diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
index 05c11ecba1..0a78b6e4ba 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/triggerbox.h
@@ -445,9 +445,13 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API TriggerBox : public Processor
 
 	void request_stop_all ();
 
-	/* only valid when called by Triggers from within ::process_state_requests() */
-	bool currently_playing() const { return _currently_playing; }
-	void set_next (uint64_t which);
+	Trigger* currently_playing() const { return _currently_playing; }
+
+	/* Returns a negative value is there is no active Trigger, or a value between 0
+	 * and 1.0 if there is, corresponding to the value of position_as_fraction() for
+	 *  the active Trigger.
+	 */
+	double position_as_fraction() const;
 
 	void queue_explict (Trigger*);
 	Trigger* get_next_trigger ();
diff --git a/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc b/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
index 7fa530b722..a9a68ca9bb 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/triggerbox.cc
@@ -2401,6 +2401,16 @@ TriggerBox::reload (BufferSet& bufs, int32_t slot, void* ptr)
 	all_triggers[slot]->reload (bufs, ptr);
 }
 
+double
+TriggerBox::position_as_fraction () const
+{
+	Trigger* cp = _currently_playing;
+	if (!cp) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return cp->position_as_fraction ();
+}
+
 /* Thread */
 
 MultiAllocSingleReleasePool* TriggerBoxThread::Request::pool = 0;