diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.cc b/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.cc
index 75e54e4b66..0c97c59ae4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.cc
@@ -516,6 +516,10 @@ ProcessorBox::choose_send ()
 
 	ios->show_all ();
 
+	/* bit of a hack; keep a shared_ptr to send around so that it doesn't get deleted while
+	   the IOSelectorWindow is doing its stuff */
+	_send_being_created = send;
+
 	boost::shared_ptr<Processor> r = boost::static_pointer_cast<Processor>(send);
 	
 	ios->selector().Finished.connect (bind (mem_fun(*this, &ProcessorBox::send_io_finished), boost::weak_ptr<Processor>(r), ios));
@@ -526,6 +530,9 @@ ProcessorBox::send_io_finished (IOSelector::Result r, boost::weak_ptr<Processor>
 {
 	boost::shared_ptr<Processor> processor (weak_processor.lock());
 
+	/* now we can lose the dummy shared_ptr */
+	_send_being_created.reset ();
+
 	if (!processor) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.h b/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.h
index 6d57230cf8..e47c28ec10 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/processor_box.h
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ class ProcessorBox : public Gtk::HBox, public PluginInterestedObject
 	bool                 ab_direction;
 	std::vector<sigc::connection> connections;
 
+	/// a send that is in the process of creation
+	boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Send> _send_being_created;
+
 	ARDOUR::Placement   _placement;
 
 	PluginSelector     & _plugin_selector;