diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_model.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_model.h
index be323e514d..d6dc7f6661 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_model.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_model.h
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ public:
 
 	std::shared_ptr<Evoral::Control> control_factory(const Evoral::Parameter& id);
 
-	void insert_silence_at_start (TimeType);
+	void insert_silence_at_start (TimeType, PBD::HistoryOwner&);
 	void transpose (NoteDiffCommand *, const NotePtr, int);
 
 	void track_state (timepos_t const & when, MidiStateTracker&) const;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
index baaa41dc37..bae9fea698 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
@@ -1763,55 +1763,13 @@ MidiModel::control_factory (Evoral::Parameter const & p)
  *  Adds commands to the session's current undo stack to reflect the movements.
  */
 void
-MidiModel::insert_silence_at_start (TimeType t)
+MidiModel::insert_silence_at_start (TimeType t, HistoryOwner& history)
 {
-	/* Notes */
-
-	if (!notes().empty ()) {
-		NoteDiffCommand* c = new_note_diff_command ("insert silence");
-
-		for (Notes::const_iterator i = notes().begin(); i != notes().end(); ++i) {
-			c->change (*i, NoteDiffCommand::StartTime, (*i)->time() + t);
-		}
-
-		apply_diff_command_as_subcommand (_midi_source.session(), c);
-	}
-
-	/* Patch changes */
-
-	if (!patch_changes().empty ()) {
-		PatchChangeDiffCommand* c = new_patch_change_diff_command ("insert silence");
-
-		for (PatchChanges::const_iterator i = patch_changes().begin(); i != patch_changes().end(); ++i) {
-			c->change_time (*i, (*i)->time() + t);
-		}
-
-		apply_diff_command_as_subcommand (_midi_source.session(), c);
-	}
-
-	/* Controllers */
-
-	for (Controls::iterator i = controls().begin(); i != controls().end(); ++i) {
-		std::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> ac = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<AutomationControl> (i->second);
-		XMLNode& before = ac->alist()->get_state ();
-		i->second->list()->shift (timepos_t::zero (i->second->list()->time_domain()), timecnt_t (t));
-		XMLNode& after = ac->alist()->get_state ();
-		_midi_source.session().add_command (new MementoCommand<AutomationList> (new MidiAutomationListBinder (_midi_source, i->first), &before, &after));
-	}
-
-	/* Sys-ex */
-
-	if (!sysexes().empty()) {
-		SysExDiffCommand* c = new_sysex_diff_command ("insert silence");
-
-		for (SysExes::iterator i = sysexes().begin(); i != sysexes().end(); ++i) {
-			c->change (*i, (*i)->time() + t);
-		}
-
-		apply_diff_command_as_subcommand (_midi_source.session(), c);
-	}
-
-	ContentsShifted (timecnt_t (t));
+	/* go via the MidiSource to get a shared_ptr to
+	 * ourselves. Probably faster than shared_from_this()
+	 */
+	apply_diff_command_as_subcommand (history, new MidiModel::ShiftCommand (_midi_source.model(), std::string(), t));
+	ContentsShifted (timecnt_t (t)); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 }
 
 void