diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editing_context.h b/gtk2_ardour/editing_context.h
index 7e7a3b0826..a2d60f8551 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editing_context.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editing_context.h
@@ -342,6 +342,15 @@ class EditingContext : public ARDOUR::SessionHandlePtr, public AxisViewProvider
 	/** Push the appropriate enter/cursor context on item entry. */
 	void choose_canvas_cursor_on_entry (ItemType);
 
+	struct CursorRAII {
+		CursorRAII (EditingContext& e, Gdk::Cursor* new_cursor)
+			: ec (e), old_cursor (ec.get_canvas_cursor ()) { ec.set_canvas_cursor (new_cursor); }
+		~CursorRAII () { ec.set_canvas_cursor (old_cursor); }
+
+		EditingContext& ec;
+		Gdk::Cursor* old_cursor;
+	};
+
 	virtual Gdk::Cursor* get_canvas_cursor () const;
 	static MouseCursors const* cursors () {
 		return _cursors;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_audio_import.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_audio_import.cc
index 65cc38134d..702ba3550b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_audio_import.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_audio_import.cc
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ Editor::import_sndfiles (vector<string>            paths,
 	import_status.track = track;
 	import_status.replace = replace;
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 
 	/* start import thread for this spec. this will ultimately call Session::import_files()
 	   which, if successful, will add the files as regions to the region list. its up to us
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ Editor::embed_sndfiles (vector<string>            paths,
 	/* skip periodic saves while importing */
 	Session::StateProtector sp (_session);
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 
 	for (vector<string>::iterator p = paths.begin(); p != paths.end(); ++p) {
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
index a9ca4ed1fe..e965cad850 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
@@ -4379,7 +4379,7 @@ Editor::freeze_route ()
 
 	pthread_create_and_store (X_("freezer"), &itt.thread, _freeze_thread, this, 0);
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 
 	while (!itt.done && !itt.cancel) {
 		gtk_main_iteration ();
@@ -5921,7 +5921,7 @@ Editor::normalize_region ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 
 	/* XXX: should really only count audio regions here */
 	int const regions = rs.size ();
@@ -6200,7 +6200,7 @@ Editor::fork_regions_from_unselected ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 	bool in_command = false;
 
 	/* find the set of all MidiSources associated with the selected regions */
@@ -6278,7 +6278,7 @@ Editor::fork_selected_regions ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 	bool in_command = false;
 
 	for (RegionSelection::iterator r = rs.begin(); r != rs.end(); ) {
@@ -6360,7 +6360,7 @@ Editor::apply_filter (Filter& filter, string command, ProgressReporter* progress
 		return;
 	}
 
-	set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->wait);
+	CursorRAII cr (*this, _cursors->wait);
 	bool in_command = false;
 
 	int n = 0;