diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
index f60fa95021..619874982d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_ui_default.conf
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     <Option name="ghost track zero line" value="e500e566"/>
     <Option name="image track" value="ddddd8ff"/>
     <Option name="inactive crossfade" value="e8ed3d77"/>
+    <Option name="inactive fade handle" value="bbbbbbaa"/>
     <Option name="location cd marker" value="1ee8c4ff"/>
     <Option name="location loop" value="35964fff"/>
     <Option name="location marker" value="c4f411ff"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
index dabc1788c7..73fa167e2f 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/audio_region_view.cc
@@ -173,14 +173,14 @@ AudioRegionView::init (Gdk::Color const & basic_color, bool wfd)
 		fade_in_handle = new ArdourCanvas::Rectangle (group);
 		CANVAS_DEBUG_NAME (fade_in_handle, string_compose ("fade in handle for %1", region()->name()));
 		fade_in_handle->set_outline_color (RGBA_TO_UINT (0, 0, 0, 255));
-		fade_in_handle->set_fill_color (UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (fade_color, 255));
+		fade_in_handle->set_fill_color (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_InactiveFadeHandle());
 		fade_in_handle->set_data ("regionview", this);
 		fade_in_handle->hide ();
 
 		fade_out_handle = new ArdourCanvas::Rectangle (group);
 		CANVAS_DEBUG_NAME (fade_out_handle, string_compose ("fade out handle for %1", region()->name()));
 		fade_out_handle->set_outline_color (RGBA_TO_UINT (0, 0, 0, 255));
-		fade_out_handle->set_fill_color (UINT_RGBA_CHANGE_A (fade_color, 255));	
+		fade_out_handle->set_fill_color (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_InactiveFadeHandle());
 		fade_out_handle->set_data ("regionview", this);
 		fade_out_handle->hide ();
 	}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
index 34116c8736..becb138e62 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/canvas_vars.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_GhostTrackWaveClip, "ghost track wave clip")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_GhostTrackZeroLine, "ghost track zero line")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_ImageTrack, "image track")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_InactiveCrossfade, "inactive crossfade")
+CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_InactiveFadeHandle, "inactive fade handle")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_LocationCDMarker, "location cd marker")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_LocationLoop, "location loop")
 CANVAS_VARIABLE(canvasvar_LocationMarker, "location marker")
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_mouse.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_mouse.cc
index 7782f393ae..0c2dfcbdcb 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_mouse.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_mouse.cc
@@ -1982,9 +1982,10 @@ Editor::enter_handler (ArdourCanvas::Item* item, GdkEvent* event, ItemType item_
 		if (mouse_mode == MouseObject && !internal_editing()) {
 			ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *rect = dynamic_cast<ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *> (item);
 			if (rect) {
-				rect->set_fill_color (0xBBBBBBAA);
+				RegionView* rv = static_cast<RegionView*>(item->get_data ("regionview"));
+				rect->set_fill_color (rv->get_fill_color());
+				set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->fade_in);
 			}
-			set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->fade_in);
 		}
 		break;
 
@@ -1992,9 +1993,10 @@ Editor::enter_handler (ArdourCanvas::Item* item, GdkEvent* event, ItemType item_
 		if (mouse_mode == MouseObject && !internal_editing()) {
 			ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *rect = dynamic_cast<ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *> (item);
 			if (rect) {
-				rect->set_fill_color (0xBBBBBBAA);
+				RegionView* rv = static_cast<RegionView*>(item->get_data ("regionview"));
+				rect->set_fill_color (rv->get_fill_color ());
+				set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->fade_out);
 			}
-			set_canvas_cursor (_cursors->fade_out);
 		}
 		break;
 	case FeatureLineItem:
@@ -2138,7 +2140,7 @@ Editor::leave_handler (ArdourCanvas::Item* item, GdkEvent*, ItemType item_type)
 		{
 			ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *rect = dynamic_cast<ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *> (item);
 			if (rect) {
-				rect->set_fill_color (rv->get_fill_color());
+				rect->set_fill_color (ARDOUR_UI::config()->get_canvasvar_InactiveFadeHandle());
 			}
 		}
 		set_canvas_cursor (current_canvas_cursor);