diff --git a/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.h b/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.h
index db3ef435ff..7ef9b6a063 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.h
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ class CC121 : public ARDOUR::ControlProtocol, public AbstractUI<CC121Request> {
 	};
 
 	enum ButtonState {
-	  ShiftDown = 0x1,
+		ShiftDown = 0x1,
 		RewindDown = 0x2,
 		StopDown = 0x4,
 		UserDown = 0x8,
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.cc b/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.cc
index c532298e48..7a36054825 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.cc
@@ -428,45 +428,12 @@ CC121GUI::build_foot_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, CC121::ButtonState bs)
 	build_action_combo (cb, actions, CC121::Footswitch, bs);
 }
 
-bool
-CC121GUI::find_action_in_model (const TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const & action_path, TreeModel::iterator* found)
-{
-	TreeModel::Row row = *iter;
-	string path = row[action_model.path()];
-
-	if (path == action_path) {
-		*found = iter;
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	return false;
-}
-
 void
 CC121GUI::build_user_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, CC121::ButtonState bs, CC121::ButtonID id)
 {
-	cb.set_model (action_model.model());
-	cb.pack_start (action_model.name());
-	cb.signal_changed().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &CC121GUI::action_changed), &cb, id, bs));
-
-	/* set the active "row" to the right value for the current button binding */
-
 	string current_action = fp.get_action (id, false, bs); /* lookup release action */
-
-	if (current_action.empty()) {
-		cb.set_active (0); /* "disabled" */
-		return;
-	}
-
-	TreeModel::iterator iter = action_model.model()->children().end();
-
-	action_model.model()->foreach_iter (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &CC121GUI::find_action_in_model), current_action, &iter));
-
-	if (iter != action_model.model()->children().end()) {
-		cb.set_active (iter);
-	} else {
-		cb.set_active (0);
-	}
+	action_model.build_action_combo (cb, current_action);
+	cb.signal_changed().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &CC121GUI::action_changed), &cb, id, bs));
 }
 
 Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::ListStore>
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.h b/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.h
index 41371ea026..6abf0f24cb 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/cc121/gui.h
@@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ private:
 	void build_foot_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox&, CC121::ButtonState);
 
 	void action_changed (Gtk::ComboBox*, CC121::ButtonID, CC121::ButtonState);
-
-	bool find_action_in_model (const Gtk::TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const & action_path, Gtk::TreeModel::iterator* found);
-
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.cc b/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.cc
index 279bd16087..28b5976d06 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.cc
@@ -460,19 +460,6 @@ FPGUI::build_foot_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, FaderPort::ButtonState bs)
 	build_action_combo (cb, actions, FaderPort::Footswitch, bs);
 }
 
-bool
-FPGUI::find_action_in_model (const TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const & action_path, TreeModel::iterator* found)
-{
-	TreeModel::Row row = *iter;
-	string path = row[action_model.path()];
-
-	if (path == action_path) {
-		*found = iter;
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	return false;
-}
 
 void
 FPGUI::build_user_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, FaderPort::ButtonState bs)
@@ -480,28 +467,12 @@ FPGUI::build_user_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, FaderPort::ButtonState bs)
 #ifndef MIXBUS
 	bs = FaderPort::ButtonState (bs|FaderPort::UserDown);
 #endif
-	cb.set_model (action_model.model());
-	cb.pack_start (action_model.name());
-	cb.signal_changed().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &FPGUI::action_changed), &cb, FaderPort::User, bs));
 
 	/* set the active "row" to the right value for the current button binding */
 
 	string current_action = fp.get_action (FaderPort::User, false, bs); /* lookup release action */
-
-	if (current_action.empty()) {
-		cb.set_active (0); /* "disabled" */
-		return;
-	}
-
-	TreeModel::iterator iter = action_model.model()->children().end();
-
-	action_model.model()->foreach_iter (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &FPGUI::find_action_in_model), current_action, &iter));
-
-	if (iter != action_model.model()->children().end()) {
-		cb.set_active (iter);
-	} else {
-		cb.set_active (0);
-	}
+	action_model.build_action_combo (cb, current_action);
+	cb.signal_changed().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &FPGUI::action_changed), &cb, FaderPort::User, bs));
 
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.h b/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.h
index 60ad81d75f..fc9c92677a 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport/gui.h
@@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ private:
 	void build_foot_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox&, FaderPort::ButtonState);
 
 	void action_changed (Gtk::ComboBox*, FaderPort::ButtonID, FaderPort::ButtonState);
-
-	bool find_action_in_model (const Gtk::TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const & action_path, Gtk::TreeModel::iterator* found);
-
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.cc b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.cc
index a4b0b9b172..dffa1b7651 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.cc
@@ -341,43 +341,13 @@ FP8GUI::active_port_changed (Gtk::ComboBox* combo, bool for_input)
 
 
 
-bool
-FP8GUI::find_action_in_model (const TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const& action_path, TreeModel::iterator* found)
-{
-	TreeModel::Row row = *iter;
-	string path = row[action_model.path()];
-
-	if (path == action_path) {
-		*found = iter;
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	return false;
-}
 
 void
 FP8GUI::build_action_combo (Gtk::ComboBox& cb, FP8Controls::ButtonId id)
 {
-	cb.set_model (action_model.model());
-	cb.pack_start (action_model.name());
-
 	/* set the active "row" to the right value for the current button binding */
 	string current_action = fp.get_button_action (id, false); /* lookup release action */
-
-	if (current_action.empty()) {
-		cb.set_active (0); /* "disabled" */
-	} else {
-		TreeModel::iterator iter = action_model.model()->children().end();
-
-		action_model.model()->foreach_iter (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &FP8GUI::find_action_in_model), current_action, &iter));
-
-		if (iter != action_model.model()->children().end()) {
-			cb.set_active (iter);
-		} else {
-			cb.set_active (0);
-		}
-	}
-	/* bind signal _after_ setting the current value */
+	action_model.build_action_combo(cb, current_action);
 	cb.signal_changed().connect (sigc::bind (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &FP8GUI::action_changed), &cb, id));
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.h b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.h
index 8b8eacd2d7..b29e36d78c 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/gui.h
@@ -98,8 +98,6 @@ private:
 	const ActionManager::ActionModel& action_model;
 
 	std::map<std::string,std::string> action_map; // map from action names to paths
-
-	bool find_action_in_model (const Gtk::TreeModel::iterator& iter, std::string const & action_path, Gtk::TreeModel::iterator* found);
 };
 
 } }