diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-header-container.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-header-container.cpp
index cd00a97cc..9b9f55dca 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-header-container.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-header-container.cpp
@@ -457,43 +457,13 @@ TimelineHeaderContainer::draw_header_decoration(
   else if(hoveringExpander == timeline_track)
     state_type = STATE_PRELIGHT;
   
-  ExpanderStyle expander_style;
-  const int animation_state =
-    timeline_track->get_expand_animation_state();
-    
-  if(animation_state == Track::NoAnimationState)
-    expander_style = timeline_track->get_expanded() ?
-      EXPANDER_EXPANDED : EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;
-  else
-    {
-      const int notch = Track::MaxExpandAnimation / 3;
-      if(timeline_track->get_expanded())
-        {
-          if(animation_state >= notch * 2)
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_SEMI_EXPANDED;
-          else if(animation_state >= notch)
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_SEMI_COLLAPSED;
-          else
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          if(animation_state <= notch)
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;
-          else if(animation_state <= notch * 2)
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_SEMI_COLLAPSED;
-          else
-            expander_style = EXPANDER_SEMI_EXPANDED;
-        }
-    }
-  
   if(!model_track->get_child_tracks().empty())
     style->paint_expander (gdkWindow,
       state_type, 
       clip_rect, *this, "",
       box.get_x() + expand_button_size / 2 + margin,
       box.get_y() + box.get_height() / 2,
-      expander_style);
+      timeline_track->get_expander_style());
 }
 
 shared_ptr<timeline::Track>
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.cpp
index 45921e006..910b0e237 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,37 @@ Track::tick_expand_animation()
     expandAnimationState == NoAnimationState);
 }
 
+Gtk::ExpanderStyle
+Track::get_expander_style() const
+{
+  const int notch = Track::MaxExpandAnimation / 3;
+  if(expanded)
+    {
+      if(expandAnimationState == Track::NoAnimationState)
+        return EXPANDER_EXPANDED;
+      else if(expandAnimationState >= notch * 2)
+        return EXPANDER_SEMI_EXPANDED;
+      else if(expandAnimationState >= notch)
+        return EXPANDER_SEMI_COLLAPSED;
+      else
+        return EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      if(expandAnimationState == Track::NoAnimationState)
+        return EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;
+      else if(expandAnimationState <= notch)
+        return EXPANDER_SEMI_COLLAPSED;
+      else if(expandAnimationState <= notch * 2)
+        return EXPANDER_SEMI_EXPANDED;
+      else
+        return EXPANDER_EXPANDED;
+    }
+    
+  ERROR(gui, "Track::get_expander_style() final return reached");  
+  return EXPANDER_COLLAPSED;   // This should never happen
+}
+
 void
 Track::show_header_context_menu(guint button, guint32 time)
 {
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.hpp
index ad3c814d5..9a33b9ce6 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/timeline/timeline-track.hpp
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ public:
   
   void tick_expand_animation();
   
+  Gtk::ExpanderStyle get_expander_style() const;
+  
   void show_header_context_menu(guint button, guint32 time);
 
   virtual void draw_track(Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cairo,