diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/semutils.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/semutils.h
index 6c661ab499..e81e33e533 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/semutils.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/semutils.h
@@ -55,10 +55,12 @@ class LIBPBD_API Semaphore {
 
 	int signal ();
 	int wait ();
+	int reset ();
 
 #else
 	int signal () { return sem_post (ptr_to_sem()); }
 	int wait () { return sem_wait (ptr_to_sem()); }
+	int reset () { int rv = 0 ; while (sem_trywait (ptr_to_sem()) == 0) ++rv; return rv; }
 #endif
 };
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/semutils.cc b/libs/pbd/semutils.cc
index 7f31d30faf..496eaf4d91 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/semutils.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/semutils.cc
@@ -74,4 +74,16 @@ Semaphore::wait ()
 	return (result == WAIT_OBJECT_0);
 }
 
+int
+Semaphore::reset ()
+{
+	int rv = -1;
+	DWORD result;
+	do {
+		++rv;
+		result = WaitForSingleObject(_sem, 0);
+	} while (result == WAIT_OBJECT_0);
+	return rv;
+}
+
 #endif