diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.cc b/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.cc
index d73530f95b..ca7e086042 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.cc
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ Control::Control( int id, int ordinal, std::string name, Group & group )
 , _name( name )
 , _group( group )
 , _in_use( false )
-, _in_use_timeout( 250 )
 {
 }
 
@@ -178,15 +177,22 @@ Button & Strip::fader_touch()
 	return *_fader_touch;
 }
 
-bool Control::in_use() const
+/** @return true if the control is in use, or false otherwise.
+    Buttons are `in use' when they are held down.
+    Faders with touch support are `in use' when they are being touched.
+    Pots, or faders without touch support, are `in use' from the first move
+    event until a timeout after the last move event.
+*/
+bool
+Control::in_use () const
 {
 	return _in_use;
 }
 
-Control & Control::in_use( bool rhs )
+void
+Control::set_in_use (bool in_use)
 {
-	_in_use = rhs;
-	return *this;
+	_in_use = in_use;
 }
 
 ostream & Mackie::operator << ( ostream & os, const Mackie::Control & control )
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.h b/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.h
index bc39570efb..8ccf7dbf03 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/controls.h
@@ -214,21 +214,16 @@ public:
 	/// Return true if this control is the one and only Jog Wheel
 	virtual bool is_jog() const { return false; }
 
-	/**
-		Return true if the control is in use, or false otherwise. For buttons
-		this returns true if the button is currently being held down. For
-		faders, the touch button has not been released. For pots, this returns
-		true from the first move event until a timeout after the last move event.
-	*/
-	virtual bool in_use() const;
-	virtual Control & in_use( bool );
+	bool in_use () const;
+	void set_in_use (bool);
 	
-	/// The timeout value for this control. Normally defaulted to 250ms, but
-	/// certain controls (ie jog wheel) may want to override it.
-	virtual unsigned int in_use_timeout() { return _in_use_timeout; }
-
 	/// Keep track of the timeout so it can be updated with more incoming events
 	sigc::connection in_use_connection;
+
+	/** If we are doing an in_use timeout for a fader without touch, this
+	 *  is its touch button control; otherwise 0.
+	 */
+	Control* in_use_touch_control;
 	
 private:
 	int _id;
@@ -236,7 +231,6 @@ private:
 	std::string _name;
 	Group & _group;
 	bool _in_use;
-	unsigned int _in_use_timeout;
 };
 
 std::ostream & operator << ( std::ostream & os, const Control & control );
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
index 63a8dde543..0165b74337 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ MackieControlProtocol::set_active (bool yn)
 }
 
 bool 
-MackieControlProtocol::handle_strip_button (Control & control, ButtonState bs, boost::shared_ptr<Route> route)
+MackieControlProtocol::handle_strip_button (SurfacePort & port, Control & control, ButtonState bs, boost::shared_ptr<Route> route)
 {
 	bool state = false;
 
@@ -433,7 +433,14 @@ MackieControlProtocol::handle_strip_button (Control & control, ButtonState bs, b
 	if (control.name() == "fader_touch")
 	{
 		state = bs == press;
-		control.strip().gain().in_use (state);
+		control.strip().gain().set_in_use (state);
+
+		if (ARDOUR::Config->get_mackie_emulation() == "bcf" && state) {
+			/* BCF faders don't support touch, so add a timeout to reset
+			   their `in_use' state.
+			*/
+			port.add_in_use_timeout (control.strip().gain(), &control.strip().fader_touch());
+		}
 	}
 
 	return state;
@@ -803,6 +810,11 @@ MackieControlProtocol::handle_control_event (SurfacePort & port, Control & contr
 			{
 				route->gain_control()->set_value (state.pos);
 
+				if (ARDOUR::Config->get_mackie_emulation() == "bcf") {
+					/* reset the timeout while we're still moving the fader */
+					port.add_in_use_timeout (control, control.in_use_touch_control);
+				}
+
 				// must echo bytes back to slider now, because
 				// the notifier only works if the fader is not being
 				// touched. Which it is if we're getting input.
@@ -814,7 +826,7 @@ MackieControlProtocol::handle_control_event (SurfacePort & port, Control & contr
 			if (control.group().is_strip()) {
 				// strips
 				if (route != 0) {
-					handle_strip_button (control, state.button_state, route);
+					handle_strip_button (port, control, state.button_state, route);
 				} else {
 					// no route so always switch the light off
 					// because no signals will be emitted by a non-route
@@ -823,7 +835,7 @@ MackieControlProtocol::handle_control_event (SurfacePort & port, Control & contr
 			} else if (control.group().is_master()) {
 				// master fader touch
 				if (route != 0) {
-					handle_strip_button (control, state.button_state, route);
+					handle_strip_button (port, control, state.button_state, route);
 				}
 			} else {
 				// handle all non-strip buttons
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.h b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.h
index 5147586787..05308dbd63 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.h
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class MackieControlProtocol
 	   Handle a button press for the control and return whether
 	   the corresponding light should be on or off.
 	*/
-	bool handle_strip_button(Mackie::Control &, Mackie::ButtonState, boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Route>);
+	bool handle_strip_button (Mackie::SurfacePort &, Mackie::Control &, Mackie::ButtonState, boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Route>);
 
 	void add_port (MIDI::Port &, MIDI::Port &, int number);
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.cc b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.cc
index 77cce35f43..bda1c2765d 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.cc
@@ -374,17 +374,6 @@ Control & MackiePort::lookup_control( MIDI::byte * bytes, size_t count )
 	return *control;
 }
 
-bool MackiePort::handle_control_timeout_event ( Control * control )
-{
-	// empty control_state
-	ControlState control_state;
-	control->in_use( false );
-	control_event( *this, *control, control_state );
-	
-	// only call this method once from the timer
-	return false;
-}
-
 // converts midi messages into control_event signals
 // it might be worth combining this with lookup_control
 // because they have similar logic flows.
@@ -407,7 +396,7 @@ void MackiePort::handle_midi_any (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::byte * raw_bytes, size_t
 		}
 		
 		Control & control = lookup_control( raw_bytes, count );
-		control.in_use( true );
+		control.set_in_use (true);
 		
 		// This handles incoming bytes. Outgoing bytes
 		// are sent by the signal handlers.
@@ -429,7 +418,7 @@ void MackiePort::handle_midi_any (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::byte * raw_bytes, size_t
 			case Control::type_button:
 			{
 				ControlState control_state( raw_bytes[2] == 0x7f ? press : release );
-				control.in_use( control_state.button_state == press );
+				control.set_in_use (control_state.button_state == press);
 				control_event( *this, control, control_state );
 				
 				break;
@@ -452,26 +441,12 @@ void MackiePort::handle_midi_any (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::byte * raw_bytes, size_t
                                 }
 				state.delta = float( state.ticks ) / float( 0x3f );
 				
-				/*
-					Pots only emit events when they move, not when they
-					stop moving. So to get a stop event, we need to use a timeout.
+				/* Pots only emit events when they move, not when they
+				   stop moving. So to get a stop event, we need to use a timeout.
 				*/
-				// this is set to false ...
-				control.in_use( true );
-				
-				// ... by this timeout
-				
-				// first disconnect any previous timeouts
-				control.in_use_connection.disconnect();
-				
-				// now connect a new timeout to call handle_control_timeout_event
-				// XXX should this use the GUI event loop (default) or the
-				// MIDI UI event loop ?
 
-				sigc::slot<bool> timeout_slot = sigc::bind 
-					(sigc::mem_fun( *this, &MackiePort::handle_control_timeout_event), &control);
-
-				control.in_use_connection = Glib::signal_timeout().connect (timeout_slot , control.in_use_timeout());
+				control.set_in_use (true);
+				add_in_use_timeout (control, &control);
 
 				// emit the control event
 				control_event( *this, control, state );
@@ -489,3 +464,4 @@ void MackiePort::handle_midi_any (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::byte * raw_bytes, size_t
 
 	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::MackieControl, string_compose ("finished MackiePort::handle_midi_any %1\n", bytes));
 }
+
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.h b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.h
index 65dcf850b1..d12de3a099 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_port.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public:
 	/// Connect the any signal from the parser to handle_midi_any
 	/// unless it's already connected
 	void connect_any();
-	
+
 protected:
 	/**
 		The initialisation sequence is fairly complex. First a lock is acquired
@@ -107,10 +107,6 @@ protected:
 	*/
 	void probe_emulation( const MidiByteArray & bytes );
 
-	/// Handle timeout events set for controls that don't emit
-	/// an off event
-	bool handle_control_timeout_event ( Control * );
-
 private:
 	MackieControlProtocol & _mcp;
 	port_type_t _port_type;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.cc b/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.cc
index e5abb6aa68..3e10fa7b36 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.cc
@@ -178,3 +178,43 @@ ostream & Mackie::operator << ( ostream & os, const SurfacePort & port )
 	os << " }";
 	return os;
 }
+
+/** Handle timeouts to reset in_use for controls that can't
+ *  do this by themselves (e.g. pots, and faders without touch support).
+ *  @param in_use_control the control whose in_use flag to reset.
+ *  @param touch_control a touch control to emit an event for, or 0.
+ */
+bool
+SurfacePort::control_in_use_timeout (Control* in_use_control, Control* touch_control)
+{
+	in_use_control->set_in_use (false);
+
+	if (touch_control) {
+		// empty control_state
+		ControlState control_state;
+		control_event (*this, *touch_control, control_state);
+	}
+	
+	// only call this method once from the timer
+	return false;
+}
+
+/** Add a timeout so that a control's in_use flag will be reset some time in the future.
+ *  @param in_use_control the control whose in_use flag to reset.
+ *  @param touch_control a touch control to emit an event for, or 0.
+ */
+void
+SurfacePort::add_in_use_timeout (Control& in_use_control, Control* touch_control)
+{
+	in_use_control.in_use_connection.disconnect ();
+
+	/* XXX should this use the GUI event loop (default) or the MIDI UI event loop? */
+	
+	/* timeout after 250ms */
+	in_use_control.in_use_connection = Glib::signal_timeout().connect (
+		sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &SurfacePort::control_in_use_timeout), &in_use_control, touch_control),
+		250
+		);
+	
+	in_use_control.in_use_touch_control = touch_control;
+}
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.h b/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.h
index 214c8e6291..fb2d8d0019 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/surface_port.h
@@ -86,12 +86,16 @@ public:
 
 	virtual bool active() const { return _active; }
 	virtual void active( bool yn ) { _active = yn; }
+
+	void add_in_use_timeout (Control &, Control *);
 	
 protected:
 	/// Only for use by DummyPort
 	SurfacePort();
 	
 private:
+	bool control_in_use_timeout (Control *, Control *);
+
 	MIDI::Port * _input_port;
 	MIDI::Port * _output_port;
 	int _number;