diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/action_model.cc b/libs/gtkmm2ext/action_model.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc3b62d9a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/action_model.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (C) 2009-2013 Paul Davis
+    Author: Johannes Mueller
+
+    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "pbd/i18n.h"
+#include "pbd/strsplit.h"
+
+#include "gtkmm2ext/actions.h"
+#include "gtkmm2ext/action_model.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace Gtk;
+
+const ActionManager::ActionModel&
+ActionManager::ActionModel::instance ()
+{
+	static ActionManager::ActionModel am;
+	return am;
+}
+
+ActionManager::ActionModel::ActionModel ()
+{
+	_model = TreeStore::create (_columns);
+	_model->clear ();
+
+	typedef std::map<string,TreeIter> NodeMap;
+	NodeMap nodes;
+	NodeMap::iterator r;
+
+	TreeIter rowp;
+	TreeModel::Row parent;
+
+	rowp = _model->append ();
+	parent = *(rowp);
+	parent[_columns.name] = _("Disabled");
+
+	vector<string> paths;
+	vector<string> labels;
+	vector<string> tooltips;
+	vector<string> keys;
+	vector<Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Action> > actions;
+
+	ActionManager::get_all_actions (paths, labels, tooltips, keys, actions);
+
+	vector<string>::iterator k;
+	vector<string>::iterator p;
+	vector<string>::iterator t;
+	vector<string>::iterator l;
+
+	for (l = labels.begin(), k = keys.begin(), p = paths.begin(), t = tooltips.begin(); l != labels.end(); ++k, ++p, ++t, ++l) {
+
+		TreeModel::Row row;
+		vector<string> parts;
+		parts.clear ();
+		split (*p, parts, '/');
+
+		if (parts.empty()) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		//kinda kludgy way to avoid displaying menu items as mappable
+		if ( parts[0] == _("Main_menu") )
+			continue;
+		if ( parts[0] == _("JACK") )
+			continue;
+		if ( parts[0] == _("redirectmenu") )
+			continue;
+		if ( parts[0] == _("Editor_menus") )
+			continue;
+		if ( parts[0] == _("RegionList") )
+			continue;
+		if ( parts[0] == _("ProcessorMenu") )
+			continue;
+
+		if ((r = nodes.find (parts[0])) == nodes.end()) {
+			/* top level is missing */
+
+			TreeIter rowp;
+			TreeModel::Row parent;
+			rowp = _model->append();
+			nodes[parts[0]] = rowp;
+			parent = *(rowp);
+			parent[_columns.name] = parts[0];
+
+			row = *(_model->append (parent.children()));
+		} else {
+			row = *(_model->append ((*r->second)->children()));
+		}
+
+		/* add this action */
+
+		if (l->empty ()) {
+			row[_columns.name] = *t;
+		} else {
+			row[_columns.name] = *l;
+		}
+
+		row[_columns.path] = *p;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/action_model.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/action_model.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b269499ecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/action_model.h
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (C) 2009-2013 Paul Davis
+    Author: Johannes Mueller
+
+    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include <gtkmm/treestore.h>
+#include <gtkmm/treemodelcolumn.h>
+
+#include "gtkmm2ext/visibility.h"
+
+/*
+  The singleton ActionModel provides a Gtk::Treestore of all actions known to
+  ardour.
+
+  To be used for example by surface control editors to implement action bindings.
+*/
+
+namespace ActionManager {
+
+class LIBGTKMM2EXT_API ActionModel
+{
+public:
+	static const ActionModel& instance ();
+
+	const Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::TreeStore> model () const { return _model; }
+
+	const Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string>& name () const { return _columns.name; }
+	const Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string>& path () const { return _columns.path; }
+
+	struct Columns : public Gtk::TreeModel::ColumnRecord {
+		Columns() {
+			add (name);
+			add (path);
+		}
+		Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string> name;
+		Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string> path;
+	};
+
+	const Columns& columns() const { return _columns; }
+
+private:
+	ActionModel ();
+
+	const Columns _columns;
+	Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::TreeStore> _model;
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/wscript b/libs/gtkmm2ext/wscript
index 605596f951..7a64ea01d3 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/wscript
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/wscript
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ I18N_PACKAGE = 'gtkmm2ext3'
 
 gtkmm2ext_sources = [
         'actions.cc',
+        'action_model.cc',
         'application.cc',
         'bindings.cc',
         'cairo_packer.cc',