diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/option_editor.cc b/gtk2_ardour/option_editor.cc
index 2b81ff29bc..9dac7918d4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/option_editor.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/option_editor.cc
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ OptionEditor::OptionEditor (ARDOUR_UI& uip, PublicEditor& ed, Mixer_UI& mixui)
 
 	  short_xfade_adjustment (0, 1.0, 500.0, 5.0, 100.0),
 	  short_xfade_slider (short_xfade_adjustment),
-	  destructo_xfade_adjustment (0, 1.0, 500.0, 5.0, 100.0),
+	  destructo_xfade_adjustment (1.0, 1.0, 500.0, 1.0, 100.0),
 	  destructo_xfade_slider (destructo_xfade_adjustment),
 
 	  /* Sync */
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ OptionEditor::OptionEditor (ARDOUR_UI& uip, PublicEditor& ed, Mixer_UI& mixui)
 
 	click_io_selector = 0;
 	auditioner_io_selector = 0;
+	session = 0;
 
 	set_default_size (300, 300);
 	set_title (_("ardour: options editor"));
@@ -329,6 +330,11 @@ OptionEditor::setup_fade_options ()
 	
 	destructo_xfade_adjustment.signal_value_changed().connect (mem_fun(*this, &OptionEditor::destructo_xfade_adjustment_changed));
 
+	short_xfade_slider.set_update_policy (UPDATE_DISCONTINUOUS);
+	destructo_xfade_slider.set_update_policy (UPDATE_DISCONTINUOUS);
+
+	destructo_xfade_adjustment.set_value (Config->get_destructive_xfade_msecs());
+
 	fade_packer.show_all ();
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/configuration.cc b/libs/ardour/configuration.cc
index a7fc6b7dd6..c925525144 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/configuration.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/configuration.cc
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ Configuration::state (bool user_only)
 	}
 	if (!user_only || destructive_xfade_msecs_is_user) {
 		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%" PRIu32, destructive_xfade_msecs);
-		node->add_child_nocopy(option_node("destructive_xfade_msecs", string(buf)));
+		node->add_child_nocopy(option_node("destructive-xfade-msecs", string(buf)));
 	}
 
 	/* use-vst is always per-user */
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ Configuration::set_state (const XMLNode& root)
 					set_midi_feedback_interval_ms (atoi (option_value.c_str()));
 				} else if (option_name == "latched-record-enable") {
 					set_latched_record_enable (option_value == "yes");
-				} else if (option_name == "destructive_xfade_msecs") {
+				} else if (option_name == "destructive-xfade-msecs") {
 					uint32_t v;
 					if (sscanf (option_value.c_str(), "%u", &v) == 1) {
 						set_destructive_xfade_msecs (v);
@@ -1107,6 +1107,11 @@ void
 Configuration::set_destructive_xfade_msecs (uint32_t msecs, jack_nframes_t rate)
 {
 	destructive_xfade_msecs = msecs;
+
+	if (user_configuration) {
+		destructive_xfade_msecs_is_user = true;
+	}
+
 	if (rate) {
 		DestructiveFileSource::setup_standard_crossfades (rate);
 	}