diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
index 2f06fdb127..cf37ace16a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::MidiTimeAxisView (PublicEditor& ed, Session* sess,
 		}
 	}
 
-	set_color_mode (_color_mode, true);
+	set_color_mode (_color_mode, true, false);
 }
 
 void
@@ -761,17 +761,20 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::build_color_mode_menu()
 
 	RadioMenuItem::Group mode_group;
 	items.push_back (RadioMenuElem (mode_group, _("Meter Colors"),
-					sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode), MeterColors, false)));
+	                                sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode),
+	                                            MeterColors, false, true)));
 	_meter_color_mode_item = dynamic_cast<RadioMenuItem*>(&items.back());
 	_meter_color_mode_item->set_active(_color_mode == MeterColors);
 
 	items.push_back (RadioMenuElem (mode_group, _("Channel Colors"),
-					sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode), ChannelColors, false)));
+	                                sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode),
+	                                            ChannelColors, false, true)));
 	_channel_color_mode_item = dynamic_cast<RadioMenuItem*>(&items.back());
 	_channel_color_mode_item->set_active(_color_mode == ChannelColors);
 
 	items.push_back (RadioMenuElem (mode_group, _("Track Color"),
-					sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode), TrackColor, false)));
+	                                sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode),
+	                                            TrackColor, false, true)));
 	_channel_color_mode_item = dynamic_cast<RadioMenuItem*>(&items.back());
 	_channel_color_mode_item->set_active(_color_mode == TrackColor);
 
@@ -790,7 +793,7 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::set_note_mode(NoteMode mode)
 }
 
 void
-MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode (ColorMode mode, bool force)
+MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode (ColorMode mode, bool force, bool redisplay)
 {
 	if (_color_mode == mode && !force) {
 		return;
@@ -804,7 +807,9 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::set_color_mode (ColorMode mode, bool force)
 	
 	_color_mode = mode;
 	xml_node->add_property ("color-mode", enum_2_string(_color_mode));
-	_view->redisplay_track();
+	if (redisplay) {
+		_view->redisplay_track();
+	}
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
index c18c6c33ce..489ce0ccd3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class MidiTimeAxisView : public RouteTimeAxisView
 	Gtk::Menu* build_color_mode_menu();
 
 	void set_note_mode (ARDOUR::NoteMode mode);
-	void set_color_mode (ARDOUR::ColorMode, bool force = false);
+	void set_color_mode (ARDOUR::ColorMode, bool force=false, bool redisplay=true);
 	void set_note_range(MidiStreamView::VisibleNoteRange range);
 
 	void route_active_changed ();