diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
index b87e911536..cba282dff6 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ AxisView::~AxisView()
 Gdk::Color
 AxisView::unique_random_color()
 {
-	return ::unique_random_color (used_colors, true);
+	return ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_palette_color (used_colors);
 }
 
 string
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
index 7e69da7815..346ad934c0 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.cc
@@ -680,28 +680,36 @@ ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::escape_underscores (string const & s)
 }
 
 Gdk::Color
-ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_random_color (list<Gdk::Color>& used_colors, bool from_palette)
+ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_palette_color (list<Gdk::Color>& used_colors)
 {
 	Gdk::Color newcolor;
+	string cp = UIConfiguration::instance().get_stripable_color_palette ();
+	Gdk::ArrayHandle_Color gc = ColorSelection::palette_from_string (cp);
+	std::vector<Gdk::Color> c (gc);
+	static std::vector<Gdk::Color>::size_type index = 0;
 
-	if (from_palette) {
-
-		string cp = UIConfiguration::instance().get_stripable_color_palette ();
-		Gdk::ArrayHandle_Color gc = ColorSelection::palette_from_string (cp);
-		std::vector<Gdk::Color> c (gc);
-		int n = random () % c.size();
-		Gtkmm2ext::HSV hsv (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (c[n]));
-
-		do {
-			newcolor.set_hsv (hsv.h, hsv.s, hsv.v);
-			hsv = random() % 1000 > 500 ? hsv.darker ((random() % 500) / 1000.0) : hsv.lighter ((random() % 500 / 1000.0));
-		} while (find (used_colors.begin(), used_colors.end(), newcolor) != used_colors.end());
-
-		used_colors.push_back (newcolor);
-
-		return newcolor;
+	if (index >= c.size()) {
+		index = 0;
 	}
 
+	Gtkmm2ext::HSV hsv (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (c[index]));
+	index++;
+
+	do {
+		newcolor.set_hsv (hsv.h, hsv.s, hsv.v);
+		hsv = random() % 1000 > 500 ? hsv.darker ((random() % 500) / 1000.0) : hsv.lighter ((random() % 500 / 1000.0));
+	} while (find (used_colors.begin(), used_colors.end(), newcolor) != used_colors.end());
+
+	used_colors.push_back (newcolor);
+
+	return newcolor;
+}
+
+Gdk::Color
+ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::unique_random_color (list<Gdk::Color>& used_colors)
+{
+	Gdk::Color newcolor;
+
 	while (1) {
 
 		double h, s, v;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
index aa5a705eea..4827ad9115 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/utils.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ void resize_window_to_proportion_of_monitor (Gtk::Window*, int, int);
 
 std::string escape_underscores (std::string const &);
 
-Gdk::Color unique_random_color (std::list<Gdk::Color> &, bool from_palette = false);
+Gdk::Color unique_palette_color (std::list<Gdk::Color> &);
+Gdk::Color unique_random_color (std::list<Gdk::Color> &);
 
 std::string rate_as_string (float r);
 std::string samples_as_time_string (ARDOUR::samplecnt_t s, float r, bool show_samples = false);