diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
index 30249ac0b..319bf7fbc 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
@@ -548,7 +548,9 @@ void MacroEditorSidePanel::paintEvent (QPaintEvent *)
 //  MacroEditorPage implementation
 
 MacroEditorPage::MacroEditorPage (QWidget * /*parent*/, MacroEditorHighlighters *highlighters)
-  : mp_macro (0), mp_highlighters (highlighters), mp_highlighter (0), m_error_line (-1), m_ntab (8), m_nindent (2), m_ignore_cursor_changed_event (false)
+  : mp_macro (0), mp_highlighters (highlighters), mp_highlighter (0),
+    m_error_line (-1), m_ntab (8), m_nindent (2), m_ignore_cursor_changed_event (false),
+    dm_run_mode_changed (this, &MacroEditorPage::do_run_mode_changed)
 {
   mp_layout = new QVBoxLayout (this);
   mp_layout->setContentsMargins (0, 0, 0, 0);
@@ -662,6 +664,11 @@ void MacroEditorPage::current_line_changed ()
 }
 
 void MacroEditorPage::run_mode_changed ()
+{
+  dm_run_mode_changed ();
+}
+
+void MacroEditorPage::do_run_mode_changed ()
 {
   //  this prevents recursion when the following lines trigger anything that routes through the interpreter
   bool bl = mp_exec_model->blockSignals (true);
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.h b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.h
index d0984c736..925070ab8 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "lymMacro.h"
 #include "layGenericSyntaxHighlighter.h"
 #include "tlVariant.h"
+#include "tlDeferredExecution.h"
 
 #include <QDialog>
 #include <QPixmap>
@@ -417,12 +418,14 @@ private:
   QListWidget *mp_completer_list;
   std::list<MacroEditorNotification> m_notifications;
   std::map<const MacroEditorNotification *, QWidget *, CompareNotificationPointers> m_notification_widgets;
+  tl::DeferredMethod<lay::MacroEditorPage> dm_run_mode_changed;
 
   void update_extra_selections ();
   bool return_pressed ();
   bool backspace_pressed ();
   bool back_tab_key_pressed ();
   bool tab_key_pressed ();
+  void do_run_mode_changed ();
   void fill_completer_list ();
   void complete ();
   QTextCursor get_completer_cursor (int &pos0, int &pos);