diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index 0f27ac5029..6b01d0c990 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -2169,6 +2169,8 @@ private:
 	boost::optional<samplepos_t> _nominal_jack_transport_sample;
 
 	bool _had_destructive_tracks;
+
+	std::string unnamed_file_name () const;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index b44b42294c..f82962ef3d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -159,8 +159,6 @@ using namespace PBD;
 
 #define DEBUG_UNDO_HISTORY(msg) DEBUG_TRACE (PBD::DEBUG::UndoHistory, string_compose ("%1: %2\n", __LINE__, msg));
 
-static const char* unnamed_file_name = X_(".unnamed");
-
 void
 Session::pre_engine_init (string fullpath)
 {
@@ -584,7 +582,7 @@ Session::create (const string& session_template, BusProfile const * bus_profile,
 	}
 
 	if (unnamed) {
-		PBD::ScopedFileDescriptor fd = g_open (Glib::build_filename (_path, unnamed_file_name).c_str(), O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_RDWR, 0666);
+		PBD::ScopedFileDescriptor fd = g_open (unnamed_file_name().c_str(), O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_RDWR, 0666);
 	}
 
 	if (ensure_subdirs ()) {
@@ -952,6 +950,9 @@ Session::save_state (string snapshot_name, bool pending, bool switch_to_snapshot
 		remove_pending_capture_state ();
 	}
 
+	/* remove unnamed file name, if any (it's not an error if it doesn't exist */
+	::g_unlink (unnamed_file_name().c_str());
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5649,8 +5650,14 @@ Session::redo (uint32_t n)
 	_history.redo (n);
 }
 
+std::string
+Session::unnamed_file_name() const
+{
+	return Glib::build_filename (_path, X_(".unnamed"));
+}
+
 bool
 Session::not_named() const
 {
-	return Glib::file_test (Glib::build_filename (_path, unnamed_file_name), Glib::FILE_TEST_EXISTS);
+	return Glib::file_test (unnamed_file_name(), Glib::FILE_TEST_EXISTS);
 }