diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/route_group.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/route_group.h
index be4369039b..7538e47e66 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/route_group.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/route_group.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API RouteGroup : public SessionObject, public std::enable_shared
 
 	int add (std::shared_ptr<Route>);
 	int remove (std::shared_ptr<Route>);
+	void clear ();
 
 	template<typename Function> void foreach_route (Function f) { for (auto & r : *routes) {f (r); } }
 
@@ -126,11 +127,6 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API RouteGroup : public SessionObject, public std::enable_shared
 
 	void audio_track_group (std::set<std::shared_ptr<AudioTrack> >& at_set);
 
-	void clear () {
-		routes->clear ();
-		changed();
-	}
-
 	bool has_subgroup() const;
 	bool can_subgroup (bool, Placement) const;
 	void make_subgroup (bool, Placement);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index b62c39c8e1..7b89352ceb 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -1946,6 +1946,7 @@ private:
 	int load_route_groups (const XMLNode&, int);
 
 	RouteGroupList _route_groups;
+	void route_group_emptied (std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup>);
 
 	/* routes stuff */
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/route_group.cc b/libs/ardour/route_group.cc
index 24b203c480..d8a4a9b2e7 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/route_group.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/route_group.cc
@@ -244,6 +244,18 @@ RouteGroup::unset_subgroup_bus ()
 	_subgroup_bus.reset ();
 }
 
+void
+RouteGroup::clear ()
+{
+	RouteList copy (*routes);
+
+	for (auto & r : copy) {
+		remove (r);
+	}
+
+	changed ();
+}
+
 int
 RouteGroup::remove (std::shared_ptr<Route> r)
 {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index 71602ab3b5..7cba822c41 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -6829,8 +6829,10 @@ Session::route_removed_from_route_group (std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup> rg, std::we
 	update_route_record_state ();
 	RouteRemovedFromRouteGroup (rg, r); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 
+	std::shared_ptr<Route> rr (r.lock());
+
 	if (!rg->has_control_master () && !rg->has_subgroup () && rg->empty()) {
-		remove_route_group (rg);
+		route_group_emptied (rg);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index 44667dd2ed..9e228b3684 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -3608,6 +3608,18 @@ Session::add_route_group (std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup> g)
 
 void
 Session::remove_route_group (std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup> rg)
+{
+	if (!rg) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	rg->clear ();
+
+	/* by the magic of reference counting, rg will now be deleted */
+}
+
+void
+Session::route_group_emptied (std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup> rg)
 {
 	list<std::shared_ptr<RouteGroup>>::iterator i;