diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index ffb0022729..4d046b3436 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -3401,6 +3401,10 @@ Session::new_route_from_template (uint32_t how_many, PresentationInfo::order_t i
 				}
 			}
 
+			/* new routes start off unsoloed to avoid issues related to
+			   upstream / downstream buses. */
+			node_copy.remove_node_and_delete(X_("Controllable"), X_("name"), X_("solo"));
+
 			boost::shared_ptr<Route> route (XMLRouteFactory (node_copy, 3000));
 
 			if (route == 0) {
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/xml++.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/xml++.h
index 476e367383..6c099dc0c3 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/xml++.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/xml++.h
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ public:
 	void remove_nodes_and_delete(const std::string&);
 	/** Remove and delete all nodes with property prop matching val */
 	void remove_nodes_and_delete(const std::string& propname, const std::string& val);
+  /** Remove and delete first node with given name and prop matching val */
+	void remove_node_and_delete(const std::string& n, const std::string& propname, const std::string& val);
 
 	void dump (std::ostream &, std::string p = "") const;
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/xml++.cc b/libs/pbd/xml++.cc
index c46c5638b8..d5d863e9e5 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/xml++.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/xml++.cc
@@ -658,6 +658,22 @@ XMLNode::remove_nodes_and_delete(const string& propname, const string& val)
 	}
 }
 
+void
+XMLNode::remove_node_and_delete(const string& n, const string& propname,
+ const string& val)
+{
+	for (XMLNodeIterator i = _children.begin(); i != _children.end(); ++i) {
+		if ((*i)->name() == n) {
+			XMLProperty const * prop = (*i)->property (propname);
+			if (prop && prop->value() == val) {
+				delete *i;
+				_children.erase(i);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 XMLProperty::XMLProperty(const string& n, const string& v)
 	: _name(n)
 	, _value(v)