diff --git a/Timeline/Engine.H b/Timeline/Engine.H
index 93774db..ac6334d 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine.H
+++ b/Timeline/Engine.H
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public:
     float frame_rate ( void ) const { return jack_get_sample_rate( _client ); }
     nframes_t sample_rate ( void ) const { return _sample_rate; }
     int xruns ( void ) const { return _xruns; };
+    int dropped ( void ) const { return _buffers_dropped; }
 
     float cpu_load ( void ) const { return jack_cpu_load( _client ); }
 };
diff --git a/Timeline/Playback_DS.C b/Timeline/Playback_DS.C
index 877dc4f..4874121 100644
--- a/Timeline/Playback_DS.C
+++ b/Timeline/Playback_DS.C
@@ -189,8 +189,12 @@ Playback_DS::disk_thread ( void )
                 buffer_deinterleave_one_channel( (sample_t*)rbd[ 1 ].buf, buf + f, i, channels(), nframes - f );
             }
             else
+            {
+                ++_xruns;
+
                 printf( "programming error: expected more space in ringbuffer\n" );
 
+            }
 /*             buffer_deinterleave_one_channel( (sample_t*)rbd.buf, buf, i, channels(), _nframes ); */
 /*             jack_ringbuffer_write( _rb[ i ], (char*)cbuf, block_size ); */
 
@@ -223,6 +227,7 @@ Playback_DS::process ( nframes_t nframes )
 
         if ( jack_ringbuffer_read( _rb[ i ], (char*)buf, block_size ) < block_size )
         {
+            ++_xruns;
             printf( "RT: buffer underrun (disk can't keep up).\n" );
             memset( buf, 0, block_size );
             /* FIXME: we need to resync somehow */
diff --git a/Timeline/Record_DS.C b/Timeline/Record_DS.C
index 4257903..9087884 100644
--- a/Timeline/Record_DS.C
+++ b/Timeline/Record_DS.C
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Record_DS::disk_thread ( void )
 
     /* buffer to hold the interleaved data returned by the track reader */
     sample_t *buf = new sample_t[ nframes * channels() ];
-    sample_t *cbuf = new sample_t[ nframes  ];
+    sample_t *cbuf = new sample_t[ nframes ];
 
     const size_t block_size = nframes * sizeof( sample_t );
 
@@ -80,17 +80,14 @@ Record_DS::disk_thread ( void )
         /* pull data from the per-channel ringbuffers and interlace it */
         for ( int i = channels(); i--; )
         {
-
-/*             while ( jack_ringbuffer_read_space( _rb[ i ] ) < block_size ) */
-/*             { */
-/*                 printf( "IO: disk buffer underrun!\n" ); */
-/*                 /\* FIXME: is this *really* the right thing to do?  *\/ */
-/*                 usleep( 2000 ); */
-/*             } */
-
             /* FIXME: avoid this copy */
+            if ( jack_ringbuffer_read( _rb[ i ], (char*)cbuf, block_size ) < block_size )
+            {
+                ++_xruns;
 
-            jack_ringbuffer_read( _rb[ i ], (char*)cbuf, block_size );
+                /* FIXME: what now? */
+                printf( "Record_DS: underrun!\n" );
+            }
 
             buffer_interleave_one_channel( buf, cbuf, i, channels(), nframes );
 
@@ -221,6 +218,7 @@ Record_DS::process ( nframes_t nframes )
 
         if ( jack_ringbuffer_write( _rb[ i ], (char*)buf, block_size ) < block_size )
         {
+            ++_xruns;
             printf( "RT: buffer overrun (disk can't keep up).\n" );
             memset( buf, 0, block_size );
             /* FIXME: we need to resync somehow */
diff --git a/Timeline/TLE.fl b/Timeline/TLE.fl
index c1f1e3a..da0f062 100644
--- a/Timeline/TLE.fl
+++ b/Timeline/TLE.fl
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ Loggable::compact();}
             label {&Quit}
             callback {save();
 
-exit( 0 );}
+printf( "dropped %d buffers\\n", engine->dropped() );
+
+exit( 0 );} selected
             xywh {40 40 40 25} shortcut 0x40071
           }
         }
@@ -245,7 +247,7 @@ exit( 0 );}
           }
         }
         Submenu timeline_menu {
-          label {&Timeline} open
+          label {&Timeline}
           xywh {0 0 74 25}
         } {
           MenuItem {} {
@@ -255,7 +257,7 @@ exit( 0 );}
           }
           MenuItem {} {
             label {&Center Playhead}
-            callback {Timeline::center_playhead = menu_picked_value( o );} selected
+            callback {Timeline::center_playhead = menu_picked_value( o );}
             xywh {30 30 40 25} type Toggle value 1
           }
           Submenu {} {
@@ -552,6 +554,14 @@ update_progress( playback_buffer_progress, pbp, timeline->total_output_buffer_pe
 update_progress( cpu_load_progress, clp, engine->cpu_load() );
 
 
+if ( timeline->total_capture_xruns() )
+	capture_buffer_progress->selection_color( FL_RED );
+
+if ( timeline->total_playback_xruns() )
+	playback_buffer_progress->selection_color( FL_RED );
+
+
+
 xruns_output->value( engine->xruns() );} {}
   }
   Function {update_cb( void *v )} {open return_type {static void}
diff --git a/Timeline/Timeline.C b/Timeline/Timeline.C
index b7edda1..3f20cbe 100644
--- a/Timeline/Timeline.C
+++ b/Timeline/Timeline.C
@@ -1251,3 +1251,35 @@ Timeline::total_output_buffer_percent ( void )
 
     return r / cnt;
 }
+
+int
+Timeline::total_playback_xruns ( void )
+{
+    int r = 0;
+
+    for ( int i = tracks->children(); i-- ; )
+    {
+        Track *t = (Track*)tracks->child( i );
+
+        if ( t->playback_ds )
+            r += t->playback_ds->xruns();
+    }
+
+    return r;
+}
+
+int
+Timeline::total_capture_xruns ( void )
+{
+    int r = 0;
+
+    for ( int i = tracks->children(); i-- ; )
+    {
+        Track *t = (Track*)tracks->child( i );
+
+        if ( t->record_ds )
+             r += t->record_ds->xruns();
+     }
+
+    return r;
+}
diff --git a/Timeline/Timeline.H b/Timeline/Timeline.H
index f58cf96..86a6062 100644
--- a/Timeline/Timeline.H
+++ b/Timeline/Timeline.H
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ public:
     int  total_input_buffer_percent ( void );
     int  total_output_buffer_percent ( void );
 
+    int total_playback_xruns ( void );
+    int total_capture_xruns ( void );
 
     bool record ( void );
     void stop ( void );