diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
index 50e0e97099..d6ce89176a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
@@ -297,7 +297,6 @@ RouteUI::reset ()
 	mute_menu = 0;
 
 	delete_patch_change_dialog ();
-	_color_picker.reset ();
 
 	denormal_menu_item = 0;
 }
@@ -1714,7 +1713,11 @@ RouteUI::select_midi_patch ()
 void
 RouteUI::choose_color (Gtk::Window* parent)
 {
-	_color_picker.popup (_route, parent);
+	StripableColorDialog* scd = _route->active_color_picker();
+	if (!scd) {
+		scd = new StripableColorDialog (_route);
+	}
+	scd->popup (parent);
 }
 
 /** Set the route's own color.  This may not be used for display if
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.h b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.h
index 80f186f94a..e2dc9b90bf 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.h
@@ -334,8 +334,6 @@ private:
 
 	std::vector<ArdourWidgets::ArdourButton*> _invert_buttons;
 
-	StripableColorDialog _color_picker;
-
 	sigc::connection send_blink_connection;
 	sigc::connection rec_blink_connection;
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.cc b/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.cc
index 897a9e12ab..ec2268257c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.cc
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@
 
 #include "pbd/compose.h"
 
-#include "gtkmm2ext/colors.h"
+#include "ardour/stripable.h"
 
+#include "gtkmm2ext/colors.h"
+#include "gtkmm2ext/doi.h"
+
+#include "gui_thread.h"
 #include "public_editor.h"
 #include "stripable_colorpicker.h"
 #include "ui_config.h"
@@ -31,15 +35,26 @@ using namespace Gtk;
 bool StripableColorDialog::palette_initialized = false;
 Gtk::ColorSelection::SlotChangePaletteHook StripableColorDialog::gtk_palette_changed_hook;
 
-StripableColorDialog::StripableColorDialog ()
+StripableColorDialog::StripableColorDialog (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Stripable> s)
 {
+	assert (s);
+
 	initialize_color_palette ();
 	signal_response().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &StripableColorDialog::finish_color_edit));
+
+	_stripable = s;
+	_stripable->set_active_color_picker (this);
+	_stripable->DropReferences.connect (_connections, invalidator (*this), std::bind (&delete_when_idle<StripableColorDialog>, this), gui_context ());
+
 }
 
 StripableColorDialog::~StripableColorDialog ()
 {
-	reset ();
+	hide ();
+	_stripable->set_active_color_picker (nullptr);
+	_stripable.reset ();
+	_connections.drop_connections ();
+	_color_changed_connection.disconnect ();
 }
 
 void
@@ -57,8 +72,7 @@ StripableColorDialog::initialize_color_palette ()
 	if (palette_initialized) {
 		return;
 	}
-	gtk_palette_changed_hook =
-		get_color_selection()->set_change_palette_hook (&StripableColorDialog::palette_changed_hook);
+	gtk_palette_changed_hook = get_color_selection()->set_change_palette_hook (&StripableColorDialog::palette_changed_hook);
 
 	std::string cp = UIConfiguration::instance ().get_stripable_color_palette ();
 	if (!cp.empty()) {
@@ -69,65 +83,9 @@ StripableColorDialog::initialize_color_palette ()
 }
 
 void
-StripableColorDialog::reset ()
+StripableColorDialog::popup (Gtk::Window* parent)
 {
-	hide ();
-	if (_stripable && _stripable->active_color_picker() == this) {
-		_stripable->set_active_color_picker (0);
-	}
-	_stripable.reset ();
-	_color_changed_connection.disconnect ();
-}
-
-void
-StripableColorDialog::popup (const std::string& name, uint32_t color, Gtk::Window* parent)
-{
-	set_title (string_compose (_("Color Selection: %1"), name));
-	_initial_color = color;
-
-	get_color_selection()->set_has_opacity_control (false);
-	get_color_selection()->set_has_palette (true);
-
-	Gdk::Color c = Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_from_rgba (_initial_color);
-
-	get_color_selection()->set_previous_color (c);
-	get_color_selection()->set_current_color (c);
-	_color_changed_connection.disconnect ();
-	_color_changed_connection = get_color_selection()->signal_color_changed().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &StripableColorDialog::color_changed));
-
-	if (parent) {
-		set_transient_for (*parent);
-	}
-	set_position (UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_window_position());
-	present ();
-}
-
-void
-StripableColorDialog::popup (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Stripable> s, Gtk::Window* parent)
-{
-	if (s && s->active_color_picker()) {
-		if (parent) {
-			s->active_color_picker()->set_transient_for (*parent);
-		}
-		s->active_color_picker()->set_position (Gtk::WIN_POS_CENTER_ALWAYS); // force update
-		s->active_color_picker()->set_position (UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_window_position());
-		s->active_color_picker()->present ();
-		return;
-	}
-	if (_stripable == s) {
-		/* keep modified color */
-		if (parent) {
-			set_transient_for (*parent);
-		}
-		set_position (Gtk::WIN_POS_CENTER_ALWAYS); // force update
-		set_position (UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_window_position());
-		present ();
-		return;
-	}
-
-	_stripable = s;
-	_stripable->set_active_color_picker (this);
-	popup (s->name(), _stripable->presentation_info().color (), parent);
+	popup (_stripable->name(), _stripable->presentation_info().color(), parent);
 }
 
 void
@@ -138,43 +96,47 @@ StripableColorDialog::finish_color_edit (int response)
 	if (response == RESPONSE_OK) {
 		ColorChanged (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color_selection()->get_current_color())); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 	}
-	if (_stripable && response == RESPONSE_OK) {
+
+	if (response == RESPONSE_OK) {
 		for (ARDOUR::RouteList::iterator i = rl.begin(); i != rl.end(); ++i) {
 			(*i)->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color_selection()->get_current_color()));
 		}
 		_stripable->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color_selection()->get_current_color()));
-	} else if (_stripable) {
+	} else {
 		_stripable->presentation_info().set_color (_initial_color);
 	}
-	reset ();
+
+	hide ();
 }
 
 void
 StripableColorDialog::color_changed ()
 {
-	if (_stripable) {
-		_stripable->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color_selection()->get_current_color()));
-	}
-}
-
-
-ArdourColorButton::ArdourColorButton ()
-{
-	_color_picker.ColorChanged.connect (sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ArdourColorButton::color_selected));
+	_stripable->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color_selection()->get_current_color()));
 }
 
 void
-ArdourColorButton::on_clicked ()
+StripableColorDialog::popup (const std::string& name, uint32_t color, Gtk::Window* parent)
 {
-	_color_picker.popup ("", Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (get_color ()), dynamic_cast<Gtk::Window*> (get_toplevel()));
-	_color_picker.get_window ()->set_transient_for (get_window ());
-}
+	set_title (string_compose (_("Color Selection: %1"), name));
+	_initial_color = color;
 
-void
-ArdourColorButton::color_selected (uint32_t color)
-{
-	Gdk::Color c;
-	Gtkmm2ext::set_color_from_rgba (c, color);
-	set_color (c);
-	g_signal_emit_by_name (GTK_WIDGET(gobj()), "color-set", 0);
+	Gtk::ColorSelection* color_selection (get_color_selection());
+
+	color_selection->set_has_opacity_control (false);
+	color_selection->set_has_palette (true);
+
+	Gdk::Color c = Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_from_rgba (_initial_color);
+
+	color_selection->set_previous_color (c);
+	color_selection->set_current_color (c);
+
+	_color_changed_connection.disconnect ();
+
+ 	if (parent) {
+ 		set_transient_for (*parent);
+ 	}
+
+ 	set_position (UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_window_position());
+ 	present ();
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.h b/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.h
index 20e829f06f..dbf68698d1 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/stripable_colorpicker.h
@@ -23,44 +23,33 @@
 #include <ytkmm/colorbutton.h>
 #include <ytkmm/colorselection.h>
 
-#include "ardour/stripable.h"
+#include "ardour/presentation_info.h"
+
+namespace ARDOUR {
+class Stripable;
+}
 
 class StripableColorDialog : public Gtk::ColorSelectionDialog
 {
 public:
-	StripableColorDialog ();
+	StripableColorDialog (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Stripable>);
 	~StripableColorDialog ();
-	void reset ();
-	void popup (std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Stripable> s, Gtk::Window*);
-	void popup (const std::string&, uint32_t, Gtk::Window*);
+	void popup (Gtk::Window*);
 	sigc::signal<void, uint32_t> ColorChanged;
 
 private:
 	void initialize_color_palette ();
 	void finish_color_edit (int response);
 	void color_changed ();
+	void popup (const std::string& name, uint32_t color, Gtk::Window* parent);
 
 	std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Stripable> _stripable;
 	ARDOUR::PresentationInfo::color_t _initial_color;
 
 	sigc::connection _color_changed_connection;
-
+	PBD::ScopedConnectionList _connections;
 
 	static bool palette_initialized;
 	static void palette_changed_hook (const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Screen>&, const Gdk::ArrayHandle_Color&);
 	static Gtk::ColorSelection::SlotChangePaletteHook gtk_palette_changed_hook;
 };
-
-class ArdourColorButton : public Gtk::ColorButton
-{
-public:
-	ArdourColorButton ();
-
-protected:
-	void on_clicked();
-	void color_selected (uint32_t color);
-
-private:
-	StripableColorDialog _color_picker;
-};
-
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
index 72d448aacb..67b598782f 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
@@ -593,7 +593,13 @@ VCAMasterStrip::state_id () const
 void
 VCAMasterStrip::start_color_edit ()
 {
-	_color_picker.popup (_vca, dynamic_cast<Gtk::Window*> (get_toplevel()));
+	StripableColorDialog* scd = _vca->active_color_picker();
+
+	if (!scd) {
+		scd = new StripableColorDialog (_vca);
+	}
+
+	scd->popup (dynamic_cast<Gtk::Window*> (get_toplevel()));
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.h b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.h
index f09d4118dd..d3e75a6f35 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.h
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ private:
 	void update_bottom_padding ();
 
 	void start_color_edit ();
-	StripableColorDialog _color_picker;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.cc b/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.cc
index f425d9848f..986722f2cd 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.cc
@@ -560,6 +560,13 @@ VCATimeAxisView::drop_all_slaves ()
 }
 
 void
-VCATimeAxisView::choose_color () {
-	_color_picker.popup (_vca, PublicEditor::instance ().current_toplevel());
+VCATimeAxisView::choose_color ()
+{
+	StripableColorDialog* scd = _vca->active_color_picker();
+
+	if (!scd) {
+		scd = new StripableColorDialog (_vca);
+	}
+
+	scd->popup (dynamic_cast<Gtk::Window*> (PublicEditor::instance ().current_toplevel()));
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.h b/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.h
index 0f2ede507f..b6f6146cef 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_time_axis.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 #include "widgets/ardour_button.h"
 
-#include "stripable_colorpicker.h"
 #include "stripable_time_axis.h"
 #include "gain_meter.h"
 
@@ -95,8 +94,5 @@ protected:
 
 	void drop_all_slaves ();
 	void choose_color ();
-
-private:
-	StripableColorDialog _color_picker;
 };