diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
index 710447fb93..63ba55f5b4 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vca.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API VCA : public Stripable,
 	~VCA();
 
 	int32_t number () const { return _number; }
+	std::string full_name() const;
 
 	int init ();
 	XMLNode& get_state();
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vca.cc b/libs/ardour/vca.cc
index a2b16913bb..e3476c5d08 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vca.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vca.cc
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ VCA::get_next_vca_number ()
 	return next_number;
 }
 
-VCA::VCA (Session& s,  int32_t num, const string& name)
+VCA::VCA (Session& s, int32_t num, const string& name)
 	: Stripable (s, name, PresentationInfo (num, PresentationInfo::VCA))
 	, Muteable (s, name)
 	, Automatable (s)
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ VCA::~VCA ()
 	}
 }
 
+string
+VCA::full_name() const
+{
+	/* name() is never empty - default is VCA %n */
+	return string_compose (_("VCA %1 : %2"), _number, name());
+}
+
 XMLNode&
 VCA::get_state ()
 {