diff --git a/Timeline/Engine.C b/Timeline/Engine.C
index 365ad6a..6c48a72 100644
--- a/Timeline/Engine.C
+++ b/Timeline/Engine.C
@@ -127,10 +127,6 @@ Engine::process ( nframes_t nframes )
 {
     transport->poll();
 
-    if ( ! transport->rolling )
-        /* FIXME: fill all ports with silence */
-        return 0;
-
     if ( ! trylock() )
     {
         /* the data structures we need to access here (tracks and
@@ -141,6 +137,11 @@ Engine::process ( nframes_t nframes )
         return 0;
     }
 
+/*     if ( ! transport->rolling ) */
+/*         timeline->silence( nframes ); */
+/*         return 0; */
+
+
     /* handle chicken/egg problem */
     if ( timeline )
         /* this will initiate the process() call graph for the various
diff --git a/Timeline/Port.C b/Timeline/Port.C
index 93b9b9a..f73397b 100644
--- a/Timeline/Port.C
+++ b/Timeline/Port.C
@@ -122,3 +122,9 @@ Port::buffer ( nframes_t nframes )
 {
     return jack_port_get_buffer( _port, nframes );
 }
+
+void
+Port::silence ( nframes_t nframes )
+{
+    memset( buffer( nframes ), 0, nframes * sizeof( sample_t ) );
+}
diff --git a/Timeline/Port.H b/Timeline/Port.H
index 31519a9..d988f60 100644
--- a/Timeline/Port.H
+++ b/Timeline/Port.H
@@ -62,5 +62,5 @@ public:
     void write ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t nframes );
     void read ( sample_t *buf, nframes_t nframes );
     void *buffer ( nframes_t nframes );
-
+    void silence ( nframes_t nframes );
 };
diff --git a/Timeline/Track.C b/Timeline/Track.C
index 4c0e70b..95bc66e 100644
--- a/Timeline/Track.C
+++ b/Timeline/Track.C
@@ -645,6 +645,22 @@ Track::configure_inputs ( int n )
 nframes_t
 Track::process ( nframes_t nframes )
 {
+
+    if ( ! transport->rolling )
+    {
+        for ( int i = output.size(); i--; )
+            output[ i ].silence( nframes );
+
+        for ( int i = input.size(); i--; )
+            input[ i ].silence( nframes );
+
+        /* FIXME: is this really the right thing to do for control ports? */
+        for ( int i = control_out.size(); i--; )
+            control_out[ i ]->silence( nframes );
+
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     for ( int i = control->children(); i--; )
         ((Control_Sequence*)control->child( i ))->process( nframes );