diff --git a/include/AutomatableModel.h b/include/AutomatableModel.h
index 8dbe80efddc..78f4882b423 100644
--- a/include/AutomatableModel.h
+++ b/include/AutomatableModel.h
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ public slots:
 
 
 private:
+	static bool mustQuoteName(const QString &name);
+
 	virtual void saveSettings( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement& element )
 	{
 		saveSettings( doc, element, "value" );
diff --git a/include/ControllerRackView.h b/include/ControllerRackView.h
index cb393f5cacb..86edcdc5280 100644
--- a/include/ControllerRackView.h
+++ b/include/ControllerRackView.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ public slots:
 
 protected:
 	virtual void closeEvent( QCloseEvent * _ce );
+	virtual void dragEnterEvent( QDragEnterEvent *dee );
+	virtual void dropEvent( QDropEvent * de );
 
 private slots:
 	void addController();
diff --git a/src/core/AutomatableModel.cpp b/src/core/AutomatableModel.cpp
index cb8aa704682..62b783da4fd 100644
--- a/src/core/AutomatableModel.cpp
+++ b/src/core/AutomatableModel.cpp
@@ -89,16 +89,23 @@ bool AutomatableModel::isAutomated() const
 }
 
 
+
+bool AutomatableModel::mustQuoteName(const QString& name)
+{
+	QRegExp reg("^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$");
+	return !reg.exactMatch(name);
+}
+
 void AutomatableModel::saveSettings( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement& element, const QString& name )
 {
+	bool mustQuote = mustQuoteName(name);
+
 	if( isAutomated() || m_scaleType != Linear )
 	{
 		// automation needs tuple of data (name, id, value)
 		// scale type also needs an extra value
 		// => it must be appended as a node
 
-		QRegExp reg("^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$");
-		bool mustQuote = !reg.exactMatch(name);
 		QDomElement me = doc.createElement( mustQuote ? QString("automatablemodel") : name );
 		me.setAttribute( "id", ProjectJournal::idToSave( id() ) );
 		me.setAttribute( "value", m_value );
@@ -110,8 +117,18 @@ void AutomatableModel::saveSettings( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement& element, co
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		// non automation, linear scale (default), can be saved as attribute
-		element.setAttribute( name, m_value );
+		if(mustQuote)
+		{
+			QDomElement me = doc.createElement( "automatablemodel" );
+			me.setAttribute( "nodename", name );
+			me.setAttribute( "value", m_value );
+			element.appendChild( me );
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// non automation, linear scale (default), can be saved as attribute
+			element.setAttribute( name, m_value );
+		}
 	}
 
 	if( m_controllerConnection && m_controllerConnection->getController()->type()
@@ -131,7 +148,13 @@ void AutomatableModel::saveSettings( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement& element, co
 			element.appendChild( controllerElement );
 		}
 
-		QDomElement element = doc.createElement( name );
+		bool mustQuote = mustQuoteName(name);
+		QString elementName = mustQuote ? "controllerconnection"
+						: name;
+
+		QDomElement element = doc.createElement( elementName );
+		if(mustQuote)
+			element.setAttribute( "nodename", name );
 		m_controllerConnection->saveSettings( doc, element );
 
 		controllerElement.appendChild( element );
@@ -170,6 +193,17 @@ void AutomatableModel::loadSettings( const QDomElement& element, const QString&
 	if( connectionNode.isElement() )
 	{
 		QDomNode thisConnection = connectionNode.toElement().namedItem( name );
+		if( !thisConnection.isElement() )
+		{
+			thisConnection = connectionNode.toElement().namedItem( "controllerconnection" );
+			QDomElement tcElement = thisConnection.toElement();
+			// sanity check
+			if( tcElement.isNull() || tcElement.attribute( "nodename" ) != name )
+			{
+				// no, that wasn't it, act as if we never found one
+				thisConnection.clear();
+			}
+		}
 		if( thisConnection.isElement() )
 		{
 			setControllerConnection( new ControllerConnection( (Controller*)NULL ) );
diff --git a/src/core/Engine.cpp b/src/core/Engine.cpp
index 66fe47badba..5301695e716 100644
--- a/src/core/Engine.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Engine.cpp
@@ -144,16 +144,24 @@ AutomatableModel *LmmsCore::getAutomatableModel(const QString& val, bool hasOsc)
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				/* TODO: name */
-				AutomatableModel* spamod = SpaOscModelFactory(itr.value(), url.path()).res;
-				//SpaOscModel* spamod = new SpaOscModel(itr.value(), url.path().toUtf8().data());
-				if(spamod)
+				QMap<QString, AutomatableModel*>& connectedModels
+					= itr.value()->connectedModels;
+				auto itr2 = connectedModels.find(url.path());
+				if(itr2 != connectedModels.end())
 				{
-					itr.value()->connectedModels.insert(url.path(), spamod);
-					mod = spamod;
+					return *itr2;
 				}
-				else {
-					qDebug() << "LMMS: Could not create model from OSC port (received \"" << val << "\")";
+				else
+				{
+					AutomatableModel* spamod = SpaOscModelFactory(itr.value(), url.path()).res;
+					if(spamod)
+					{
+						itr.value()->connectedModels.insert(url.path(), spamod);
+						mod = spamod;
+					}
+					else {
+						qDebug() << "LMMS: Could not create model from OSC port (received \"" << val << "\")";
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/core/spa/SpaInstrument.cpp b/src/core/spa/SpaInstrument.cpp
index 1c995f74477..5b82c41fcb4 100644
--- a/src/core/spa/SpaInstrument.cpp
+++ b/src/core/spa/SpaInstrument.cpp
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ void SpaInstrument::loadSettings( const QDomElement & _this )
 			for(QDomElement portnode = elem.firstChildElement();
 				!portnode.isNull();
 				portnode = portnode.nextSiblingElement())
+			if(portnode.nodeName() != "connection")
 			{
 				QString name = portnode.nodeName();
 				if(name == "automatablemodel")
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/ControllerRackView.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/ControllerRackView.cpp
index 621c41c73e6..fd9f34c7295 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/ControllerRackView.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/ControllerRackView.cpp
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@
 #include "GuiApplication.h"
 #include "MainWindow.h"
 #include "GroupBox.h"
+#include "ControllerConnection.h"
 #include "ControllerRackView.h"
 #include "ControllerView.h"
 #include "LfoController.h"
+#include "StringPairDrag.h"
 
 
 ControllerRackView::ControllerRackView( ) :
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@ ControllerRackView::ControllerRackView( ) :
 	subWin->resize( 350, 200 );
 	subWin->setFixedWidth( 350 );
 	subWin->setMinimumHeight( 200 );
+
+	setAcceptDrops(true);
 }
 
 
@@ -202,7 +206,7 @@ void ControllerRackView::addController()
 
 
 void ControllerRackView::closeEvent( QCloseEvent * _ce )
- {
+{
 	if( parentWidget() )
 	{
 		parentWidget()->hide();
@@ -212,5 +216,32 @@ void ControllerRackView::closeEvent( QCloseEvent * _ce )
 		hide();
 	}
 	_ce->ignore();
- }
+}
+
+void ControllerRackView::dragEnterEvent( QDragEnterEvent *dee )
+{
+	StringPairDrag::processDragEnterEvent( dee, "automatable_model" );
+}
+
+void ControllerRackView::dropEvent( QDropEvent *de )
+{
+	QString type = StringPairDrag::decodeKey( de );
+	QString val = StringPairDrag::decodeValue( de );
+	// qDebug() << "DROP: type/val:" << type << ", " << val;
+
+	if( type == "automatable_model" )
+	{
+		AutomatableModel* mod =
+		Engine::getAutomatableModel( val,
+			de->mimeData()->hasFormat( "application/x-osc-stringpair" ));
+
+		de->acceptProposedAction();
+
+		if( mod->controllerConnection() )
+		{
+			delete mod->controllerConnection();
+			mod->setControllerConnection( nullptr );
+		}
+	}
+}