diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor.h b/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
index e93ee2b21e..ccebaa853e 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
@@ -2272,6 +2272,7 @@ class Editor : public PublicEditor, public PBD::ScopedConnectionList, public ARD
 	friend class ControlPointDrag;
 	friend class LineDrag;
 	friend class RubberbandSelectDrag;
+	friend class RulerZoomDrag;
 	friend class EditorRubberbandSelectDrag;
 	friend class TimeFXDrag;
 	friend class ScrubDrag;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas_events.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas_events.cc
index 30e2504edc..73570339b3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas_events.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas_events.cc
@@ -1078,6 +1078,18 @@ Editor::canvas_ruler_event (GdkEvent *event, ArdourCanvas::Item* item, ItemType
 		return handled;
 	}
 
+	switch (event->type) {
+	case GDK_BUTTON_PRESS:
+		if (UIConfiguration::instance ().get_use_time_rulers_to_zoom_with_vertical_drag () &&
+		    Keyboard::no_modifier_keys_pressed (&event->button) && event->button.button == 1) {
+			_drags->set(new RulerZoomDrag(this, item), event);
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
 	return typed_event (item, event, type);
 }
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
index 01b92564ad..a533e3ddd3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
@@ -6447,3 +6447,56 @@ void
 RegionCutDrag::aborted (bool)
 {
 }
+
+RulerZoomDrag::RulerZoomDrag (Editor* e, ArdourCanvas::Item* item)
+	: Drag (e, item, true)
+{
+}
+
+void
+RulerZoomDrag::start_grab (GdkEvent* event, Gdk::Cursor* c)
+{
+	Drag::start_grab (event, c);
+
+	framepos_t where = _editor->canvas_event_sample(event);
+
+	_editor->_dragging_playhead = true;
+
+	_editor->playhead_cursor->set_position (where);
+}
+
+void
+RulerZoomDrag::motion (GdkEvent* event, bool)
+{
+	framepos_t where = _editor->canvas_event_sample(event);
+
+	_editor->playhead_cursor->set_position (where);
+
+	const double movement_limit = 20.0;
+	const double scale = 1.08;
+	const double y_delta = last_pointer_y() - current_pointer_y();
+
+	if (y_delta > 0 && y_delta < movement_limit) {
+		_editor->temporal_zoom_step_mouse_focus_scale (true, scale);
+	} else if (y_delta < 0 && y_delta > -movement_limit) {
+		_editor->temporal_zoom_step_mouse_focus_scale (false, scale);
+	}
+}
+
+void
+RulerZoomDrag::finished (GdkEvent*, bool)
+{
+	_editor->_dragging_playhead = false;
+
+	Session* s = _editor->session ();
+	if (s) {
+		s->request_locate (_editor->playhead_cursor->current_frame (), _was_rolling);
+		_editor->_pending_locate_request = true;
+	}
+
+}
+
+void
+RulerZoomDrag::aborted (bool)
+{
+}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.h b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.h
index 841752c3a1..1c2a910fcf 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.h
@@ -1189,5 +1189,21 @@ class CrossfadeEdgeDrag : public Drag
 	bool start;
 };
 
+class RulerZoomDrag : public Drag
+{
+public:
+	RulerZoomDrag (Editor*, ArdourCanvas::Item*);
+
+	void start_grab (GdkEvent*, Gdk::Cursor* c = 0);
+	void motion (GdkEvent *, bool);
+	void finished (GdkEvent*, bool);
+	void aborted (bool);
+
+	virtual bool allow_vertical_autoscroll () const {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+};
+
 #endif /* __gtk2_ardour_editor_drag_h_ */
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
index 8379a31ddd..0c15c1ee66 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
@@ -2536,6 +2536,14 @@ if (!Profile->get_mixbus()) {
 			    ));
 }  // !mixbus
 
+	add_option (_("Editor"),
+		    new BoolOption (
+			    "use-time-rulers-to-zoom-with-vertical-drag",
+			    _("Use time rulers area to zoom when clicking and dragging vertically"),
+			    sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::get_use_time_rulers_to_zoom_with_vertical_drag),
+			    sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::set_use_time_rulers_to_zoom_with_vertical_drag)
+			    ));
+
 	add_option (_("Editor"),
 		    new BoolOption (
 			    "update-editor-during-summary-drag",
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
index e6cd3c1ecb..561bd9d72c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, sound_midi_notes, "sound-midi-notes", false)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, show_plugin_scan_window, "show-plugin-scan-window", false)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, show_zoom_tools, "show-zoom-tools", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_mouse_position_as_zoom_focus_on_scroll, "use-mouse-position-as-zoom-focus-on-scroll", true)
+UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_time_rulers_to_zoom_with_vertical_drag, "use-time-rulers-to-zoom-with-vertical-drag", false)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, widget_prelight, "widget-prelight", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_tooltips, "use-tooltips", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (std::string, mixer_strip_visibility, "mixer-element-visibility", "Input,PhaseInvert,RecMon,SoloIsoLock,Output,Comments")