diff --git a/rtgui/editorpanel.cc b/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
index 76bf2794a..a04725f79 100644
--- a/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
+++ b/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
@@ -1023,6 +1023,7 @@ void EditorPanel::open (Thumbnail* tmb, rtengine::InitialImage* isrc)
     ipc->setPreviewScale (10);  // Important
     tpc->initImage (ipc, tmb->getType() == FT_Raw);
     ipc->setHistogramListener (this);
+    iareapanel->imageArea->indClippedPanel->silentlyDisableSharpMask();
 
 //    iarea->fitZoom ();   // tell to the editorPanel that the next image has to be fitted to the screen
     iareapanel->imageArea->setPreviewHandler (previewHandler);
diff --git a/rtgui/indclippedpanel.cc b/rtgui/indclippedpanel.cc
index deb9a9c40..f065359dd 100644
--- a/rtgui/indclippedpanel.cc
+++ b/rtgui/indclippedpanel.cc
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ void IndicateClippedPanel::toggleFocusMask ()
     previewFocusMask->set_active(!previewFocusMask->get_active());
 }
 
+void IndicateClippedPanel::silentlyDisableSharpMask ()
+{
+    ConnectionBlocker conBlocker(connSharpMask);
+    previewSharpMask->set_active(false);
+    previewSharpMask->set_image(*iSoff);
+
+}
+
 void IndicateClippedPanel::toggleSharpMask ()
 {
     previewSharpMask->set_active(!previewSharpMask->get_active());
diff --git a/rtgui/indclippedpanel.h b/rtgui/indclippedpanel.h
index b4225a9cb..95e870e95 100644
--- a/rtgui/indclippedpanel.h
+++ b/rtgui/indclippedpanel.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public:
     void buttonToggled(Gtk::ToggleButton* tb);
     void toggleClipped(bool highlights);  // inverts a toggle programmatically
     void toggleFocusMask();
+    void silentlyDisableSharpMask();  // toggle the button off without throwing a toggle event
     void toggleSharpMask();
 
     sigc::connection connFocusMask, connSharpMask, connClippedS, connClippedH;