diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
index 7ebd89d7cd..a0d5330e6e 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI::setup_clock ()
 {
 	ARDOUR_UI::Clock.connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (big_clock, &AudioClock::set), false));
 
-	big_clock_window->set (new Window (WINDOW_TOPLEVEL));
+	big_clock_window->set (new Window (WINDOW_TOPLEVEL), false);
 
 	big_clock_window->get()->set_keep_above (true);
 	big_clock_window->get()->set_border_width (0);
@@ -593,6 +593,8 @@ ARDOUR_UI::big_clock_realized ()
         if (!fd.get_size_is_absolute ()) {
                 original_big_clock_font_size /= PANGO_SCALE;
         }
+
+	big_clock_window->setup ();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.cc b/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.cc
index b6f7508ad2..c37fd0e043 100755
--- a/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.cc
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ WindowProxyBase::maybe_show ()
 {
 	if (_visible) {
 		show ();
-		setup ();
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.h b/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.h
index ac102baa4d..58a67eb391 100755
--- a/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/window_proxy.h
@@ -90,10 +90,12 @@ public:
 		return _window;
 	}
 
-	/** Set the window and set it up.  To be used after initial window creation */
-	void set (T* w) {
+	/** Set the window and maybe set it up.  To be used after initial window creation */
+	void set (T* w, bool s = true) {
 		_window = w;
-		setup ();
+		if (s) {
+			setup ();
+		}
 	}
 
 private: