diff --git a/ardour.rc.in b/ardour.rc.in
index 6488d0ed82..735b19c233 100644
--- a/ardour.rc.in
+++ b/ardour.rc.in
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
     <Option name="stop-recording-on-xrun" value="no"/>
     <Option name="stop-at-session-end" value="no"/>
     <Option name="auto-xfade" value="yes"/>
+    <Option name="crossfades-active" value="1"/>
+    <Option name="crossfades-visible" value="1"/>
+    <Option name="xfade-model" value="0"/>
     <Option name="no-new-session-dialog" value="yes"/>
     <Option name="timecode-source-is-synced" value="yes"/>
     <Option name="auditioner-left-out" value="%JACK_INPUT%1"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
index 3cca792523..0e6997b59c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ AudioStreamView::add_crossfade (Crossfade *crossfade)
 	crossfade->Invalidated.connect (mem_fun (*this, &AudioStreamView::remove_crossfade));
 	crossfade_views.push_back (cv);
 
-	if (!crossfades_visible) {
+	if (!Config->get_crossfades_visible() || !crossfades_visible) {
 		cv->hide ();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/crossfade_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/crossfade_view.cc
index baf0f2a346..42a1a47227 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/crossfade_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/crossfade_view.cc
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ CrossfadeView::crossfade_changed (Change what_changed)
 		set_duration (crossfade.overlap_length(), this);
 		need_redraw_curves = true;
 	}
+
+	if (what_changed & Crossfade::FollowOverlapChanged) {
+		need_redraw_curves = true;
+	}
 	
 	if (what_changed & Crossfade::ActiveChanged) {
 		/* calls redraw_curves */
@@ -142,9 +146,15 @@ CrossfadeView::redraw_curves ()
 	Points* points; 
 	int32_t npoints;
 	float* vec;
-	
 	double h;
 
+	if (!crossfade.following_overlap()) {
+		/* curves should not be visible */
+		fade_in->hide ();
+		fade_out->hide ();
+		return;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 At "height - 3.0" the bottom of the crossfade touches the name highlight or the bottom of the track (if the
 	 track is either Small or Smaller.
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioplaylist.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioplaylist.h
index 6d67e0f793..383ec73531 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioplaylist.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioplaylist.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class AudioPlaylist : public ARDOUR::Playlist
 	AudioPlaylist (const AudioPlaylist&, string name, bool hidden = false);
 	AudioPlaylist (const AudioPlaylist&, nframes_t start, nframes_t cnt, string name, bool hidden = false);
 
-	void clear ();
+	void clear (bool with_signals=true);
 
         nframes_t read (Sample *dst, Sample *mixdown, float *gain_buffer, nframes_t start, nframes_t cnt, uint32_t chan_n=0);
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/crossfade.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/crossfade.h
index d1b2e8f1e1..d29ba47056 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/crossfade.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/crossfade.h
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ class Crossfade : public PBD::StatefulDestructible
 	nframes_t overlap_length() const;
 	nframes_t position() const { return _position; }
 
+	void invalidate();
+
 	sigc::signal<void,Crossfade*> Invalidated;
 	sigc::signal<void,Change>     StateChanged;
 
@@ -135,6 +137,7 @@ class Crossfade : public PBD::StatefulDestructible
 	static void set_short_xfade_length (nframes_t n);
 
 	static Change ActiveChanged;
+	static Change FollowOverlapChanged;
 
   private:
 	friend struct CrossfadeComparePtr;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
index 8f08c58466..2d19f661c4 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class Playlist : public PBD::StatefulDestructible {
 	Playlist (const Playlist&, string name, bool hidden = false);
 	Playlist (const Playlist&, nframes_t start, nframes_t cnt, string name, bool hidden = false);
 
-	virtual void clear ();
+	virtual void clear (bool with_signals=true);
 	virtual void dump () const;
 
 	void ref();
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ class Playlist : public PBD::StatefulDestructible {
 	mutable gint    block_notifications;
 	mutable gint    ignore_state_changes;
 	mutable Glib::Mutex region_lock;
+	std::set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> > pending_adds;
+	std::set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> > pending_removes;
 	RegionList       pending_bounds;
 	bool             pending_modified;
 	bool             pending_length;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
index e39be5d402..00c3038d25 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
@@ -237,9 +237,9 @@ AudioPlaylist::remove_dependents (boost::shared_ptr<Region> region)
 		tmp = i;
 		tmp++;
 
+		
 		if ((*i)->involves (r)) {
-			/* do not delete crossfades */
-			_crossfades.erase (i);
+			delete *i;
 		}
 		
 		i = tmp;
@@ -488,9 +488,7 @@ AudioPlaylist::set_state (const XMLNode& node)
 	XMLNodeList nlist;
 	XMLNodeConstIterator niter;
 
-	if (!in_set_state) {
-		Playlist::set_state (node);
-	} 
+	Playlist::set_state (node);
 
 	nlist = node.children();
 
@@ -502,10 +500,12 @@ AudioPlaylist::set_state (const XMLNode& node)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		Crossfade *xfade;
-		
 		try {
-			xfade = new Crossfade (*((const Playlist *)this), *child);
+			Crossfade* xfade = new Crossfade (*((const Playlist *)this), *child);
+			_crossfades.push_back (xfade);
+			xfade->Invalidated.connect (mem_fun (*this, &AudioPlaylist::crossfade_invalidated));
+			xfade->StateChanged.connect (mem_fun (*this, &AudioPlaylist::crossfade_changed));
+			NewCrossfade(xfade);
 		}
 		
 		catch (failed_constructor& err) {
@@ -514,44 +514,28 @@ AudioPlaylist::set_state (const XMLNode& node)
 			//    << endl;
 			continue;
 		}
-		
-		Crossfades::iterator ci;
-		
-		for (ci = _crossfades.begin(); ci != _crossfades.end(); ++ci) {
-			if (*(*ci) == *xfade) {
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		
-		if (ci == _crossfades.end()) {
-			_crossfades.push_back (xfade);
-			xfade->Invalidated.connect (mem_fun (*this, &AudioPlaylist::crossfade_invalidated));
-			xfade->StateChanged.connect (mem_fun (*this, &AudioPlaylist::crossfade_changed));
-			NewCrossfade(xfade);
-		} else {
-
-			/* adjust the current state of the existing crossfade */
-
-			(*ci)->set_state (*child);
-
-			/* drop the new one */
-			delete xfade;
-		}
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
 void
-AudioPlaylist::clear ()
+AudioPlaylist::clear (bool with_signals)
 {
-	for (Crossfades::iterator i = _crossfades.begin(); i != _crossfades.end(); ++i) {
+	for (Crossfades::iterator i = _crossfades.begin(); i != _crossfades.end(); ) {
+
+		Crossfades::iterator tmp;
+		tmp = i;
+		++tmp;
+
 		delete *i;
+
+		i = tmp;
 	}
 
 	_crossfades.clear ();
 	
-	Playlist::clear ();
+	Playlist::clear (with_signals);
 }
 
 XMLNode&
diff --git a/libs/ardour/crossfade.cc b/libs/ardour/crossfade.cc
index a197459971..1c4bdb6cad 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/crossfade.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/crossfade.cc
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ using namespace PBD;
 
 nframes_t Crossfade::_short_xfade_length = 0;
 Change Crossfade::ActiveChanged = new_change();
+Change Crossfade::FollowOverlapChanged = new_change();
 
 /* XXX if and when we ever implement parallel processing of the process()
    callback, these will need to be handled on a per-thread basis.
@@ -82,8 +83,16 @@ Crossfade::Crossfade (boost::shared_ptr<AudioRegion> in, boost::shared_ptr<Audio
 	_length = length;
 	_position = position;
 	_anchor_point = ap;
-	_follow_overlap = false;
-	_active = true;
+
+	switch (Config->get_xfade_model()) {
+	case ShortCrossfade:
+		_follow_overlap = false;
+		break;
+	default:
+		_follow_overlap = true;
+	}
+
+	_active = Config->get_crossfades_active ();
 	_fixed = true;
 		
 	initialize ();
@@ -188,6 +197,7 @@ Crossfade::Crossfade (const Crossfade &orig, boost::shared_ptr<AudioRegion> newi
 
 Crossfade::~Crossfade ()
 {
+	Invalidated (this);
 }
 
 void
@@ -795,6 +805,8 @@ Crossfade::set_follow_overlap (bool yn)
 	} else {
 		set_length (_out->first_frame() + _out->length() - _in->first_frame());
 	}
+
+	StateChanged (FollowOverlapChanged);
 }
 
 nframes_t
@@ -847,3 +859,9 @@ Crossfade::set_short_xfade_length (nframes_t n)
 {
 	_short_xfade_length = n;
 }
+
+void
+Crossfade::invalidate ()
+{
+	Invalidated (this); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
+}
diff --git a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
index f87a30c931..056789d4e9 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ void
 Playlist::notify_region_removed (boost::shared_ptr<Region> r)
 {
 	if (holding_state ()) {
+		pending_removes.insert (r);
 		pending_modified = true;
 		pending_length = true;
 	} else {
@@ -350,6 +351,7 @@ Playlist::notify_region_added (boost::shared_ptr<Region> r)
 	*/
 
 	if (holding_state()) {
+		pending_adds.insert (r);
 		pending_modified = true;
 		pending_length = true;
 	} else {
@@ -372,9 +374,8 @@ Playlist::notify_length_changed ()
 void
 Playlist::flush_notifications ()
 {
-	RegionList::iterator r;
-	RegionList::iterator a;
 	set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> > dependent_checks_needed;
+	set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> >::iterator s;
 	uint32_t n = 0;
 
 	if (in_flush) {
@@ -405,8 +406,18 @@ Playlist::flush_notifications ()
 		/* don't increment n again - its the same list */
 	}
 
-	for (set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> >::iterator x = dependent_checks_needed.begin(); x != dependent_checks_needed.end(); ++x) {
-		check_dependents (*x, false);
+	for (s = pending_adds.begin(); s != pending_adds.end(); ++s) {
+		dependent_checks_needed.insert (*s);
+		n++;
+	}
+
+	for (s = dependent_checks_needed.begin(); s != dependent_checks_needed.end(); ++s) {
+		check_dependents (*s, false);
+	}
+
+	for (s = pending_removes.begin(); s != pending_removes.end(); ++s) {
+		remove_dependents (*s);
+		n++;
 	}
 
 	if ((freeze_length != _get_maximum_extent()) || pending_length) {
@@ -424,6 +435,8 @@ Playlist::flush_notifications ()
 		Modified (); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 	}
 
+	pending_adds.clear ();
+	pending_removes.clear ();
 	pending_bounds.clear ();
 
 	in_flush = false;
@@ -543,7 +556,7 @@ Playlist::remove_region_internal (boost::shared_ptr<Region>region, bool delay_so
 	RegionList::iterator i;
 	nframes_t old_length = 0;
 
-	// cerr << "removing region " << region->name() << endl;
+	cerr << "removing region " << region->name() << " holding = " << holding_state() << endl;
 
 	if (!holding_state()) {
 		old_length = _get_maximum_extent();
@@ -1155,20 +1168,21 @@ Playlist::region_changed (Change what_changed, boost::shared_ptr<Region> region)
 }
 
 void
-Playlist::clear ()
+Playlist::clear (bool with_signals)
 {
-	RegionList::iterator i;
-	RegionList tmp;
-
 	{ 
 		RegionLock rl (this);
-		tmp = regions;
+		for (RegionList::iterator i = regions.begin(); i != regions.end(); ++i) {
+			pending_removes.insert (*i);
+		}
 		regions.clear ();
 	}
-	
-	for (i = tmp.begin(); i != tmp.end(); ++i) {
-		notify_region_removed (*i);
+
+	if (with_signals) {
+		LengthChanged ();
+		Modified ();
 	}
+
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
@@ -1331,10 +1345,7 @@ Playlist::set_state (const XMLNode& node)
 		}
 	}
 
-	{ 
-		RegionLock rl (this);
-		regions.clear ();
-	}
+	clear (false);
 	
 	nlist = node.children();