diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
index 9d9f3659ac..51273fd90d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/rc_option_editor.cc
@@ -2946,6 +2946,31 @@ RCOptionEditor::RCOptionEditor ()
 	add_option (_("Appearance/Colors"), new ColorThemeManager);
 	add_option (_("Appearance/Colors"), new OptionEditorBlank ());
 
+	bo = new BoolOption (
+		     "use-palette-for-new-route",
+		     _("Use color-palette to assign color for new tracks/busses"),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::get_use_palette_for_new_route),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::set_use_palette_for_new_route)
+		     );
+	Gtkmm2ext::UI::instance()->set_tip (bo->tip_widget (),
+				_("<b>When enabled</b> new Routes are assigned a color from the stripable-color-palette in round-robin fashion.\n"
+				  "<b>When disabled</b> all new Routes will have a neutal color from the theme."
+					));
+	add_option (_("Appearance/Colors"), bo);
+
+
+	bo = new BoolOption (
+		     "use-palette-for-new-vca",
+		     _("Use color-palette to assign color for new VCA"),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::get_use_palette_for_new_vca),
+		     sigc::mem_fun (UIConfiguration::instance(), &UIConfiguration::set_use_palette_for_new_vca)
+		     );
+	Gtkmm2ext::UI::instance()->set_tip (bo->tip_widget (),
+				_("<b>When enabled</b> newly created VCAs are assigned a random color.\n"
+				  "<b>When disabled</b> all new VCAs will have a neutal color from the theme."
+					));
+	add_option (_("Appearance/Colors"), bo);
+
 	/* Quirks */
 
 	OptionEditorHeading* quirks_head = new OptionEditorHeading (_("Various Workarounds for Windowing Systems"));
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
index a01e6a31f2..f081f6f5e4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/route_ui.cc
@@ -366,7 +366,11 @@ RouteUI::set_route (std::shared_ptr<Route> rp)
 	}
 
 	if (set_color_from_route()) {
-		set_color (gdk_color_to_rgba (AxisView::unique_random_color ()));
+		if (UIConfiguration::instance().get_use_palette_for_new_route ()) {
+			set_color (gdk_color_to_rgba (AxisView::unique_random_color ()));
+		} else {
+			set_color (UIConfiguration::instance ().color (X_("neutral:midground")));
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (self_destruct) {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
index e34411f549..13808d4716 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config_vars.h
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (uint32_t, action_table_columns, "action-table-columns", 3)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, hide_splash_screen, "hide-splash-screen", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, check_announcements, "check-announcements,", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_wm_visibility, "use-wm-visibility", true)
+UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_palette_for_new_route, "use-palette-for-new-route", true)
+UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_palette_for_new_vca, "use-palette-for-new-vca", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (std::string, stripable_color_palette, "stripable-color-palette", "#AA3939:#FFAAAA:#D46A6A:#801515:#550000:#AA8E39:#FFEAAA:#D4BA6A:#806515:#554000:#343477:#8080B3:#565695:#1A1A59:#09093B:#2D882D:#88CC88:#55AA55:#116611:#004400")  /* Gtk::ColorSelection::palette_to_string */
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_note_bars_for_velocity, "use-note-bars-for-velocity", true)
 UI_CONFIG_VARIABLE (bool, use_note_color_for_velocity, "use-note-color-for-velocity", true)
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
index 9c29e60e0a..8c958e4897 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/vca_master_strip.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ VCAMasterStrip::VCAMasterStrip (Session* s, std::shared_ptr<VCA> v)
 	/* set color for the VCA, if not already done. */
 
 	if (!_vca->presentation_info().color_set()) {
-		_vca->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (unique_random_color()));
+		if (UIConfiguration::instance().get_use_palette_for_new_vca ()) {
+			_vca->presentation_info().set_color (Gtkmm2ext::gdk_color_to_rgba (unique_random_color()));
+		} else {
+			_vca->presentation_info().set_color (UIConfiguration::instance ().color (X_("neutral:midground")));
+		}
 	}
 
 	control_slave_ui.set_stripable (std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Stripable> (v));