diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
index 3648ceda8f..d57df6999b 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include <glib.h>
-
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+#include <glibmm/threads.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "pbd/undo.h"
 #include "pbd/stateful.h"
@@ -253,7 +255,11 @@ public:
 	int             _sort_id;
 	mutable gint    block_notifications;
 	mutable gint    ignore_state_changes;
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+	mutable Glib::Threads::RecMutex region_lock;
+#else
 	mutable Glib::RecMutex region_lock;
+#endif	
 	std::set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> > pending_adds;
 	std::set<boost::shared_ptr<Region> > pending_removes;
 	RegionList       pending_bounds;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
index 06f9b3bc65..ebebc62c33 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/audio_playlist.cc
@@ -186,7 +186,11 @@ AudioPlaylist::read (Sample *buf, Sample *mixdown_buffer, float *gain_buffer, fr
 	   its OK to block (for short intervals).
 	*/
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+	Glib::Threads::RecMutex::Lock lm (region_lock);
+#else	
 	Glib::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#endif	
 
 	/* Find all the regions that are involved in the bit we are reading,
 	   and sort them by descending layer and ascending position.
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
index 9b0eb374d5..7e3d70bfe0 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ MidiPlaylist::read (Evoral::EventSink<framepos_t>& dst, framepos_t start, framec
 	   its OK to block (for short intervals).
 	*/
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+	Glib::Threads::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#else	
 	Glib::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#endif	
 	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::MidiPlaylistIO, string_compose ("++++++ %1 .. %2  +++++++ %3 trackers +++++++++++++++++\n", 
 							    start, start + dur, _note_trackers.size()));
 
@@ -294,7 +298,11 @@ MidiPlaylist::read (Evoral::EventSink<framepos_t>& dst, framepos_t start, framec
 void
 MidiPlaylist::clear_note_trackers ()
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+	Glib::Threads::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#else	
 	Glib::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#endif	
 	for (NoteTrackers::iterator n = _note_trackers.begin(); n != _note_trackers.end(); ++n) {
 		delete n->second;
 	}
@@ -399,7 +407,11 @@ MidiPlaylist::contained_automation()
 	   its OK to block (for short intervals).
 	*/
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX
+	Glib::Threads::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#else	
 	Glib::RecMutex::Lock rm (region_lock);
+#endif	
 
 	set<Evoral::Parameter> ret;
 
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 6f58ceb67a..19c22dd2ea 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -548,6 +548,14 @@ def configure(conf):
     autowaf.check_pkg(conf, 'sndfile', uselib_store='SNDFILE', atleast_version='1.0.18')
     autowaf.check_pkg(conf, 'giomm-2.4', uselib_store='GIOMM', atleast_version='2.2')
 
+    conf.check_cxx(fragment = '#include <glibmm/threads.h>\nstatic Glib::Threads::RecMutex foo;\nint main () {}',
+                   uselib = ['GLIBMM'],
+                   msg = 'Checking for Glib::Threads::RecMutex',
+                   mandatory = False,
+                   okmsg = 'yes',
+                   errmsg = 'no; using deprecated API',
+                   define_name = 'HAVE_GLIB_THREADS_RECMUTEX')
+
     for i in children:
         sub_config_and_use(conf, i)