diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
index 838588487b..ce435c4ad5 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
@@ -1957,23 +1957,20 @@ ARDOUR_UI::transport_rec_enable_blink (bool onoff)
 	if (session == 0) {
 		return;
 	}
+
+	Session::RecordState const r = session->record_status ();
+	bool const h = session->have_rec_enabled_diskstream ();
 	
-	switch (session->record_status()) {
-	case Session::Enabled:
+	if (r == Session::Enabled || (r == Session::Recording && !h)) {
 		if (onoff) {
 			rec_button.set_visual_state (2);
 		} else {
 			rec_button.set_visual_state (0);
 		}
-		break;
-
-	case Session::Recording:
+	} else if (r == Session::Recording && h) {
 		rec_button.set_visual_state (1);
-		break;
-
-	default:
+	} else {
 		rec_button.set_visual_state (0);
-		break;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -3175,13 +3172,13 @@ ARDOUR_UI::record_state_changed ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	switch (session->record_status()) {
-	case Session::Recording:
+	Session::RecordState const r = session->record_status ();
+	bool const h = session->have_rec_enabled_diskstream ();
+	
+	if (r == Session::Recording && h)  {
 		big_clock.set_widget_name ("BigClockRecording");
-		break;
-	default:
+        } else {
 		big_clock.set_widget_name ("BigClockNonRecording");
-		break;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index ce29928468..ce238fbc2e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ class Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible, public boost::noncopyable
 	void add_diskstream (boost::shared_ptr<Diskstream>);
 	boost::shared_ptr<Diskstream> diskstream_by_id (const PBD::ID& id);
 	boost::shared_ptr<Diskstream> diskstream_by_name (string name);
+	bool have_rec_enabled_diskstream () const;
 
 	bool have_captured() const { return _have_captured; }
 
@@ -1742,6 +1743,9 @@ class Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible, public boost::noncopyable
 	SessionMetadata * _metadata;
 
 	mutable bool have_looped; ///< Used in ::audible_frame(*)
+
+	void update_have_rec_enabled_diskstream ();
+	gint _have_rec_enabled_diskstream;
 };
 
 } // namespace ARDOUR
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index fdb396d902..c5904de869 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ Session::Session (AudioEngine &eng,
 	  click_data (0),
 	  click_emphasis_data (0),
 	  main_outs (0),
-	  _metadata (new SessionMetadata())
+	  _metadata (new SessionMetadata()),
+	  _have_rec_enabled_diskstream (false)
 
 {
 	bool new_session;
@@ -223,7 +224,8 @@ Session::Session (AudioEngine &eng,
 	  click_data (0),
 	  click_emphasis_data (0),
 	  main_outs (0),
-	  _metadata (new SessionMetadata())
+	  _metadata (new SessionMetadata()),
+	  _have_rec_enabled_diskstream (false)
 {
 	bool new_session;
 
@@ -2141,6 +2143,8 @@ Session::add_diskstream (boost::shared_ptr<Diskstream> dstream)
 	/* this will connect to future changes, and check the current length */
 	diskstream_playlist_changed (dstream);
 
+	dstream->RecordEnableChanged.connect (mem_fun (*this, &Session::update_have_rec_enabled_diskstream));
+
 	dstream->prepare ();
 
 }
@@ -4325,3 +4329,28 @@ Session::sync_order_keys (const char* base)
 }
 
 
+/** @return true if there is at least one record-enabled diskstream, otherwise false */
+bool
+Session::have_rec_enabled_diskstream () const
+{
+	return g_atomic_int_get (&_have_rec_enabled_diskstream) == 1;
+}
+
+/** Update the state of our rec-enabled diskstreams flag */
+void
+Session::update_have_rec_enabled_diskstream ()
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<DiskstreamList> dsl = diskstreams.reader ();
+	DiskstreamList::iterator i = dsl->begin ();
+	while (i != dsl->end () && (*i)->record_enabled () == false) {
+		++i;
+	}
+
+	int const old = g_atomic_int_get (&_have_rec_enabled_diskstream);
+
+	g_atomic_int_set (&_have_rec_enabled_diskstream, i != dsl->end () ? 1 : 0);
+
+	if (g_atomic_int_get (&_have_rec_enabled_diskstream) != old) {
+		RecordStateChanged (); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
+	}
+}