diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/dark.colors b/gtk2_ardour/dark.colors
index a7da390fe5..512f530b10 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/dark.colors
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/dark.colors
@@ -337,9 +337,7 @@
     <ColorAlias name="piano roll black outline" alias="color 33"/>
     <ColorAlias name="piano roll white" alias="color 45"/>
     <ColorAlias name="play head" alias="color 9"/>
-    <ColorAlias name="plugin bypass button: fill" alias="color 71"/>
-    <ColorAlias name="plugin bypass button: fill active" alias="color 42"/>
-    <ColorAlias name="plugin bypass button: led active" alias="color 9"/>
+    <ColorAlias name="plugin bypass button: led active" alias="color 8"/>
     <ColorAlias name="processor automation line" alias="color 77"/>
     <ColorAlias name="processor control button: fill" alias="color 29"/>
     <ColorAlias name="processor control button: fill active" alias="color 46"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/generic_pluginui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/generic_pluginui.cc
index 85d183ab88..056aea9753 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/generic_pluginui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/generic_pluginui.cc
@@ -83,8 +83,7 @@ GenericPluginUI::GenericPluginUI (boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert> pi, bool scrol
 	Label* combo_label = manage (new Label (_("<span size=\"large\">Presets</span>")));
 	combo_label->set_use_markup (true);
 
-	latency_button.add (latency_label);
-	latency_button.signal_clicked().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::latency_button_clicked));
+	latency_button.signal_clicked.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::latency_button_clicked));
 	set_latency_label ();
 
 	smaller_hbox->pack_start (latency_button, false, false, 10);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.cc
index b4e8e0001e..76efb71f1f 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.cc
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ PlugUIBase::PlugUIBase (boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert> pi)
 	, eqgui (0)
 {
 	_preset_modified.set_size_request (16, -1);
-	_preset_combo.signal_changed().connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &PlugUIBase::preset_selected));
+	_preset_combo.set_text("(default)");
 	ARDOUR_UI::instance()->set_tip (_preset_combo, _("Presets (if any) for this plugin\n(Both factory and user-created)"));
 	ARDOUR_UI::instance()->set_tip (add_button, _("Save a new preset"));
 	ARDOUR_UI::instance()->set_tip (save_button, _("Save the current preset"));
@@ -437,14 +437,14 @@ PlugUIBase::PlugUIBase (boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert> pi)
 	update_preset_list ();
 	update_preset ();
 
-	add_button.set_name ("PluginAddButton");
-	add_button.signal_clicked().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::add_plugin_setting));
+	add_button.set_name ("generic button");
+	add_button.signal_clicked.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::add_plugin_setting));
 
-	save_button.set_name ("PluginSaveButton");
-	save_button.signal_clicked().connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &PlugUIBase::save_plugin_setting));
+	save_button.set_name ("generic button");
+	save_button.signal_clicked.connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &PlugUIBase::save_plugin_setting));
 
-	delete_button.set_name ("PluginDeleteButton");
-	delete_button.signal_clicked().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::delete_plugin_setting));
+	delete_button.set_name ("generic button");
+	delete_button.signal_clicked.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &PlugUIBase::delete_plugin_setting));
 
 	insert->ActiveChanged.connect (active_connection, invalidator (*this), boost::bind (&PlugUIBase::processor_active_changed, this,  boost::weak_ptr<Processor>(insert)), gui_context());
 
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ PlugUIBase::set_latency_label ()
 		t = string_compose (_("latency (%1 ms)"), (float) l / ((float) sr / 1000.0f));
 	}
 
-	latency_label.set_text (t);
+	latency_button.set_text (t);
 }
 
 void
@@ -545,20 +545,13 @@ PlugUIBase::processor_active_changed (boost::weak_ptr<Processor> weak_p)
 }
 
 void
-PlugUIBase::preset_selected ()
+PlugUIBase::preset_selected (Plugin::PresetRecord preset)
 {
 	if (_no_load_preset) {
 		return;
 	}
-
-	if (_preset_combo.get_active_text().length() > 0) {
-		const Plugin::PresetRecord* pr = plugin->preset_by_label (_preset_combo.get_active_text());
-		if (pr) {
-			plugin->load_preset (*pr);
-		} else {
-			warning << string_compose(_("Plugin preset %1 not found"),
-						  _preset_combo.get_active_text()) << endmsg;
-		}
+	if (!preset.label.empty()) {
+		plugin->load_preset (preset);
 	} else {
 		// blank selected = no preset
 		plugin->clear_preset();
@@ -605,7 +598,7 @@ void
 PlugUIBase::save_plugin_setting ()
 {
 #ifndef NO_PLUGIN_STATE
-	string const name = _preset_combo.get_active_text ();
+	string const name = _preset_combo.get_text ();
 	plugin->remove_preset (name);
 	Plugin::PresetRecord const r = plugin->save_preset (name);
 	if (!r.uri.empty ()) {
@@ -625,7 +618,7 @@ void
 PlugUIBase::delete_plugin_setting ()
 {
 #ifndef NO_PLUGIN_STATE
-	plugin->remove_preset (_preset_combo.get_active_text ());
+	plugin->remove_preset (_preset_combo.get_text ());
 #else
 	if (!seen_saving_message) {
 		info << string_compose (_("Plugin presets are not supported in this build of %1. Consider paying for a newer version"),
@@ -736,18 +729,23 @@ PlugUIBase::toggle_plugin_analysis()
 void
 PlugUIBase::update_preset_list ()
 {
-	vector<string> preset_labels;
+	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
+
 	vector<ARDOUR::Plugin::PresetRecord> presets = plugin->get_presets();
 
 	++_no_load_preset;
 
+	// Add a menu entry for each preset
+	_preset_combo.clear_items();
 	for (vector<ARDOUR::Plugin::PresetRecord>::const_iterator i = presets.begin(); i != presets.end(); ++i) {
-		preset_labels.push_back (i->label);
+		_preset_combo.AddMenuElem(
+			MenuElem(i->label, sigc::bind(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &PlugUIBase::preset_selected), *i)));
 	}
 
-	preset_labels.push_back("");
-
-	set_popdown_strings (_preset_combo, preset_labels);
+	// Add an empty entry for un-setting current preset (see preset_selected)
+	Plugin::PresetRecord no_preset;
+	_preset_combo.AddMenuElem(
+		MenuElem("", sigc::bind(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &PlugUIBase::preset_selected), no_preset)));
 
 	--_no_load_preset;
 }
@@ -758,7 +756,11 @@ PlugUIBase::update_preset ()
 	Plugin::PresetRecord p = plugin->last_preset();
 
 	++_no_load_preset;
-	_preset_combo.set_active_text (p.label);
+	if (p.uri.empty()) {
+		_preset_combo.set_text ("(none)");
+	} else {
+		_preset_combo.set_text (p.label);
+	}
 	--_no_load_preset;
 
 	save_button.set_sensitive (!p.uri.empty() && p.user);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.h
index 58dc6ce2a3..6ae548d8fb 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/plugin_ui.h
@@ -49,9 +49,10 @@
 #include "ardour/plugin.h"
 #include "ardour/variant.h"
 
-#include "automation_controller.h"
 #include "ardour_button.h"
+#include "ardour_dropdown.h"
 #include "ardour_window.h"
+#include "automation_controller.h"
 
 namespace ARDOUR {
 	class PluginInsert;
@@ -115,15 +116,15 @@ class PlugUIBase : public virtual sigc::trackable, public PBD::ScopedConnectionL
 	/* UI elements that can subclasses can add to their widgets */
 
 	/** a ComboBoxText which lists presets and manages their selection */
-	Gtk::ComboBoxText _preset_combo;
+	ArdourDropdown _preset_combo;
 	/** a label which has a * in if the current settings are different from the preset being shown */
 	Gtk::Label _preset_modified;
 	/** a button to add a preset */
-	Gtk::Button add_button;
+	ArdourButton add_button;
 	/** a button to save the current settings as a new user preset */
-	Gtk::Button save_button;
+	ArdourButton save_button;
 	/** a button to delete the current preset (if it is a user one) */
-	Gtk::Button delete_button;
+	ArdourButton delete_button;
 	/** a button to bypass the plugin */
 	ArdourButton bypass_button;
 	/** a button to acquire keyboard focus */
@@ -132,10 +133,8 @@ class PlugUIBase : public virtual sigc::trackable, public PBD::ScopedConnectionL
 	Gtk::Expander description_expander;
 	/** an expander containing the plugin analysis graph */
 	Gtk::Expander plugin_analysis_expander;
-	/** a label indicating the plugin latency */
-	Gtk::Label latency_label;
 	/** a button which, when clicked, opens the latency GUI */
-	Gtk::Button latency_button;
+	ArdourButton latency_button;
 	/** a button which sets all controls' automation setting to Manual */
 	ArdourButton automation_manual_all_button;
 	/** a button which sets all controls' automation setting to Play */
@@ -157,7 +156,7 @@ class PlugUIBase : public virtual sigc::trackable, public PBD::ScopedConnectionL
 	Gtk::Image* focus_in_image;
 	int _no_load_preset;
 
-	virtual void preset_selected ();
+	virtual void preset_selected (ARDOUR::Plugin::PresetRecord preset);
 	void add_plugin_setting ();
 	void save_plugin_setting ();
 	void delete_plugin_setting ();
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.cc
index a35df5df07..3b1f999a7c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.cc
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ VSTPluginUI::~VSTPluginUI ()
 }
 
 void
-VSTPluginUI::preset_selected ()
+VSTPluginUI::preset_selected (Plugin::PresetRecord preset)
 {
 #ifdef GDK_WINDOWING_X11
 	_socket.grab_focus ();
 #endif
-	PlugUIBase::preset_selected ();
+	PlugUIBase::preset_selected (preset);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.h
index 7339186975..8996fe0a21 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vst_plugin_ui.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ protected:
 private:
 
 	bool configure_handler (GdkEventConfigure *);
-	void preset_selected ();
+	void preset_selected (ARDOUR::Plugin::PresetRecord preset);
 };
 
 #endif