diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
index 32ef8b184f..7438e3e862 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
@@ -2991,8 +2991,8 @@ MidiRegionView::show_step_edit_cursor (Evoral::MusicalTime pos)
                 _step_edit_cursor = new ArdourCanvas::SimpleRect (*group);
                 _step_edit_cursor->property_y1() = 0;
                 _step_edit_cursor->property_y2() = midi_stream_view()->contents_height();
-                _step_edit_cursor->property_fill_color_rgba() = RGBA_TO_UINT (45,45,45,90);
-                _step_edit_cursor->property_outline_color_rgba() = RGBA_TO_UINT (255,255,255,90);
+                _step_edit_cursor->property_fill_color_rgba() = RGBA_TO_UINT (45,0,0,90);
+                _step_edit_cursor->property_outline_color_rgba() = RGBA_TO_UINT (85,0,0,90);
         }
 
         move_step_edit_cursor (pos);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
index 1ddf309cce..79e53a1faf 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.cc
@@ -895,7 +895,6 @@ void
 MidiTimeAxisView::start_step_editing ()
 {
 	step_edit_insert_position = _editor.get_preferred_edit_position ();
-        step_edit_beat_pos = -1.0;
         _step_edit_triplet_countdown = 0;
         _step_edit_within_chord = 0;
         _step_edit_chord_duration = 0.0;
@@ -912,15 +911,23 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::start_step_editing ()
                 step_edit_region_view = dynamic_cast<MidiRegionView*>(rv);
         }
 
+        assert (step_edit_region);
+        assert (step_edit_region_view);
+
         if (step_editor == 0) {
                 step_editor = new StepEntry (*this);
                 step_editor->signal_delete_event().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::step_editor_hidden));
+                step_editor->signal_hide().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &MidiTimeAxisView::step_editor_hide));
         }
 
-        if (step_edit_region_view) {
-                step_edit_region_view->show_step_edit_cursor (0.0);
-                step_edit_region_view->set_step_edit_cursor_width (step_editor->note_length());
-        }
+        framecnt_t frames_from_start = _editor.get_preferred_edit_position() - step_edit_region->position();
+
+        assert (frames_from_start >= 0);
+
+        step_edit_beat_pos = step_edit_region_view->frames_to_beats (frames_from_start);
+
+        step_edit_region_view->show_step_edit_cursor (step_edit_beat_pos);
+        step_edit_region_view->set_step_edit_cursor_width (step_editor->note_length());
 
         step_editor->set_position (WIN_POS_MOUSE);
         step_editor->present ();
@@ -928,10 +935,16 @@ MidiTimeAxisView::start_step_editing ()
 
 bool
 MidiTimeAxisView::step_editor_hidden (GdkEventAny*)
+{
+        step_editor_hide ();
+        return true;
+}
+
+void
+MidiTimeAxisView::step_editor_hide ()
 {
         /* everything else will follow the change in the model */
 	midi_track()->set_step_editing (false);
-        return true;
 }
 
 void
@@ -992,13 +1005,6 @@ int
 MidiTimeAxisView::step_add_note (uint8_t channel, uint8_t pitch, uint8_t velocity, Evoral::MusicalTime beat_duration)
 {
         if (step_edit_region && step_edit_region_view) {
-                if (step_edit_beat_pos < 0.0) {
-                        framecnt_t frames_from_start = _editor.get_preferred_edit_position() - step_edit_region->position();
-                        if (frames_from_start < 0) {
-                                return 1;
-                        }
-                        step_edit_beat_pos = step_edit_region_view->frames_to_beats (frames_from_start);
-                }
                 
                 if (beat_duration == 0.0) {
                         bool success;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
index bdd52d5265..cbca25bd0e 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_time_axis.h
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ class MidiTimeAxisView : public RouteTimeAxisView
 
         StepEntry* step_editor;
         bool step_editor_hidden (GdkEventAny*);
+        void step_editor_hide ();
 };
 
 #endif /* __ardour_midi_time_axis_h__ */