diff --git a/libs/widgets/ardour_button.cc b/libs/widgets/ardour_button.cc
index 2ccded83c0..4c1ac05a93 100644
--- a/libs/widgets/ardour_button.cc
+++ b/libs/widgets/ardour_button.cc
@@ -827,6 +827,16 @@ void ArdourButton::set_inactive_color (const uint32_t color)
 	CairoWidget::set_dirty ();
 }
 
+void ArdourButton::reset_fixed_colors ()
+{
+	if (_fixed_colors_set == 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+	_fixed_colors_set = 0;
+	_update_colors = true;
+	CairoWidget::set_dirty ();
+}
+
 void
 ArdourButton::build_patterns ()
 {
@@ -1096,6 +1106,7 @@ ArdourButton::set_active_state (Gtkmm2ext::ActiveState s)
 	bool changed = (_active_state != s);
 	CairoWidget::set_active_state (s);
 	if (changed) {
+		_update_colors = true;
 		CairoWidget::set_dirty ();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libs/widgets/widgets/ardour_button.h b/libs/widgets/widgets/ardour_button.h
index a7fc4a6b2d..0cbd61bb0d 100644
--- a/libs/widgets/widgets/ardour_button.h
+++ b/libs/widgets/widgets/ardour_button.h
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ class LIBWIDGETS_API ArdourButton : public CairoWidget , public Gtkmm2ext::Activ
 	void set_fixed_colors   (const uint32_t active_color, const uint32_t inactive_color);
 	void set_active_color   (const uint32_t active_color);
 	void set_inactive_color (const uint32_t inactive_color);
+	void reset_fixed_colors ();
 
 	void set_fallthrough_to_parent(bool fall) { _fallthrough_to_parent = fall; }