diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
index 547eaf4e39..eccd37fec2 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
@@ -3786,7 +3786,7 @@ audio may be played at the wrong sample rate.\n"), desired, PROGRAM_NAME, actual
         return 1;
 }
 
-void
+int
 ARDOUR_UI::disconnect_from_engine ()
 {
 	/* drop connection to AudioEngine::Halted so that we don't act
@@ -3795,24 +3795,28 @@ ARDOUR_UI::disconnect_from_engine ()
 	halt_connection.disconnect ();
 	
 	if (AudioEngine::instance()->stop ()) {
-		MessageDialog msg (*editor, _("Could not disconnect from JACK"));
+		MessageDialog msg (*editor, _("Could not disconnect from Audio/MIDI engine"));
 		msg.run ();
+		return -1;
 	} else {
 		AudioEngine::instance()->Halted.connect_same_thread (halt_connection, boost::bind (&ARDOUR_UI::engine_halted, this, _1, false));
 	}
 	
 	update_sample_rate (0);
+	return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 ARDOUR_UI::reconnect_to_engine ()
 {
 	if (AudioEngine::instance()->start ()) {
-		MessageDialog msg (*editor,  _("Could not reconnect to JACK"));
+		MessageDialog msg (*editor,  _("Could not reconnect to the Audio/MIDI engine"));
 		msg.run ();
+		return -1;
 	}
 	
 	update_sample_rate (0);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
index fa8eb18f01..c84a279320 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.h
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ class ARDOUR_UI : public Gtkmm2ext::UI, public ARDOUR::SessionHandlePtr
 
         const std::string& announce_string() const { return _announce_string; }
 
+        int disconnect_from_engine ();
+        int reconnect_to_engine ();
+
   protected:
 	friend class PublicEditor;
 
@@ -667,8 +670,6 @@ class ARDOUR_UI : public Gtkmm2ext::UI, public ARDOUR::SessionHandlePtr
 	int pending_state_dialog ();
 	int sr_mismatch_dialog (ARDOUR::framecnt_t, ARDOUR::framecnt_t);
 
-	void disconnect_from_engine ();
-	void reconnect_to_engine ();
 	void set_engine_buffer_size (ARDOUR::pframes_t);
 
 	Gtk::MenuItem* jack_disconnect_item;