diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index 44508e4e5c..4e4678ce73 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -3135,6 +3135,11 @@ Session::save_history (string snapshot_name)
 	        return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (!Config->get_save_history() || Config->get_saved_history_depth() < 0 || 
+	    (_history.undo_depth() == 0 && _history.redo_depth() == 0)) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (snapshot_name.empty()) {
 		snapshot_name = _current_snapshot_name;
 	}
@@ -3151,10 +3156,6 @@ Session::save_history (string snapshot_name)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!Config->get_save_history() || Config->get_saved_history_depth() < 0) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	tree.set_root (&_history.get_state (Config->get_saved_history_depth()));
 
 	if (!tree.write (xml_path))