diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index 8195359906..10a3d208f9 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible, public PBD::Scop
 	void clear_deletion_in_progress ();
 	bool deletion_in_progress() const { return _state_of_the_state & Deletion; }
     bool reconnection_in_progress() const { return _reconnecting_routes_in_progress; }
+    bool routes_deletion_in_progress() const { return _route_deletion_in_progress; }
 	PBD::Signal0<void> DirtyChanged;
 
 	const SessionDirectory& session_directory () const { return *(_session_dir.get()); }
@@ -1384,6 +1385,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible, public PBD::Scop
         void add_routes_inner (RouteList&, bool input_auto_connect, bool output_auto_connect);
         bool _adding_routes_in_progress;
     bool _reconnecting_routes_in_progress;
+    bool _route_deletion_in_progress;
 
 	uint32_t destructive_index;
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index 4f77545d53..b2a8c8211e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -2294,6 +2294,11 @@ Session::auto_connect_route (boost::shared_ptr<Route> route, ChanCount& existing
 void
 Session::reconnect_existing_routes (bool withLock, bool reconnect_master, bool reconnect_inputs, bool reconnect_outputs)
 {
+    // if we are deleting routes we will call this once at the end
+    if (_route_deletion_in_progress) {
+        return;
+    }
+    
     Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (AudioEngine::instance()->process_lock (), Glib::Threads::NOT_LOCK);
     
 	if (withLock) {
@@ -2947,7 +2952,8 @@ Session::add_routes_inner (RouteList& new_routes, bool input_auto_connect, bool
 		}
         
 		if (input_auto_connect || output_auto_connect) {
-			auto_connect_route (r, existing_inputs, existing_outputs, true, input_auto_connect);
+			// routes will be connected later
+            //auto_connect_route (r, existing_inputs, existing_outputs, true, input_auto_connect);
 		}
 
 		/* order keys are a GUI responsibility but we need to set up
@@ -3169,6 +3175,7 @@ Session::remove_routes (boost::shared_ptr<RouteList> routes_to_remove)
     /* try to cause everyone to drop their references
      * and unregister ports from the backend
      */
+    PBD::Unwinder<bool> uw_flag (_route_deletion_in_progress, true);
     for (RouteList::iterator iter = routes_to_remove->begin(); iter != routes_to_remove->end(); ++iter) {
         
         (*iter)->drop_references ();