diff --git a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
index 1aef4b8d92..6169df8f03 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <climits>
 
-
 #include "pbd/failed_constructor.h"
 #include "pbd/stl_delete.h"
 #include "pbd/xml++.h"
@@ -2049,7 +2048,7 @@ Playlist::property_factory (const XMLNode& history_node) const
 
                 /* XXX property name needs capitalizing */
 
-                if ((*i)->name() == regions.property_name()) {
+                if ((*i)->name() == capitalize (regions.property_name())) {
                         
                         RegionListProperty* rlp = new RegionListProperty (*const_cast<Playlist*> (this));
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/convert.cc b/libs/pbd/convert.cc
index 0610567102..bda0683910 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/convert.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/convert.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <cstdio>
+#include <ctype.h>
 #ifndef __STDC_FORMAT_MACROS
 #define __STDC_FORMAT_MACROS
 #endif
@@ -36,6 +37,17 @@ using Glib::ustring;
 
 namespace PBD {
 
+string
+capitalize (const string& str)
+{
+        string ret = str;
+        if (!str.empty()) {
+                /* XXX not unicode safe */
+                ret[0] = toupper (str[0]);
+        }
+        return ret;
+}
+
 string
 short_version (string orig, string::size_type target_length)
 {
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/convert.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/convert.h
index e6e063bf41..cbc898011d 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/convert.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/convert.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ double  atof (const std::string&);
 void    url_decode (std::string&);
 void    url_decode (Glib::ustring&);
 
+std::string capitalize (const std::string&);
+
 // std::string length2string (const int32_t frames, const float sample_rate);
 std::string length2string (const int64_t frames, const double sample_rate);
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/sequence_property.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/sequence_property.h
index 887250ab82..c2ad939b7c 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/sequence_property.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/sequence_property.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
 
+#include "pbd/convert.h"
 #include "pbd/id.h"
 #include "pbd/property_basics.h"
 
@@ -44,8 +45,7 @@ class SequenceProperty : public PropertyBase
 
 	void add_history_state (XMLNode* history_node) const {
                 
-                /* XXX need to capitalize property name */
-                XMLNode* child = new XMLNode (property_name());
+                XMLNode* child = new XMLNode (PBD::capitalize (property_name()));
                 history_node->add_child_nocopy (*child);
                 
 		/* record the change described in our change member */