diff --git a/libs/ardour/automation_control.cc b/libs/ardour/automation_control.cc
index 375de28784..951557ac3f 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/automation_control.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/automation_control.cc
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ AutomationControl::get_value() const
 	 * (possibly ahead of time, according to latency compensation),
 	 * and actually_set_value() will have set the user-value accordingly.
 	 */
-	return Control::user_double();
+	return Control::get_double();
 }
 
 double
 AutomationControl::get_save_value() const
 {
 	/* save user-value, not incl masters */
-	return Control::user_double ();
+	return Control::get_double ();
 }
 
 void
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ AutomationControl::actually_set_value (double value, PBD::Controllable::GroupCon
 	   anything has changed) is the one derived from the automation event
 	   list.
 	*/
-	float old_value = Control::user_double();
+	float old_value = Control::get_double();
 
 	if (al && al->automation_write ()) {
 		to_list = true;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/automation_watch.cc b/libs/ardour/automation_watch.cc
index 783c2626ca..4d27e539cf 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/automation_watch.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/automation_watch.cc
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ AutomationWatch::timer ()
 		if (time > _last_time) {  //we only write automation in the forward direction; this fixes automation-recording in a loop
 			for (AutomationWatches::iterator aw = automation_watches.begin(); aw != automation_watches.end(); ++aw) {
 				if ((*aw)->alist()->automation_write()) {
-					double val = (*aw)->user_double();
+					double val = (*aw)->get_double();
 					boost::shared_ptr<SlavableAutomationControl> sc = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<SlavableAutomationControl> (*aw);
 					if (sc) {
 						val = sc->reduce_by_masters (val, true);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_track.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_track.cc
index 8807c692c6..f1cee4aa90 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_track.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_track.cc
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ MidiTrack::update_controls (BufferSet const& bufs)
 		const Evoral::Parameter                  param   = midi_parameter(ev.buffer(), ev.size());
 		const boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> control = automation_control (param);
 		if (control) {
-			double old = control->user_double ();
+			double old = control->get_double ();
 			control->set_double (ev.value(), timepos_t::zero (false), false);
 			if (old != ev.value()) {
 				control->Changed (false, Controllable::NoGroup);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/mixer_scene.cc b/libs/ardour/mixer_scene.cc
index f31f4578f1..0a7901f22d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/mixer_scene.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/mixer_scene.cc
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ MixerScene::recurse_to_master (boost::shared_ptr<PBD::Controllable> c, std::set
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	double old_value = ac ? ac->user_double () : c->get_value ();
+	double old_value = ac ? ac->get_double () : c->get_value ();
 
 	if (sc && sc->slaved ()) {
 		double x = sc->reduce_by_masters (1.0);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/slavable_automation_control.cc b/libs/ardour/slavable_automation_control.cc
index 141dfa9fe7..3fd46201a0 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/slavable_automation_control.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/slavable_automation_control.cc
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::get_value_locked() const
 	/* read or write masters lock must be held */
 
 	if (_masters.empty()) {
-		return Control::user_double ();
+		return Control::get_double ();
 	}
 
 	if (_desc.toggled) {
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::get_value_locked() const
 		 * enabled, this slave is enabled. So check our own value
 		 * first, because if we are enabled, we can return immediately.
 		 */
-		if (Control::user_double ()) {
+		if (Control::get_double ()) {
 			return _desc.upper;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return Control::user_double () * get_masters_value_locked ();
+	return Control::get_double () * get_masters_value_locked ();
 }
 
 /** Get the current effective `user' value based on automation state */
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::get_value() const
 	Glib::Threads::RWLock::ReaderLock lm (master_lock);
 	if (!_masters.empty() && automation_write ()) {
 		/* writing automation takes the fader value as-is, factor out the master */
-		return Control::user_double ();
+		return Control::get_double ();
 	}
 	return get_value_locked ();
 }
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::masters_curve_multiply (timepos_t const & start, time
 			vec[i] *= scratch[i];
 		}
 	} else {
-		apply_gain_to_buffer (vec, veclen, Control::user_double ());
+		apply_gain_to_buffer (vec, veclen, Control::get_double ());
 	}
 	if (_masters.empty()) {
 		return rv;
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::remove_master (boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> m
 
 	pre_remove_master (m);
 
-	const double old_val = AutomationControl::user_double();
+	const double old_val = AutomationControl::get_double ();
 
 	bool update_value = false;
 	double master_ratio = 0;
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ SlavableAutomationControl::clear_masters ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	const double old_val = AutomationControl::user_double ();
+	const double old_val = AutomationControl::get_double ();
 
 	ControlList masters;
 	bool update_value = false;
diff --git a/libs/evoral/evoral/Control.h b/libs/evoral/evoral/Control.h
index e43fb5c707..a049803fe3 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/evoral/Control.h
+++ b/libs/evoral/evoral/Control.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ public:
 	 * and adding it to the ControlList.
 	 */
 	double user_double() const { return _user_value; }
+	virtual double get_double () const { return _user_value; }
 
 	void set_list(boost::shared_ptr<ControlList>);