diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
index aaa94f7b9c..feadc6b52b 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_plugin.h
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ public:
 	Vst::ParamID index_to_id (uint32_t) const;
 
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex& process_lock () { return _process_lock; }
+	bool& component_is_synced () { return _restart_component_is_synced; }
+
 
 	enum ParameterChange { BeginGesture,
 	                       EndGesture,
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
index a7823a7d14..66eb37f5d2 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
@@ -1025,9 +1025,10 @@ VST3Plugin::load_preset (PresetRecord r)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lx (_plug->process_lock ());
 
 	if (tmp[0] == "VST3-P") {
+		Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lx (_plug->process_lock ());
+		PBD::Unwinder<bool> uw (_plug->component_is_synced (), true);
 		int program = PBD::atoi (tmp[2]);
 		assert (!r.user);
 		if (!_plug->set_program (program, 0)) {
@@ -1044,14 +1045,14 @@ VST3Plugin::load_preset (PresetRecord r)
 		std::string const& fn = _preset_uri_map[r.uri];
 
 		if (Glib::file_test (fn, Glib::FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
+			Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lx (_plug->process_lock ());
+			PBD::Unwinder<bool> uw (_plug->component_is_synced (), true);
 			RAMStream stream (fn);
 			ok = _plug->load_state (stream);
 			DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::VST3Config, string_compose ("VST3Plugin::load_preset: file %1 status %2\n", fn, ok ? "OK" : "error"));
 		}
 	}
 
-	lx.release ();
-
 	if (ok) {
 		Plugin::load_preset (r);
 	}