diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_styles.rc.in b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_styles.rc.in
index 0257a8b11f..4a5a5f8269 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_styles.rc.in
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_styles.rc.in
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ style "monitor" = "small_button"
 {
 }
 
+style "meterbridge_label" = "very_small_text"
+{
+}
+
 style "solo_isolate" = "very_small_text"
 {
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
index 52a756c551..f6b854902b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@
     <Option name="monitor button: led active" value="ff0000ff"/>
     <Option name="monitor button: text" value="aaaaa3ff"/>
     <Option name="monitor button: text active" value="1a1a1aff"/>
+    <Option name="meterbridge label: fill start" value="444444ff"/>
+    <Option name="meterbridge label: fill end" value="333333ff"/>
+    <Option name="meterbridge label: text" value="c7c7d8ff"/>
     <Option name="solo isolate: fill start" value="5f5a58ff"/>
     <Option name="solo isolate: fill end" value="504442ff"/>
     <Option name="solo isolate: fill start active" value="5d5856ff"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_widget_list.rc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_widget_list.rc
index 343075c1ea..4cb22b27e3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_widget_list.rc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_widget_list.rc
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ widget "*ProcessorList*" style:highest "processor_list"
 widget "*PortMatrixLabel*" style:highest "small_text"
 widget "*MidiTracerTextView" style:highest "midi_tracer_textview"
 widget "*solo isolate" style:highest "solo_isolate"
+widget "*meterbridge label" style:highest "meterbridge_label"
 widget "*solo safe" style:highest "solo_safe"
 widget "*ContrastingPopup" style:highest "contrasting_popup"
 widget "*ContrastingPopup*" style:highest "contrasting_popup"
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
index 377ca8ea8a..e2f1f42766 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgePeakindicatorOffFillStart, "meterbridge pea
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgePeakindicatorOffFillEnd, "meterbridge peakindicator: fill end")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgePeakindicatorOnFillStart, "meterbridge peakindicator on: fill start")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgePeakindicatorOnFillEnd, "meterbridge peakindicator on: fill end")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgeLabelFillStart, "meterbridge label: fill start")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgeLabelFillEnd, "meterbridge label: fill end")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterBridgeLabelText, "meterbridge label: text")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MeterMarker, "meter marker")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiBusBase, "midi bus base")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_MidiFrameBase, "midi frame base")
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/meter_strip.cc b/gtk2_ardour/meter_strip.cc
index 45eea7ffe0..a6badc9f74 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/meter_strip.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/meter_strip.cc
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ MeterStrip::MeterStrip (Session* sess, boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Route> rt)
 	// add track-name label
 	name_label.set_text(_route->name().c_str());
 	name_label.set_corner_radius(2);
-	name_label.set_name("solo isolate"); // XXX re-use 'very_small_text'
+	name_label.set_name("meterbridge label");
 	name_label.set_angle(-90.0);
 	name_label.layout()->set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_END);
 	name_label.layout()->set_width(48 * PANGO_SCALE);