diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor.h b/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
index a2be9bf0ab..09538c3f82 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor.h
@@ -1201,6 +1201,7 @@ class Editor : public PublicEditor, public PBD::ScopedConnectionList, public ARD
 	void reset_focus ();
 
 	void split_region ();
+    void split_region_on_playhead ();
 
 	void delete_ ();
 	void cut ();
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_actions.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_actions.cc
index 60be1ab630..2dc7fd4995 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_actions.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_actions.cc
@@ -2054,6 +2054,7 @@ Editor::register_region_actions ()
 	reg_sens (_region_actions, "set-region-sync-position", _("Set Sync Position"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::set_region_sync_position));
 	reg_sens (_region_actions, "place-transient", _("Place Transient"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::place_transient));
 	reg_sens (_region_actions, "split-region", _("Split"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::split_region));
+    reg_sens (_region_actions, "split-on-playhead", _("Split On Playhead"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::split_region_on_playhead));
 	reg_sens (_region_actions, "trim-front", _("Trim Start at Edit Point"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::trim_region_front));
 	reg_sens (_region_actions, "trim-back", _("Trim End at Edit Point"), sigc::mem_fun (*this, &Editor::trim_region_back));
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
index 098891d1e9..d827357d1a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_ops.cc
@@ -5680,19 +5680,24 @@ Editor::set_playhead_cursor ()
 void
 Editor::split_region ()
 {
-	if ( !selection->time.empty()) {
-		separate_regions_between (selection->time);
+	if (selection->time.empty()) {
 		return;
 	}
+    
+    separate_regions_between (selection->time);
+}
 
-	RegionSelection rs = get_regions_from_selection_and_playhead ();
-	framepos_t where = get_playhead_position ();
-
-	if (rs.empty()) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	split_regions_at (where, rs);
+void
+Editor::split_region_on_playhead ()
+{
+    RegionSelection regions_to_split = selection->regions;
+    framepos_t where = get_playhead_position ();
+    
+    if (regions_to_split.empty()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    
+    split_regions_at (where, regions_to_split);
 }
 
 struct EditorOrderRouteSorter {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/mnemonic-us.bindings.in b/gtk2_ardour/mnemonic-us.bindings.in
index caa15d0668..4434ce4ab8 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/mnemonic-us.bindings.in
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/mnemonic-us.bindings.in
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ This mode provides many different operations on both regions and control points,
 @aep|Region/align-regions-start|<@PRIMARY@><@LEVEL4@>a|align start(s)
 @aep|Region/align-regions-start-relative|<@LEVEL4@>a|align start(s) relative
 @rop|Region/split-region|s|split
+@rop|Region/split-on-playhead|<@LEVEL4@>downarrow|split on playhead
 @sess|Common/Save|<@PRIMARY@>s|save session
 @sess|Main/Snapshot|<@PRIMARY@><@TERTIARY@>s|snapshot session
 @trans|Editor/track-solo-toggle|<@SECONDARY@>s|toggle track solo status
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/trackslive.menus.in b/gtk2_ardour/trackslive.menus.in
index 96c5a6d2f3..8b667f3651 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/trackslive.menus.in
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/trackslive.menus.in
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
       <menuitem action='editor-cut'/>
       <menuitem action='editor-delete'/>
       <menuitem action='split-region'/>
+      <menuitem action='split-on-playhead'/>
       <menu action="SelectMenu">	   
         <menuitem action='deselect-all'/>
         <menuitem action='invert-selection'/>