diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.cc b/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.cc
index d8dcc99f60..76678e5e51 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.cc
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ ApplicationBar::ApplicationBar ()
 	_record_mode_strings = I18N (_record_mode_strings_);
 
 	UIConfiguration::instance().ParameterChanged.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ApplicationBar::parameter_changed));
+	ARDOUR_UI::instance()->ActionsReady.connect (_forever_connections, MISSING_INVALIDATOR, std::bind (&ApplicationBar::ui_actions_ready, this), gui_context ());
 }
 
 ApplicationBar::~ApplicationBar ()
@@ -154,8 +155,6 @@ ApplicationBar::on_parent_changed (Gtk::Widget*)
 	_transport_ctrl.map_actions ();
 
 	/* sync_button */
-	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Transport"), X_("ToggleExternalSync"));
-	_sync_button.set_related_action (act);
 	_sync_button.signal_button_press_event().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ApplicationBar::sync_button_clicked), false);
 	_sync_button.set_sizing_text (S_("LogestSync|M-Clk"));
 
@@ -178,33 +177,15 @@ ApplicationBar::on_parent_changed (Gtk::Widget*)
 	_record_mode_selector.AddMenuElem (MenuElem (_record_mode_strings[(int)RecSoundOnSound], sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ApplicationBar::set_record_mode), RecSoundOnSound)));
 	_record_mode_selector.set_sizing_texts (_record_mode_strings);
 
-	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "TogglePunchIn");
-	_punch_in_button.set_related_action (act);
-	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "TogglePunchOut");
-	_punch_out_button.set_related_action (act);
-
-	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Main", "ToggleLatencyCompensation");
-	_latency_disable_button.set_related_action (act);
-
 	_latency_disable_button.set_text (_("Disable PDC"));
 	_io_latency_label.set_text (_("I/O Latency:"));
 
 	set_size_request_to_display_given_text (_route_latency_value, "1000 spl", 0, 0);
 	set_size_request_to_display_given_text (_io_latency_value, "888.88 ms", 0, 0);
 
-	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "ToggleAutoReturn");
-	_auto_return_button.set_related_action (act);
-	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Transport"), X_("ToggleFollowEdits"));
-	_follow_edits_button.set_related_action (act);
-
 	_auto_return_button.set_text(_("Auto Return"));
 	_follow_edits_button.set_text(_("Follow Range"));
 
-	/* CANNOT sigc::bind these to clicked or toggled, must use pressed or released */
-	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Main"), X_("cancel-solo"));
-	_solo_alert_button.set_related_action (act);
-	_auditioning_alert_button.signal_clicked.connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this,&ApplicationBar::audition_alert_clicked));
-
 	/* alert box sub-group */
 	VBox* alert_box = manage (new VBox);
 	alert_box->set_homogeneous (true);
@@ -229,6 +210,7 @@ ApplicationBar::on_parent_changed (Gtk::Widget*)
 
 	_cue_rec_enable.signal_clicked.connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::cue_rec_state_clicked));
 	_cue_play_enable.signal_clicked.connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::cue_ffwd_state_clicked));
+	_auditioning_alert_button.signal_clicked.connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this,&ApplicationBar::audition_alert_clicked));
 
 	_time_info_box = new TimeInfoBox ("ToolbarTimeInfo", false);
 
@@ -458,6 +440,69 @@ ApplicationBar::on_parent_changed (Gtk::Widget*)
 #undef PX_SCALE
 #undef TCOL
 
+void
+ApplicationBar::ui_actions_ready ()
+{
+	_blink_connection = Timers::blink_connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::blink_handler));
+
+	_point_zero_something_second_connection = Timers::super_rapid_connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::every_point_zero_something_seconds));
+
+	LuaInstance::instance()->ActionChanged.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ApplicationBar::action_script_changed));
+
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
+
+	ActionManager::get_action (X_("Transport"), X_("ToggleExternalSync"));
+	_sync_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "TogglePunchIn");
+	_punch_in_button.set_related_action (act);
+	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "TogglePunchOut");
+	_punch_out_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Main", "ToggleLatencyCompensation");
+	_latency_disable_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	act = ActionManager::get_action ("Transport", "ToggleAutoReturn");
+	_auto_return_button.set_related_action (act);
+	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Transport"), X_("ToggleFollowEdits"));
+	_follow_edits_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	_auto_return_button.set_text(_("Auto Return"));
+	_follow_edits_button.set_text(_("Follow Range"));
+
+	/* CANNOT sigc::bind these to clicked or toggled, must use pressed or released */
+	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Main"), X_("cancel-solo"));
+	_solo_alert_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-dim-all"));
+	_monitor_dim_button.set_related_action (act);
+	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-mono"));
+	_monitor_mono_button.set_related_action (act);
+	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-cut-all"));
+	_monitor_mute_button.set_related_action (act);
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < MAX_LUA_ACTION_BUTTONS; ++i) {
+		std::string const a = string_compose (X_("script-%1"), i + 1);
+		Glib::RefPtr<Action> act = ActionManager::get_action(X_("LuaAction"), a.c_str());
+		assert (act);
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_name ("lua action button");
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_text (string_compose ("%1%2", std::hex, i+1));
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_related_action (act);
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].signal_button_press_event().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::bind_lua_action_script), i), false);
+		if (act->get_sensitive ()) {
+			_action_script_call_btn[i].set_visual_state (Gtkmm2ext::VisualState (_action_script_call_btn[i].visual_state() & ~Gtkmm2ext::Insensitive));
+		} else {
+			_action_script_call_btn[i].set_visual_state (Gtkmm2ext::VisualState (_action_script_call_btn[i].visual_state() | Gtkmm2ext::Insensitive));
+		}
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_sizing_text ("88");
+		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_no_show_all ();
+	}
+
+	if (_session && _have_layout) {
+		repack_transport_hbox();
+	}
+}
+
 void
 ApplicationBar::repack_transport_hbox ()
 {
@@ -819,37 +864,6 @@ ApplicationBar::set_session (Session *s)
 		_editor_meter_peak_display.signal_button_release_event().connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::editor_meter_peak_button_release), false);
 	}
 
-	_blink_connection = Timers::blink_connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::blink_handler));
-
-	_point_zero_something_second_connection = Timers::super_rapid_connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::every_point_zero_something_seconds));
-
-	LuaInstance::instance()->ActionChanged.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ApplicationBar::action_script_changed));
-
-	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
-	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-dim-all"));
-	_monitor_dim_button.set_related_action (act);
-	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-mono"));
-	_monitor_mono_button.set_related_action (act);
-	act = ActionManager::get_action (X_("Monitor Section"), X_("monitor-cut-all"));
-	_monitor_mute_button.set_related_action (act);
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < MAX_LUA_ACTION_BUTTONS; ++i) {
-		std::string const a = string_compose (X_("script-%1"), i + 1);
-		Glib::RefPtr<Action> act = ActionManager::get_action(X_("LuaAction"), a.c_str());
-		assert (act);
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_name ("lua action button");
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_text (string_compose ("%1%2", std::hex, i+1));
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_related_action (act);
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].signal_button_press_event().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ApplicationBar::bind_lua_action_script), i), false);
-		if (act->get_sensitive ()) {
-			_action_script_call_btn[i].set_visual_state (Gtkmm2ext::VisualState (_action_script_call_btn[i].visual_state() & ~Gtkmm2ext::Insensitive));
-		} else {
-			_action_script_call_btn[i].set_visual_state (Gtkmm2ext::VisualState (_action_script_call_btn[i].visual_state() | Gtkmm2ext::Insensitive));
-		}
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_sizing_text ("88");
-		_action_script_call_btn[i].set_no_show_all ();
-	}
-
 	if (_have_layout) {
 		repack_transport_hbox();
 	}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.h b/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.h
index 3c144f7c42..f489181c7a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/application_bar.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ private:
 	bool sync_button_clicked (GdkEventButton*);
 
 	void parameter_changed (std::string);
+	void ui_actions_ready ();
 
 	void repack_transport_hbox ();
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
index 6c6e8e79aa..1955b1df96 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
@@ -263,6 +263,11 @@ public:
 
 	static ARDOUR_UI *instance () { return theArdourUI; }
 
+	/* signal emitted when all windows (editor, mixer/monitor, recorder and cues)
+	   have published their actions to the ActionManager
+	*/
+	PBD::Signal<void()> ActionsReady;
+
 	/* signal emitted when escape key is pressed. All UI components that
 	   need to respond to Escape in some way (e.g. break drag, clear
 	   selection, etc) should connect to and handle this.
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_dependents.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_dependents.cc
index 92b6259da6..1757fa610a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_dependents.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_dependents.cc
@@ -312,6 +312,8 @@ ARDOUR_UI::setup_windows ()
 	/* set DPI before realizing widgets */
 	UIConfiguration::instance().reset_dpi ();
 
+	ActionsReady (); // EMIT SIGNAL
+
 	_main_window.signal_delete_event().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ARDOUR_UI::main_window_delete_event));
 
 	/* pack the main vpacker into the main window and show everything