diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
index 56876e761b..0a6a13e078 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ public:
 	void set_metric (const Metric&);
 
 	void render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>) const;
-	
+
+        void set_divide_colors (Color top, Color bottom);
+        void set_divide_height (double);
 private:
 	const Metric* _metric;
 
@@ -74,6 +76,9 @@ private:
 
 	Coord         _lower;
 	Coord         _upper;
+        double        _divide_height;
+        Color         _divider_color_top;
+        Color         _divider_color_bottom;
 
 	Pango::FontDescription* _font_description;
 	mutable std::vector<Mark> marks;
diff --git a/libs/canvas/ruler.cc b/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
index b11793cb7f..c5a08ed283 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Canvas* c, const Metric& m)
 	, _metric (&m)
 	, _lower (0)
 	, _upper (0)
+        , _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Canvas* c, const Metric& m, Rect const& r)
 	, _metric (&m)
 	, _lower (0)
 	, _upper (0)
+        , _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Item* parent, const Metric& m)
 	, _metric (&m)
 	, _lower (0)
 	, _upper (0)
+        , _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Item* parent, const Metric& m, Rect const& r)
 	, _metric (&m)
 	, _lower (0)
 	, _upper (0)
+        , _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -178,9 +182,32 @@ Ruler::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr) const
 		}
 	}
 
+        if (_divide_height >= 0.0) {
+                
+                cr->set_line_width (1.0);
+
+                set_source_rgba (cr, _divider_color_top);
+                cr->move_to (self.x0, self.y0 + _divide_height+0.5);
+                cr->line_to (self.x1, self.y0 + _divide_height+0.5);
+                cr->stroke ();
+
+                set_source_rgba (cr, _divider_color_bottom);
+                cr->move_to (self.x0, self.y0 + _divide_height+1.5);
+                cr->line_to (self.x1, self.y0 + _divide_height+1.5);
+                cr->stroke ();
+
+
+        }
+
 	/* done! */
 }
 
+void
+Ruler::set_divide_height (double h)
+{
+        _divide_height = h;
+}
+
 void
 Ruler::set_metric (const Metric& m)
 {