diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
index 565dbf0b78..729034a204 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
@@ -584,6 +584,10 @@ Editor::autoscroll_active () const
 std::pair <framepos_t,framepos_t>
 Editor::session_gui_extents () const
 {
+	if (!_session) {
+		return std::pair <framepos_t,framepos_t>(max_framepos,0);
+	}
+	
 	framecnt_t session_extent_start = _session->current_start_frame();
 	framecnt_t session_extent_end = _session->current_end_frame();
 
@@ -611,10 +615,18 @@ Editor::session_gui_extents () const
 
 	//ToDo: also incorporate automation regions (in case the session has no audio/midi but is just used for automating plugins or the like)
 
-	//if all else fails, give us 2 minutes
-	framecnt_t const min_length = _session->nominal_frame_rate()*60*2;
-	if ( session_extent_end < min_length )
-		session_extent_end = min_length;
+	//add additional time to the ui extents ( user-defined in config )
+	framecnt_t const extra = UIConfiguration::instance().get_extra_ui_extents_time() * 60 * _session->nominal_frame_rate();
+	session_extent_end += extra;
+	session_extent_start -= extra;
+		
+	//range-check
+	if (session_extent_end > max_framepos) {
+		session_extent_end = max_framepos;
+	}
+	if (session_extent_start < 0) {
+		session_extent_start = 0;
+	}
 	
 	std::pair <framepos_t,framepos_t> ret (session_extent_start, session_extent_end);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
index a0370d0d7e..f8c7a9c546 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
@@ -1790,11 +1790,11 @@ Editor::temporal_zoom_step_scale (bool zoom_out, double scale)
 	}
 
 	//zoom-behavior-tweaks
-	//limit our maximum zoom to the session gui extents value (+10%)
+	//limit our maximum zoom to the session gui extents value
 	std::pair<framepos_t, framepos_t> ext = session_gui_extents();
 	framecnt_t session_extents_pp = ( ext.second - ext.first )  / _visible_canvas_width;
-	if (nspp > session_extents_pp * 1.1)
-		nspp = session_extents_pp * 1.1;
+	if (nspp > session_extents_pp)
+		nspp = session_extents_pp;
 
 	temporal_zoom (nspp);
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
index ea7db58809..0cf2ed41f3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
@@ -2345,6 +2345,18 @@ RCOptionEditor::RCOptionEditor ()
 	dps->add (1.0, _("100%"));
 	add_option (_("Editor"), dps);
 
+	ComboOption<float>* eet = new ComboOption<float> (
+		     "extra-ui-extents-time",
+		     _("Limit zooming & summary view to X minutes beyond session extents"),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::get_extra_ui_extents_time),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::set_extra_ui_extents_time)
+		     );
+	eet->add (1, _("1 minute"));
+	eet->add (2, _("2 minutes"));
+	eet->add (20, _("20 minutes"));
+	eet->add (60, _("1 hour"));
+	add_option (_("Editor"), eet);
+
 	if (!Profile->get_mixbus()) {
 
 		add_option (_("Editor"),
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
index 0bf9a2c15a..9fa7373151 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, show_waveform_clipping, "show-waveform-clipping", true
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, lock_gui_after_seconds, "lock-gui-after-seconds", 0)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, draggable_playhead, "draggable-playhead", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (float, draggable_playhead_speed, "draggable-playhead-speed", 1.0)
+UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (float, extra_ui_extents_time, "extra-ui-extents-time", 1.0)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, new_automation_points_on_lane, "new-automation-points-on-lane", false)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (std::string, keyboard_layout, "keyboard-layout", "ansi")
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (std::string, keyboard_layout_name, "keyboard-layout-name", "ansi")