diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
index 05a2e736db..30edfd5f31 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_drag.cc
@@ -6796,8 +6796,8 @@ NoteCreateDrag::start_grab (GdkEvent* event, Gdk::Cursor* cursor)
 	 * coordinates relative to the region in order to draw it correctly.
 	 */
 
-	const timecnt_t rrp1 (_midi_view->midi_region ()->region_relative_position (_note[0]));
-	const timecnt_t rrp2 (_midi_view->midi_region ()->region_relative_position (_note[1]));
+	const timecnt_t rrp1 (_midi_view->relative_position (_note[0]));
+	const timecnt_t rrp2 (_midi_view->relative_position (_note[1]));
 
 	double const x0 = editing_context.sample_to_pixel (rrp1.samples ());
 	double const x1 = editing_context.sample_to_pixel (rrp2.samples ());
@@ -6820,11 +6820,12 @@ NoteCreateDrag::motion (GdkEvent* event, bool)
 
 	_note[1] = std::max (aligned_beats, (_note[0].beats () + min_length));
 
-	const timecnt_t rrp1 (_midi_view->midi_region ()->region_relative_position (_note[0]));
-	const timecnt_t rrp2 (_midi_view->midi_region ()->region_relative_position (_note[1]));
+	const timecnt_t rrp1 (_midi_view->relative_position (_note[0]));
+	const timecnt_t rrp2 (_midi_view->relative_position (_note[1]));
 
 	double const x0 = editing_context.sample_to_pixel (rrp1.samples ());
 	double const x1 = editing_context.sample_to_pixel (rrp2.samples ());
+
 	_drag_rect->set_x0 (std::min (x0, x1));
 	_drag_rect->set_x1 (std::max (x0, x1));
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
index 693d07affe..1d78829f98 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
@@ -2973,6 +2973,20 @@ MidiView::snap_pixel_to_time (double x, bool ensure_snap)
 	return _editing_context.snap_relative_time_to_relative_time (_midi_region->position(), timecnt_t (_editing_context.pixel_to_sample (x)), ensure_snap);
 }
 
+timecnt_t
+MidiView::relative_position (timepos_t const & p) const
+{
+	if (!_midi_region) {
+		return timecnt_t (Beats (0,0));
+	}
+
+	if (_show_source) {
+		return _midi_region->source_relative_position (p);
+	}
+
+	return _midi_region->region_relative_position (p);
+}
+
 /** @param x Pixel relative to the region position.
  *  @param ensure_snap defaults to false. true = ignore magnetic snap and snap mode (used for snap delta calculation).
  *  @return Snapped pixel relative to the region position.
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.h
index 920e594e56..72b7bd9b14 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.h
@@ -284,6 +284,15 @@ class MidiView : public virtual sigc::trackable, public LineMerger
 		ArdourCanvas::Rectangle *resize_rect;
 	};
 
+	/* Convert a position to a distance (origin+position) relative to the
+	 * start of this MidiView.
+	 *
+	 * What this is relative to will depend on whether or not _show_source
+	 * is true.
+	 */
+
+	Temporal::timecnt_t relative_position (Temporal::timepos_t const & p) const;
+
 	/** Snap a region relative pixel coordinate to pixel units.
 	 * @param x a pixel coordinate relative to region start
 	 * @param ensure_snap do not use magnetic snap (required for snap delta calculation)