diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index 35f4d32372..3e2d250160 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -954,6 +954,8 @@ class Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible
 	int  create (bool& new_session, string* mix_template, nframes_t initial_length);
 	void destroy ();
 
+	void initialize_start_and_end_locations(nframes_t start, nframes_t end);
+
 	nframes_t compute_initial_length ();
 
 	enum SubState {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index fe48a92109..f1c51f7ed2 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -463,6 +463,16 @@ Session::setup_raid_path (string path)
 	last_rr_session_dir = session_dirs.begin();
 }
 
+void
+Session::initialize_start_and_end_locations(nframes_t start, nframes_t end)
+{
+	start_location->set_end (start);
+	_locations.add (start_location);
+
+	end_location->set_end (end);
+	_locations.add (end_location);
+}
+
 int
 Session::create (bool& new_session, string* mix_template, nframes_t initial_length)
 {
@@ -523,13 +533,7 @@ Session::create (bool& new_session, string* mix_template, nframes_t initial_leng
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	/* set initial start + end point */
-
-	start_location->set_end (0);
-	_locations.add (start_location);
-
-	end_location->set_end (initial_length);
-	_locations.add (end_location);
+	initialize_start_and_end_locations(0, initial_length);
 
 	_state_of_the_state = Clean;