diff --git a/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.cc b/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.cc
index 386a46cc20..48cd2ca8f8 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/cc121/cc121.cc
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ CC121::button_press_handler (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::EventTwoBytes* tb)
 		if (_current_stripable) {
 			boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> gain = _current_stripable->gain_control ();
 			if (gain) {
-              timepos_t now (_session->engine().sample_time());
+              timepos_t now (engine_sample_time());
 			  gain->start_touch (now);
 			}
 		}
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ CC121::button_release_handler (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::EventTwoBytes* tb)
 		if (_current_stripable) {
 			boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> gain = _current_stripable->gain_control ();
 			if (gain) {
-				timepos_t now (_session->engine().sample_time());
+				timepos_t now (engine_sample_time());
 				gain->stop_touch (now);
 			}
 		}
@@ -706,8 +706,7 @@ CC121::midi_input_handler (Glib::IOCondition ioc, boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Asyn
 
 		port->clear ();
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::CC121, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", boost::shared_ptr<MIDI::Port>(port)->name()));
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time ());
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
index c574c0b0f8..631caf22e1 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
@@ -726,6 +726,12 @@ BasicUI::locked ()
 	return _session->transport_locked ();
 }
 
+ARDOUR::samplepos_t
+BasicUI::engine_sample_time ()
+{
+	return _session->engine ().sample_time ();
+}
+
 ARDOUR::samplecnt_t
 BasicUI::timecode_frames_per_hour ()
 {
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
index 1fe216697c..f06186b7d0 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ class LIBCONTROLCP_API BasicUI {
 	bool locating ();
 	bool locked ();
 
+	samplepos_t engine_sample_time ();
+
 	void save_state ();
 	void prev_marker ();
 	void next_marker ();
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport/faderport.cc b/libs/surfaces/faderport/faderport.cc
index 7a1f596a5b..7e68f927a4 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport/faderport.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport/faderport.cc
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ FaderPort::button_handler (MIDI::Parser &, MIDI::EventTwoBytes* tb)
 		if (_current_stripable) {
 			boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> gain = _current_stripable->gain_control ();
 			if (gain) {
-				timepos_t now = timepos_t (_session->engine().sample_time());
+				timepos_t now = timepos_t (engine_sample_time());
 				if (tb->value) {
 					gain->start_touch (now);
 				} else {
@@ -747,8 +747,7 @@ FaderPort::midi_input_handler (Glib::IOCondition ioc, boost::weak_ptr<ARDOUR::As
 
 		port->clear ();
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::FaderPort, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", boost::shared_ptr<MIDI::Port>(port)->name()));
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/faderport8.cc b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/faderport8.cc
index 1190d76ecb..e0de5e866d 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/faderport8/faderport8.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/faderport8/faderport8.cc
@@ -526,8 +526,7 @@ FaderPort8::midi_input_handler (Glib::IOCondition ioc, boost::weak_ptr<ARDOUR::A
 #ifdef VERBOSE_DEBUG
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::FaderPort8, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", boost::shared_ptr<MIDI::Port>(port)->name()));
 #endif
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/generic_midi/generic_midi_control_protocol.cc b/libs/surfaces/generic_midi/generic_midi_control_protocol.cc
index f51864f727..fb52801808 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/generic_midi/generic_midi_control_protocol.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/generic_midi/generic_midi_control_protocol.cc
@@ -1657,8 +1657,7 @@ GenericMidiControlProtocol::midi_input_handler (Glib::IOCondition ioc, boost::we
 
 		port->clear ();
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::GenericMidi, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", boost::shared_ptr<MIDI::Port>(port)->name()));
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/launch_control_xl/launch_control_xl.cc b/libs/surfaces/launch_control_xl/launch_control_xl.cc
index 49c7c1d835..cfcefed980 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/launch_control_xl/launch_control_xl.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/launch_control_xl/launch_control_xl.cc
@@ -515,8 +515,7 @@ LaunchControlXL::midi_input_handler (IOCondition ioc, MIDI::Port* port)
 
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::LaunchControlXL, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", port->name()));
 		if (in_use) {
-			samplepos_t now = AudioEngine::instance()->sample_time();
-			port->parse (now);
+			port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
index 433fba954b..2182a1b039 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/mackie/mackie_control_protocol.cc
@@ -1699,8 +1699,7 @@ MackieControlProtocol::midi_input_handler (IOCondition ioc, MIDI::Port* port)
 		}
 
 		// DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::MackieControl, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", port->name()));
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/push2/push2.cc b/libs/surfaces/push2/push2.cc
index c551093414..438fdb92e4 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/push2/push2.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/push2/push2.cc
@@ -561,8 +561,7 @@ Push2::midi_input_handler (IOCondition ioc, MIDI::Port* port)
 
 		DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::Push2, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", port->name()));
 		if (in_use) {
-			samplepos_t now = AudioEngine::instance()->sample_time();
-			port->parse (now);
+			port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/us2400/us2400_control_protocol.cc b/libs/surfaces/us2400/us2400_control_protocol.cc
index 6671fa5d6d..e2c1437a89 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/us2400/us2400_control_protocol.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/us2400/us2400_control_protocol.cc
@@ -1351,8 +1351,7 @@ US2400Protocol::midi_input_handler (IOCondition ioc, MIDI::Port* port)
 		}
 
 		// DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::US2400, string_compose ("data available on %1\n", port->name()));
-		samplepos_t now = _session->engine().sample_time();
-		port->parse (now);
+		port->parse (engine_sample_time());
 	}
 
 	return true;