diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
index 454a5da67c..8e59ac25ee 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ ThemeManager::button_press_event (GdkEventButton* ev)
 	int cellx;
 	int celly;
 
-	UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> *ccvar;
+	ColorVariable<uint32_t> *ccvar;
 
 	if (!color_display.get_path_at_pos ((int)ev->x, (int)ev->y, path, column, cellx, celly)) {
 		return false;
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ ThemeManager::button_press_event (GdkEventButton* ev)
 	case 1: /* color */
 		if ((iter = color_list->get_iter (path))) {
 
-			UIConfigVariable<uint32_t>* var = (*iter)[columns.pVar];
+			ColorVariable<uint32_t>* var = (*iter)[columns.pVar];
 			if (!var) {
 				/* parent row, do nothing */
 				return false;
@@ -392,10 +392,10 @@ ThemeManager::setup_theme ()
 
 	color_list->clear();
 
-	for (std::map<std::string,UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> *>::iterator i = ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.begin(); i != ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.end(); i++) {
+	for (std::map<std::string,ColorVariable<uint32_t> *>::iterator i = ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.begin(); i != ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.end(); i++) {
 
 
-		UIConfigVariable<uint32_t>* var = i->second;
+		ColorVariable<uint32_t>* var = i->second;
 
 		TreeModel::Children rows = color_list->children();
 		TreeModel::Row row;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
index 215df25e7f..2e856e629e 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
@@ -45,13 +45,16 @@ UIConfiguration::UIConfiguration ()
 #undef  UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
 #define UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE(Type,var,name,val) var (name,val),
-#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,name) var (name),
+#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,val) var (val),
+#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,val) var (val),
 #include "ui_config_vars.h"
 #include "canvas_vars.h"
 #undef  UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
+#undef  CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE
 	_dirty (false)
 {
+	std::cerr << "Ruler FOnt in constructor " << canvasvar_RulerFont.get() << "\n";
 	load_state();
 }
 
@@ -215,10 +218,12 @@ UIConfiguration::get_variables (std::string which_node)
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
 #define UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE(Type,var,Name,value) if (node->name() == "UI") { var.add_to_node (*node); }
 #define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,Name) if (node->name() == "Canvas") { var.add_to_node (*node); }
+#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,Name) if (node->name() == "Canvas") { var.add_to_node (*node); }
 #include "ui_config_vars.h"
 #include "canvas_vars.h"
 #undef  UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
+#undef  CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE
 
 	return *node;
 }
@@ -262,25 +267,32 @@ UIConfiguration::set_variables (const XMLNode& node)
          if (var.set_from_node (node)) { \
 		 ParameterChanged (name); \
 		 }
+#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,name)	\
+         if (var.set_from_node (node)) { \
+		 ParameterChanged (name); \
+		 }
 #include "ui_config_vars.h"
 #include "canvas_vars.h"
 #undef  UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
+#undef  CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE
 }
 
 void
 UIConfiguration::pack_canvasvars ()
 {
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
-#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,name) canvas_colors.insert (std::pair<std::string,UIConfigVariable<uint32_t>* >(name,&var));
+#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,name) canvas_colors.insert (std::pair<std::string,ColorVariable<uint32_t>* >(name,&var));
+#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,name) 
 #include "canvas_vars.h"
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
+#undef  CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE
 }
 
 uint32_t
 UIConfiguration::color_by_name (const std::string& name)
 {
-	map<std::string,UIConfigVariable<uint32_t>* >::iterator i = canvas_colors.find (name);
+	map<std::string,ColorVariable<uint32_t>* >::iterator i = canvas_colors.find (name);
 
 	if (i != canvas_colors.end()) {
 		return i->second->get();
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
index 46dd8e9806..ec9e1ad940 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
@@ -28,12 +28,17 @@
 #include "pbd/xml++.h"
 #include "ardour/configuration_variable.h"
 
+/* This is very similar to ARDOUR::ConfigVariable but expects numeric values to
+ * be in hexadecimal. This is because it is intended for use with color
+ * specifications which are easier to scan for issues in "rrggbbaa" format than
+ * as decimals.
+ */
 template<class T>
-class UIConfigVariable : public ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase
+class ColorVariable : public ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase
 {
   public:
-	UIConfigVariable (std::string str) : ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase (str) {}
-	UIConfigVariable (std::string str, T val) : ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase (str), value (val) {}
+	ColorVariable (std::string str) : ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase (str) {}
+	ColorVariable (std::string str, T val) : ARDOUR::ConfigVariableBase (str), value (val) {}
 
 	bool set (T val) {
 		if (val == value) {
@@ -74,7 +79,7 @@ class UIConfiguration : public PBD::Stateful
 	UIConfiguration();
 	~UIConfiguration();
 
-	std::map<std::string,UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> *> canvas_colors;
+	std::map<std::string,ColorVariable<uint32_t> *> canvas_colors;
 
 	bool dirty () const;
 	void set_dirty ();
@@ -117,13 +122,13 @@ class UIConfiguration : public PBD::Stateful
 	/* declare variables */
 
 #undef  UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
-#define UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE(Type,var,name,value) UIConfigVariable<Type> var;
+#define UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE(Type,var,name,value) ARDOUR::ConfigVariable<Type> var;
 #include "ui_config_vars.h"
 #undef UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE
 
 #undef CANVAS_VARIABLE
-#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,name) UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> var;
-#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,name) UIConfigVariable<std::string> var;
+#define CANVAS_VARIABLE(var,name) ColorVariable<uint32_t> var;
+#define CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE(var,name) ARDOUR::ConfigVariable<std::string> var;
 #include "canvas_vars.h"
 #undef  CANVAS_VARIABLE
 #undef CANVAS_STRING_VARIABLE