diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
index 59cedbfcb7..d7a3510eba 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public:
 	RCOptionEditor* get_rc_option_editor() { return rc_option_editor; }
 	void show_tabbable (ArdourWidgets::Tabbable*);
 
-	void start_session_load ();
+	void start_session_load (bool create_new);
 	void session_dialog_response_handler (int response, SessionDialog* session_dialog);
 	int  build_session_from_dialog (SessionDialog&, const std::string& session_name, const std::string& session_path);
 	bool ask_about_loading_existing_session (const std::string& session_path);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
index 800eedde2d..42d771131f 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_ed.cc
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI::install_actions ()
 
 	/* the real actions */
 
-	act = ActionManager::register_action (main_actions, X_("New"), _("New..."),  hide_return (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ARDOUR_UI::start_session_load)));
+	act = ActionManager::register_action (main_actions, X_("New"), _("New..."),  hide_return (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ARDOUR_UI::start_session_load), true)));
 
 	ActionManager::register_action (main_actions, X_("Open"), _("Open..."),  sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ARDOUR_UI::open_session));
 	ActionManager::register_action (main_actions, X_("Recent"), _("Recent..."),  sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ARDOUR_UI::open_recent_session));
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_session.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_session.cc
index f6c4ac4568..8550b5e235 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_session.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_session.cc
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI::build_session_from_dialog (SessionDialog& sd, const std::string& sess
  * loaded. The startup case is handled by StartupFSM
  */
 void
-ARDOUR_UI::start_session_load ()
+ARDOUR_UI::start_session_load (bool create_new)
 {
 	/* deal with any existing DIRTY session now, rather than later. don't
 	 * treat a non-dirty session this way, so that it stays visible
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI::start_session_load ()
 		}
 	}
 
-	SessionDialog* session_dialog = new SessionDialog (true, string(), Config->get_default_session_parent_dir(), string(), true);
+	SessionDialog* session_dialog = new SessionDialog (create_new, string(), Config->get_default_session_parent_dir(), string(), true);
 	session_dialog->signal_response().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &ARDOUR_UI::session_dialog_response_handler), session_dialog));
 	session_dialog->present ();
 }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ ARDOUR_UI::close_session()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	start_session_load ();
+	start_session_load (false);
 }