-	Timecode::Time     timecode;
-	samplepos_t        pos (p.samples ());
-
-	if (pos < 0) {
-		error << string_compose (_("RegionListBase::format_position: negative timecode position: %1"), pos) << endmsg;
-		snprintf (buf, bufsize, "invalid");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	switch (ARDOUR_UI::instance ()->primary_clock->mode ()) {
-		case AudioClock::BBT:
-			bbt = Temporal::TempoMap::use ()->bbt_at (p);
-			if (onoff) {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%03d|%02d|%04d", bbt.bars, bbt.beats, bbt.ticks);
-			} else {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%03d|%02d|%04d)", bbt.bars, bbt.beats, bbt.ticks);
-			}
-			break;
-
-		case AudioClock::MinSec:
-			samplepos_t left;
-			int         hrs;
-			int         mins;
-			float       secs;
-
-			left = pos;
-			hrs  = (int)floor (left / (_session->sample_rate () * 60.0f * 60.0f));
-			left -= (samplecnt_t)floor (hrs * _session->sample_rate () * 60.0f * 60.0f);
-			mins = (int)floor (left / (_session->sample_rate () * 60.0f));
-			left -= (samplecnt_t)floor (mins * _session->sample_rate () * 60.0f);
-			secs = left / (float)_session->sample_rate ();
-			if (onoff) {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%02d:%02d:%06.3f", hrs, mins, secs);
-			} else {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%02d:%02d:%06.3f)", hrs, mins, secs);
-			}
-			break;
-
-		case AudioClock::Seconds:
-			if (onoff) {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%.1f", pos / (float)_session->sample_rate ());
-			} else {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%.1f)", pos / (float)_session->sample_rate ());
-			}
-			break;
-
-		case AudioClock::Samples:
-			if (onoff) {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%" PRId64, pos);
-			} else {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%" PRId64 ")", pos);
-			}
-			break;
-
-		case AudioClock::Timecode:
-		default:
-			_session->timecode_time (pos, timecode);
-			if (onoff) {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%02d:%02d:%02d:%02d", timecode.hours, timecode.minutes, timecode.seconds, timecode.frames);
-			} else {
-				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%02d:%02d:%02d:%02d)", timecode.hours, timecode.minutes, timecode.seconds, timecode.frames);
-			}
-			break;
-	}
+	ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::format_position (_session, p, buf, bufsize, onoff);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.h b/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.h
index de1e48f820..735944abe6 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/region_list_base.h
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ protected:
 	bool enter_notify (GdkEventCrossing*);
 	bool leave_notify (GdkEventCrossing*);
 
-	void format_position (Temporal::timepos_t const& pos, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff = true);
+	void format_position (Temporal::timepos_t const& pos, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff = true) const;
 
 	void add_region (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Region>);
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
index 9ee38d12a7..cefdd7a5f4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include "ardour/auditioner.h"
 #include "ardour/audioengine.h"
 #include "ardour/filesystem_paths.h"
+#include "ardour/session.h"
 #include "ardour/search_paths.h"
 #include "ardour/triggerbox.h"
 
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "public_editor.h"
 #include "keyboard.h"
+#include "main_clock.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "pbd/i18n.h"
 #include "gui_thread.h"
@@ -985,3 +987,73 @@ ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::copy_patch_changes (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Auditioner> a, std:
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+void
+ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::format_position (ARDOUR::Session* s, Temporal::timepos_t const& p, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff)
+{
+	Temporal::BBT_Time bbt;
+	Timecode::Time     timecode;
+	samplepos_t        pos (p.samples ());
+
+	if (pos < 0) {
+		error << string_compose (_("format_position: negative timecode position: %1"), pos) << endmsg;
+		snprintf (buf, bufsize, "invalid");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	switch (ARDOUR_UI::instance ()->primary_clock->mode ()) {
+		case AudioClock::BBT:
+			bbt = Temporal::TempoMap::use ()->bbt_at (p);
+			if (onoff) {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%03d|%02d|%04d", bbt.bars, bbt.beats, bbt.ticks);
+			} else {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%03d|%02d|%04d)", bbt.bars, bbt.beats, bbt.ticks);
+			}
+			break;
+
+		case AudioClock::MinSec:
+			samplepos_t left;
+			int         hrs;
+			int         mins;
+			float       secs;
+
+			left = pos;
+			hrs  = (int)floor (left / (s->sample_rate () * 60.0f * 60.0f));
+			left -= (samplecnt_t)floor (hrs * s->sample_rate () * 60.0f * 60.0f);
+			mins = (int)floor (left / (s->sample_rate () * 60.0f));
+			left -= (samplecnt_t)floor (mins * s->sample_rate () * 60.0f);
+			secs = left / (float)s->sample_rate ();
+			if (onoff) {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%02d:%02d:%06.3f", hrs, mins, secs);
+			} else {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%02d:%02d:%06.3f)", hrs, mins, secs);
+			}
+			break;
+
+		case AudioClock::Seconds:
+			if (onoff) {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%.1f", pos / (float)s->sample_rate ());
+			} else {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%.1f)", pos / (float)s->sample_rate ());
+			}
+			break;
+
+		case AudioClock::Samples:
+			if (onoff) {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%" PRId64, pos);
+			} else {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%" PRId64 ")", pos);
+			}
+			break;
+
+		case AudioClock::Timecode:
+		default:
+			s->timecode_time (pos, timecode);
+			if (onoff) {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "%02d:%02d:%02d:%02d", timecode.hours, timecode.minutes, timecode.seconds, timecode.frames);
+			} else {
+				snprintf (buf, bufsize, "(%02d:%02d:%02d:%02d)", timecode.hours, timecode.minutes, timecode.seconds, timecode.frames);
+			}
+			break;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
index 4d15f1d2bc..ad04066b55 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ namespace ArdourCanvas {
 
 namespace ARDOUR {
 	class Auditioner;
+	class Session;
 	class Trigger;
 }
 
@@ -117,5 +118,7 @@ void copy_patch_changes (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Auditioner>, std::shared_ptr<AR
 
 bool convert_drop_to_paths (std::vector<std::string>&, const Gtk::SelectionData&);
 
+void format_position (ARDOUR::Session*, Temporal::timepos_t const& pos, char* buf, size_t bufsize, bool onoff = true);
+
 } // namespace
 #endif /* __ardour_gtk_utils_h__ */