diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
index b794857c48..87a5138b12 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API Trigger : public PBD::Stateful {
 	void set_use_follow (bool yn);
 	bool use_follow() const { return _use_follow; }
 
+	virtual bool probably_oneshot () const = 0;
+
 	timepos_t start_offset () const; /* offset from start of data */
 	virtual timepos_t current_length() const = 0; /* offset from start() */
 	virtual timepos_t natural_length() const = 0; /* offset from start() */
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API AudioTrigger : public Trigger {
 	timepos_t natural_length() const; /* offset from start of data */
 	void reload (BufferSet&, void*);
 	void io_change ();
+	bool probably_oneshot () const;
 
 	double position_as_fraction() const;
 
@@ -381,6 +384,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API MIDITrigger : public Trigger {
 	timepos_t current_length() const; /* offset from start of data */
 	timepos_t natural_length() const; /* offset from start of data */
 	void reload (BufferSet&, void*);
+	bool probably_oneshot () const;
 
 	double position_as_fraction() const;
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc b/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
index 354c9d3bff..47e4d3b76d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
@@ -491,13 +491,20 @@ Trigger::maybe_compute_next_transition (samplepos_t start_sample, Temporal::Beat
 	pframes_t extra_offset = 0;
 	BBT_Offset q (_quantization);
 
+
 	/* XXX need to use global grid here is quantization == zero */
 
 	/* Given the value of @param start, determine, based on the
 	 * quantization, the next time for a transition.
 	 */
 
-	if (q.bars == 0) {
+	if (q < Temporal::BBT_Offset (0, 0, 0)) {
+		/* negative quantization == do not quantize */
+		std::cerr << "negative quant, start right now\n";
+		transition_samples = start_sample;
+		transition_beats = start;
+		transition_time = timepos_t (start);
+	} else if (q.bars == 0) {
 		Temporal::Beats transition_beats = start.round_up_to_multiple (Temporal::Beats (q.beats, q.ticks));
 		transition_bbt = tmap->bbt_at (transition_beats);
 		transition_time = timepos_t (transition_beats);
@@ -807,6 +814,31 @@ AudioTrigger::set_region_in_worker_thread (boost::shared_ptr<Region> r)
 	setup_stretcher ();
 	set_usable_length ();
 
+	/* Given what we know about the tempo and duration, set the defaults
+	 * for the trigger properties.
+	 */
+
+	if (_apparent_tempo == 0.) {
+		_stretchable = false;
+		_quantization = Temporal::BBT_Offset (-1, 0, 0);
+		_follow_action0 = None;
+		_follow_action_probability = 0; /* 100% left */
+	} else {
+
+		if (probably_oneshot()) {
+			/* short trigger, treat as a one shot */
+			_stretchable = false;
+			_follow_action0 = None;
+			_quantization = Temporal::BBT_Offset (-1, 0, 0);
+		} else {
+			_stretchable = true;
+			_quantization = Temporal::BBT_Offset (0, 1, 0);
+			_follow_action0 = Again;
+		}
+
+		_follow_action_probability = 0; /* 100% left */
+	}
+
 	PropertyChanged (ARDOUR::Properties::name);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -913,6 +945,21 @@ AudioTrigger::determine_tempo ()
 	cerr << "barcnt = " << round (_barcnt) << endl;
 }
 
+bool
+AudioTrigger::probably_oneshot () const
+{
+	assert (_apparent_tempo != 0.);
+
+	if ((usable_length < (_box.session().sample_rate()/2)) ||
+	    /* XXX use Meter here, not 4.0 */
+	    ((_barcnt <= 1) && (usable_length < (4.0 * ((_box.session().sample_rate() * 60) / _apparent_tempo))))) {
+		std::cerr << "looks like a one-shot\n";
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 void
 AudioTrigger::io_change ()
 {
@@ -1285,6 +1332,13 @@ MIDITrigger::~MIDITrigger ()
 {
 }
 
+bool
+MIDITrigger::probably_oneshot () const
+{
+	/* XXX fix for short chord stabs */
+	return false;
+}
+
 void
 MIDITrigger::set_expected_end_sample (Temporal::TempoMap::SharedPtr const & tmap, Temporal::BBT_Time const & transition_bbt)
 {