diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
index f9bb56a8c0..8b1a7f8f26 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.cc
@@ -61,8 +61,13 @@ using namespace Editing;
 AudioStreamView::AudioStreamView (AudioTimeAxisView& tv)
 	: StreamView (tv)
 {
-	color_handler ();
+	/* use a dedicated group for Audio regions (on top of the grid) */
+	_region_group = new ArdourCanvas::Container (_canvas_group);
+	_region_group->raise_to_top ();
+	_region_group->set_render_with_alpha (UIConfiguration::instance().modifier ("region alpha").a());
+
 	_amplitude_above_axis = 1.0;
+	color_handler ();
 }
 
 int
@@ -100,14 +105,14 @@ AudioStreamView::create_region_view (boost::shared_ptr<Region> r, bool wait_for_
 	case NonLayered:
 	case Normal:
 		if (recording) {
-			region_view = new AudioRegionView (_canvas_group, _trackview, region,
+			region_view = new AudioRegionView (_region_group, _trackview, region,
 							   _samples_per_pixel, region_color, recording, TimeAxisViewItem::Visibility(
 								   TimeAxisViewItem::ShowFrame |
 								   TimeAxisViewItem::HideFrameRight |
 								   TimeAxisViewItem::HideFrameLeft |
 								   TimeAxisViewItem::HideFrameTB));
 		} else {
-			region_view = new AudioRegionView (_canvas_group, _trackview, region,
+			region_view = new AudioRegionView (_region_group, _trackview, region,
 					_samples_per_pixel, region_color);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -470,6 +475,8 @@ AudioStreamView::hide_xfades_with (boost::shared_ptr<AudioRegion> ar)
 void
 AudioStreamView::color_handler ()
 {
+	_region_group->set_render_with_alpha (UIConfiguration::instance().modifier ("region alpha").a());
+
 	//case cAudioTrackBase:
 	if (_trackview.is_track()) {
 		canvas_rect->set_fill_color (UIConfiguration::instance().color_mod ("audio track base", "audio track base"));
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.h b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.h
index b3bef6e127..8d600607da 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_streamview.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ public:
 
 	void reload_waves ();
 
+	ArdourCanvas::Container* region_canvas () const { return _region_group; }
+
 private:
 	void setup_rec_box ();
 	void rec_peak_range_ready (samplepos_t start, ARDOUR::samplecnt_t cnt, boost::weak_ptr<ARDOUR::Source> src);
@@ -85,6 +87,8 @@ private:
 
 	std::map<boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Source>, bool> rec_data_ready_map;
 
+	ArdourCanvas::Container* _region_group;
+
 	bool outline_region;
 };