diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
index b0ecb4391a..c2a5972524 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
@@ -368,6 +368,15 @@ MidiView::set_model (std::shared_ptr<MidiModel> m)
 
 	//set_height (trackview.current_height());
 
+	if (_show_source) {
+		for (int n = 0; n < 16; ++n) {
+			if (_model->channels_present() & (1 << n)) {
+				set_visible_channel (n);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	_model->ContentsChanged.connect (connections_requiring_model, invalidator (*this), std::bind (&MidiView::model_changed, this), gui_context());
 
 	_midi_track->playback_filter().ChannelModeChanged.connect (connections_requiring_model, invalidator (*this),
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/pianoroll.cc b/gtk2_ardour/pianoroll.cc
index 82c59829ab..63ce87f425 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/pianoroll.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/pianoroll.cc
@@ -2280,8 +2280,6 @@ Pianoroll::set_region (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::MidiRegion> r)
 		zoom_to_show (timecnt_t (timepos_t (max_extents_scale() * max_zoom_extent ().second.samples())));
 
 	}
-
-	set_visible_channel (0);
 }
 
 void