diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/automation_controller.cc b/gtk2_ardour/automation_controller.cc
index 691e0f3b58..14f778ffa8 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/automation_controller.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/automation_controller.cc
@@ -197,28 +197,26 @@ AutomationController::toggled ()
 {
 	ArdourButton* but = dynamic_cast<ArdourButton*>(_widget);
 	const AutoState as = _controllable->automation_state ();
-
+	const double where = _controllable->session ().audible_frame ();
 	const bool to_list = _controllable->list () && _controllable->session().transport_rolling () && (as == Touch || as == Write);
 
 	if (but) {
-		if (_controllable->session().transport_rolling()) {
-			if (_controllable->automation_state() == Touch && _controllable->list()->in_new_write_pass ()) {
-				_controllable->alist()->start_write_pass ( _controllable->session().audible_frame());
-			}
-			if (_controllable->list()) {
-				_controllable->list()->set_in_write_pass(true, false, _controllable->session().audible_frame());
+		if (to_list) {
+			if (as == Touch && _controllable->list ()->in_new_write_pass ()) {
+				_controllable->alist ()->start_write_pass (where);
 			}
+			_controllable->list ()->set_in_write_pass (true, false, where);
 		}
 
-		_controllable->set_double (!but->get_active (), _controllable->session ().transport_frame (), to_list);
+		_controllable->set_double (!but->get_active (), where, to_list);
 
-		const bool was_active = _controllable->get_value() >= 0.5;
-		if (was_active && but->get_active()) {
-			_adjustment->set_value(0.0);
-			but->set_active(false);
-		} else if (!was_active && !but->get_active()) {
-			_adjustment->set_value(1.0);
-			but->set_active(true);
+		const bool active = _controllable->get_double (to_list, where) >= 0.5;
+		if (active && !but->get_active ()) {
+			_adjustment->set_value (1.0);
+			but->set_active (true);
+		} else if (!active && but->get_active ()) {
+			_adjustment->set_value (0.0);
+			but->set_active (false);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libs/ardour/automatable.cc b/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
index cfe2d7a853..0fb048b9ef 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/automatable.cc
@@ -397,17 +397,19 @@ Automatable::transport_stopped (framepos_t now)
 		const bool list_did_write = !l->in_new_write_pass ();
 
 		l->stop_touch (true, now);
+
 		if (list_did_write) {
 			c->commit_transaction ();
 		}
-		l->write_pass_finished (now, Config->get_automation_thinning_factor());
 
-		if (l->automation_state() == Write) {
+		l->write_pass_finished (now, Config->get_automation_thinning_factor ());
+
+		if (l->automation_state () == Write) {
 			l->set_automation_state (Touch);
 		}
 
-		if (l->automation_playback()) {
-			c->set_value(c->list()->eval(now));
+		if (l->automation_playback ()) {
+			c->set_value (c->list ()->eval (now));
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libs/ardour/route.cc b/libs/ardour/route.cc
index adbfefb829..60f4908768 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/route.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/route.cc
@@ -3900,22 +3900,22 @@ Route::MuteControllable::set_superficial_value(bool muted)
 	/* Note we can not use AutomationControl::set_value here since it will emit
 	   Changed(), but the value will not be correct to the observer. */
 
-	/* this is a tweak of ControlList::automation_write ()
-	   as currently MuteControllable can't be touching.
-	   bool to_list = _list && ((AutomationList*)_list.get())->automation_write();
-	*/
-	AutomationList* alist = (AutomationList*)_list.get();
-	const AutoState as = alist->automation_state ();
-	const bool to_list = _list && _session.transport_rolling () && (as == Touch || as == Write);
-
+	const bool to_list = _list && ((AutomationList*)_list.get ())->automation_write ();
+	const double where = _session.audible_frame ();
 	if (to_list) {
-		if (as == Touch && _list->in_new_write_pass ()) {
-			alist->start_write_pass (_session.audible_frame ());
-		}
-		_list->set_in_write_pass (true, false, _session.audible_frame ());
+		/* Note that we really need this:
+		 *  if (as == Touch && _list->in_new_write_pass ()) {
+		 *       alist->start_write_pass (_session.audible_frame ());
+		 *  }
+		 * here in the case of the user calling from a GUI or whatever.
+		 * Without the ability to distinguish between user and
+		 * automation-initiated changes, we lose the "touch mute"
+		 * behaviour we have in AutomationController::toggled ().
+		 */
+		_list->set_in_write_pass (true, false, where);
 	}
 
-	Control::set_double (muted, _session.transport_frame(), to_list);
+	Control::set_double (muted, where, to_list);
 }
 
 void