diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/automatable.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/automatable.h
index 1c9e7eeeb4..10d31bc127 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/automatable.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/automatable.h
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ public:
 	void start_domain_bounce (Temporal::DomainBounceInfo&);
 	void finish_domain_bounce (Temporal::DomainBounceInfo&);
 
+	static void find_next_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl>, Temporal::timepos_t const & start, Temporal::timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& ev);
+	static void find_prev_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl>, Temporal::timepos_t const & start, Temporal::timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& ev);
+
 protected:
 	Session& _a_session;
 
@@ -139,9 +142,6 @@ protected:
 
 	SlavableAutomationControlList slavables () const { return SlavableAutomationControlList(); }
 
-	void find_next_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl>, Temporal::timepos_t const & start, Temporal::timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& ev) const;
-	void find_prev_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl>, Temporal::timepos_t const & start, Temporal::timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& ev) const;
-
 private:
 	PBD::ScopedConnectionList _control_connections; ///< connections to our controls' signals
 };
diff --git a/libs/ardour/automatable.cc b/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
index c058f48325..387264b416 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ Automatable::find_next_event (timepos_t const & start, timepos_t const & end, Ev
 }
 
 void
-Automatable::find_next_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> c, timepos_t const & start, timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& next_event) const
+Automatable::find_next_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> c, timepos_t const & start, timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& next_event)
 {
 	assert (start <= end);
 
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ Automatable::find_next_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> c, timepos_t
 }
 
 void
-Automatable::find_prev_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> c, timepos_t const & start, timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& next_event) const
+Automatable::find_prev_ac_event (std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> c, timepos_t const & start, timepos_t const & end, Evoral::ControlEvent& next_event)
 {
 	assert (start > end);
 	std::shared_ptr<SlavableAutomationControl> sc