diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
index 0c2b46ce7f..31b79d1657 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
@@ -3760,6 +3760,36 @@ ARDOUR_UI::start_duplicate_routes ()
 		duplicate_routes_dialog->signal_response().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ARDOUR_UI::finish_duplicate_routes));
 	}
 
+	TrackSelection& tracks  (editor->get_selection().tracks);
+	uint32_t ntracks = 0;
+	uint32_t nbusses = 0;
+
+	for (TrackSelection::iterator t = tracks.begin(); t != tracks.end(); ++t) {
+
+		RouteUI* rui = dynamic_cast<RouteUI*> (*t);
+
+		if (!rui) {
+			/* some other type of timeaxis view, not a route */
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		boost::shared_ptr<Route> r (rui->route());
+
+		if (boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<Track> (r)) {
+			ntracks++;
+		} else {
+			if (!r->is_master() && !r->is_monitor()) {
+				nbusses++;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (ntracks == 0 && nbusses == 0) {
+		cerr << "You can't do this\n";
+		return;
+	}
+
+	duplicate_routes_dialog->setup (ntracks, nbusses);
 	duplicate_routes_dialog->present ();
 }
 
@@ -3793,6 +3823,11 @@ ARDOUR_UI::finish_duplicate_routes (int response)
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		if (rui->route()->is_master() || rui->route()->is_monitor()) {
+			/* no option to duplicate these */
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		XMLNode& state (rui->route()->get_state());
 		RouteList rl = _session->new_route_from_template (count, state, string(), playlist_disposition);
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.cc
index 17d2acd62f..d6a90cf57c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.cc
@@ -32,16 +32,14 @@ DuplicateRouteDialog::DuplicateRouteDialog ()
 	, count_spinner (count_adjustment)
 	, count_label (_("Duplicate each track/bus this number of times"))
 {
+	count_box.pack_start (count_label, false, false);
+	count_box.pack_start (count_spinner, false, false);
+	get_vbox()->pack_start (count_box, false, false, 20);
+
 	playlist_button_box.pack_start (copy_playlists_button, false, false);
 	playlist_button_box.pack_start (new_playlists_button, false, false);
 	playlist_button_box.pack_start (share_playlists_button, false, false);
-
-	get_vbox()->pack_start (playlist_button_box, false, false);
-
-	count_box.pack_start (count_label, false, false);
-	count_box.pack_start (count_spinner, false, false);
-
-	get_vbox()->pack_start (count_box, false, false, 20);
+	playlist_button_box.show_all ();
 
 	get_vbox()->show_all ();
 
@@ -53,6 +51,20 @@ DuplicateRouteDialog::~DuplicateRouteDialog ()
 {
 }
 
+void
+DuplicateRouteDialog::setup (uint32_t ntracks, uint32_t nbusses)
+{
+	/* XXX grrr. Gtk Boxes do not shrink when children are removed,
+	   which is what we really want to happen here.
+	*/
+
+	if (ntracks == 0) {
+		get_vbox()->remove (playlist_button_box);
+	} else {
+		get_vbox()->pack_end (playlist_button_box, false, false);
+	}
+}
+
 uint32_t
 DuplicateRouteDialog::count() const
 {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.h b/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.h
index 4ba0313465..d1423a337b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/duplicate_routes_dialog.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class DuplicateRouteDialog : public ArdourDialog
 	DuplicateRouteDialog ();
 	~DuplicateRouteDialog ();
 
+	void setup (uint32_t ntracks, uint32_t nbusses);
+
 	uint32_t count() const;
 	ARDOUR::PlaylistDisposition playlist_disposition() const;