diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/shuttle_control.cc b/gtk2_ardour/shuttle_control.cc
index 38bbfad73a..caf0d8cf73 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/shuttle_control.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/shuttle_control.cc
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ ShuttleControl::ShuttleControl ()
 	shuttle_grabbed = false;
 	shuttle_speed_on_grab = 0;
 	shuttle_fract = 0.0;
-	shuttle_max_speed = 8.0f;
+	shuttle_max_speed = Config->get_max_transport_speed();
 	shuttle_context_menu = 0;
 	_hovering = false;
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ ShuttleControl::ShuttleControl ()
 
 	shuttle_max_speed = Config->get_shuttle_max_speed();
 
-	if      (shuttle_max_speed >= 8.f) { shuttle_max_speed = 8.0f; }
+	if      (shuttle_max_speed >= Config->get_max_transport_speed()) { shuttle_max_speed = Config->get_max_transport_speed(); }
 	else if (shuttle_max_speed >= 6.f) { shuttle_max_speed = 6.0f; }
 	else if (shuttle_max_speed >= 4.f) { shuttle_max_speed = 4.0f; }
 	else if (shuttle_max_speed >= 3.f) { shuttle_max_speed = 3.0f; }
@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ ShuttleControl::build_shuttle_context_menu ()
 
 	RadioMenuItem::Group speed_group;
 
+	/* XXX this code assumes that Config->get_max_transport_speed() returns 8 */
+
 	speed_items.push_back (RadioMenuElem (speed_group, "8", sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ShuttleControl::set_shuttle_max_speed), 8.0f)));
 	if (shuttle_max_speed == 8.0) {
 		static_cast<RadioMenuItem*>(&speed_items.back())->set_active ();
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
index 32c0a748be..a7a48811c9 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/rc_configuration_vars.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ CONFIG_VARIABLE (float, midi_track_buffer_seconds, "midi-track-buffer-seconds",
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, disk_choice_space_threshold,  "disk-choice-space-threshold", 57600000)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, auto_analyse_audio, "auto-analyse-audio", false)
 CONFIG_VARIABLE (float, transient_sensitivity, "transient-sensitivity", 50)
+CONFIG_VARIABLE (float, max_transport_speed, "max-transport-speed", 8.0)
 
 /* OSC */
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_transport.cc b/libs/ardour/session_transport.cc
index de87fea4eb..40a0b7e358 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_transport.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_transport.cc
@@ -412,9 +412,9 @@ Session::set_transport_speed (double speed, samplepos_t destination_sample, bool
 	*/
 
 	if (speed > 0) {
-		speed = min (8.0, speed);
+		speed = min ((double) Config->get_max_transport_speed(), speed);
 	} else if (speed < 0) {
-		speed = max (-8.0, speed);
+		speed = max ((double) -Config->get_max_transport_speed(), speed);
 	}
 
 	double new_engine_speed = 1.0;