diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour2_ui_default.conf b/gtk2_ardour/ardour2_ui_default.conf
index de5752a46c..f955ea4078 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour2_ui_default.conf
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour2_ui_default.conf
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <Ardour>
   <Canvas>
-    <Option name="waveform" value="000000d6"/>
-    <Option name="waveform fill" value="0b225a78"/>
+    <Option name="waveform" value="0f0f0fcc"/>
+    <Option name="waveform fill" value="3d475378"/>
     <Option name="clipped waveform" value="ff0000e5"/>
-    <Option name="region base" value="b2bcd3aa"/>
+    <Option name="region base" value="99a7b5aa"/>
     <Option name="selected region base" value="b591a8ff"/>
     <Option name="audio track base" value="c6d3d868"/>
     <Option name="audio bus base" value="dbd1ea68"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
index f989534ef4..8d4daf0a3d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ sigc::signal<void,uint32_t> ColorChanged;
 ThemeManager::ThemeManager()
 	: ArdourDialog ("ThemeManager"),
 	dark_button ("Dark Theme"),
-	light_button ("Light Theme")
+	light_button ("Light Theme"),
+	reset_button ("Restore Defaults")
 {
 	color_list = ListStore::create (columns);
 	color_display.set_model (color_list);
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ ThemeManager::ThemeManager()
 
 	get_vbox()->set_homogeneous(false);
 	get_vbox()->pack_start (theme_selection_hbox, PACK_SHRINK);
+	get_vbox()->pack_start (reset_button, PACK_SHRINK);
 	get_vbox()->pack_start (scroller);
 
 	color_display.signal_button_press_event().connect (mem_fun (*this, &ThemeManager::button_press_event), false);
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ ThemeManager::ThemeManager()
 	color_dialog.get_cancel_button()->signal_clicked().connect (bind (mem_fun (color_dialog, &Gtk::Dialog::response), RESPONSE_CANCEL));
 	dark_button.signal_toggled().connect (mem_fun (*this, &ThemeManager::on_dark_theme_button_toggled));
 	light_button.signal_toggled().connect (mem_fun (*this, &ThemeManager::on_light_theme_button_toggled));
+	reset_button.signal_clicked().connect (mem_fun (*this, &ThemeManager::reset_canvas_colors));
 
 	set_size_request (-1, 400);
 	setup_theme ();
@@ -210,6 +213,8 @@ void
 ThemeManager::setup_theme ()
 {
 	int r, g, b, a;
+	color_list->clear();
+
 	for (std::vector<UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> *>::iterator i = ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.begin(); i != ARDOUR_UI::config()->canvas_colors.end(); i++) {
 		
 		TreeModel::Row row = *(color_list->append());
@@ -246,3 +251,10 @@ ThemeManager::setup_theme ()
 	load_rc_file(rcfile, false);
 }
 
+void
+ThemeManager::reset_canvas_colors()
+{
+	ARDOUR_UI::config()->load_defaults();
+	setup_theme ();
+}
+
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
index 7ac3111b2a..3419cf0768 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <gtkmm/scrolledwindow.h>
 #include <gtkmm/colorselection.h>
 #include <gtkmm/radiobutton.h>
+#include <gtkmm/button.h>
 #include <gtkmm/rc.h>
 #include "ardour_dialog.h"
 #include "ui_config.h"
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ class ThemeManager : public ArdourDialog
 
 	int save (std::string path);
 	void setup_theme ();
+	void reset_canvas_colors();
 	
 	void on_dark_theme_button_toggled ();
 	void on_light_theme_button_toggled ();
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ class ThemeManager : public ArdourDialog
 	Gtk::HBox theme_selection_hbox;
 	Gtk::RadioButton dark_button;
 	Gtk::RadioButton light_button;
+	Gtk::Button reset_button;
 
 	bool button_press_event (GdkEventButton*);
 };
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
index b4524f9cc6..78574542d6 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
@@ -54,16 +54,15 @@ UIConfiguration::~UIConfiguration ()
 }
 
 int
-UIConfiguration::load_state ()
+UIConfiguration::load_defaults ()
 {
-	bool found = false;
-
+	int found = 0;
 	std::string rcfile = find_config_file ("ardour2_ui_default.conf");
 	
 	if (rcfile.length())
 	{
 		XMLTree tree;
-		found = true;
+		found = 1;
 
 		cerr << string_compose (_("loading default ui configuration file %1"), rcfile) << endl;
 		
@@ -77,8 +76,14 @@ UIConfiguration::load_state ()
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
-
-	rcfile = find_config_file ("ardour2_ui.conf");
+	return found;
+}
+	
+int
+UIConfiguration::load_state ()
+{
+	int found = load_defaults ();
+	std::string rcfile = find_config_file ("ardour2_ui.conf");
 
 	if (rcfile.length())
 	{
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
index f6bb5c12a3..46cd3c9ad5 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ class UIConfiguration : public Stateful
 
 	int load_state ();
 	int save_state ();
+	int load_defaults ();
 
 	int set_state (const XMLNode&);
 	XMLNode& get_state (void);