diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/colors.cc b/libs/gtkmm2ext/colors.cc
index a072cc4996..b2534b60be 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/colors.cc
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/colors.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <cmath>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <cfloat>
+#include <cstdlib>
 
 #include "pbd/failed_constructor.h"
 #include "pbd/string_convert.h"
@@ -698,3 +699,9 @@ Gtkmm2ext::set_source_rgb_a (cairo_t *cr, Color color, float alpha)
 		alpha
 		);
 }
+
+Color
+Gtkmm2ext::random_color ()
+{
+	return ((random() % 16777215) << 8 | 0xff);
+}
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/colors.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/colors.h
index 426a51aa44..56707cb509 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/colors.h
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/colors.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ namespace Gtkmm2ext
 
 typedef uint32_t Color;
 
+extern LIBGTKMM2EXT_API Color random_color ();
+
 /* conventient way to use Gtkmm2ext::Color with libcairo */
 extern LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void set_source_rgba (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>, Gtkmm2ext::Color);
 extern LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void set_source_rgb_a (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>, Gtkmm2ext::Color, float alpha);  //override the color's alpha