diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index 534bd4b9bb..6e791b4d8a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -1850,9 +1850,9 @@ Session::XMLRouteFactory (const XMLNode& node, int version)
 		boost::shared_ptr<Track> track;
 
 		if (type == DataType::AUDIO) {
-			track.reset (new AudioTrack (*this, X_("toBeResetFroXML")));
+			track.reset (new AudioTrack (*this, string())); // name will be reset from XML in ::set_state() below
 		} else {
-			track.reset (new MidiTrack (*this, X_("toBeResetFroXML")));
+			track.reset (new MidiTrack (*this, string())); // name will be reset from XML in ::set_state() below
 		}
 
 		if (track->init()) {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/track.cc b/libs/ardour/track.cc
index d94ab81ac1..0cf2fc2010 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/track.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/track.cc
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@ Track::init ()
 
 	set_align_choice_from_io ();
 
-	use_new_playlist (data_type());
+	if (!name().empty()) {
+		/* an empty name means that we are being constructed via
+		   serialized state (XML). Don't create a playlist, because one
+		   will be created or discovered during ::set_state().
+		*/
+		use_new_playlist (data_type());
+	}
 
 	boost::shared_ptr<Route> rp (boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<Route> (shared_from_this()));
 	boost::shared_ptr<Track> rt = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<Track> (rp);