diff --git a/Engine/RotoContext.cpp b/Engine/RotoContext.cpp
index 091dda5418..17fe0f066d 100644
--- a/Engine/RotoContext.cpp
+++ b/Engine/RotoContext.cpp
@@ -2002,6 +2002,12 @@ RotoContext::onItemLockedChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item,
     Q_EMIT itemLockedChanged( (int)reason );
 }
 
+void
+RotoContext::onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item)
+{
+    Q_EMIT itemGloballyActivatedChanged(item);
+}
+
 void
 RotoContext::onItemScriptNameChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item)
 {
diff --git a/Engine/RotoContext.h b/Engine/RotoContext.h
index fe5f48b30d..1e0c7ba410 100644
--- a/Engine/RotoContext.h
+++ b/Engine/RotoContext.h
@@ -355,6 +355,7 @@ class RotoContext
      **/
     std::string getRotoNodeName() const;
 
+    void onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);
     void onItemScriptNameChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);
     void onItemLabelChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);
 
@@ -437,6 +438,7 @@ class RotoContext
 
     void itemLockedChanged(int reason);
 
+    void itemGloballyActivatedChanged(const RotoItemPtr&);
     void itemScriptNameChanged(const RotoItemPtr&);
     void itemLabelChanged(const RotoItemPtr&);
 
diff --git a/Engine/RotoItem.cpp b/Engine/RotoItem.cpp
index 777560a39c..228aff5d25 100644
--- a/Engine/RotoItem.cpp
+++ b/Engine/RotoItem.cpp
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ RotoItem::setGloballyActivated(bool a,
             isDrawable->incrementNodesAge();
         }
         c->evaluateChange();
+        c->onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(shared_from_this());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Gui/RotoPanel.cpp b/Gui/RotoPanel.cpp
index c0006fcb4c..b87a60dc93 100644
--- a/Gui/RotoPanel.cpp
+++ b/Gui/RotoPanel.cpp
@@ -476,8 +476,6 @@ struct RotoPanelPrivate
 
     void insertSelectionRecursively(const RotoLayerPtr & layer);
 
-    void setChildrenActivatedRecursively(bool activated, QTreeWidgetItem* item);
-
     void setChildrenLockedRecursively(bool locked, QTreeWidgetItem* item);
 
     bool itemHasKey(const RotoItemPtr& item, double time) const;
@@ -507,6 +505,7 @@ RotoPanel::RotoPanel(const NodeGuiPtr&  n,
     QObject::connect( _imp->context.get(), SIGNAL(itemScriptNameChanged(RotoItemPtr)), this, SLOT(onItemScriptNameChanged(RotoItemPtr)) );
     QObject::connect( _imp->context.get(), SIGNAL(itemLabelChanged(RotoItemPtr)), this, SLOT(onItemLabelChanged(RotoItemPtr)) );
     QObject::connect( _imp->context.get(), SIGNAL(itemLockedChanged(int)), this, SLOT(onItemLockChanged(int)) );
+    QObject::connect( _imp->context.get(), SIGNAL(itemGloballyActivatedChanged(RotoItemPtr)), this, SLOT(onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(RotoItemPtr)) );
     const QSize medButtonSize( TO_DPIX(NATRON_MEDIUM_BUTTON_SIZE), TO_DPIY(NATRON_MEDIUM_BUTTON_SIZE) );
     const QSize medButtonIconSize( TO_DPIX(NATRON_MEDIUM_BUTTON_ICON_SIZE), TO_DPIY(NATRON_MEDIUM_BUTTON_ICON_SIZE) );
 
@@ -1482,9 +1481,7 @@ RotoPanel::onItemClicked(QTreeWidgetItem* item,
                 TreeItems::iterator found = _imp->findItem(selected[i]);
                 assert( found != _imp->items.end() );
                 found->rotoItem->setGloballyActivated(activated, true);
-                _imp->setChildrenActivatedRecursively(activated, found->treeItem);
             }
-            _imp->context->emitRefreshViewerOverlays();
             break;
         }
 
@@ -1575,16 +1572,6 @@ RotoPanel::onItemColorDialogEdited(const QColor & color)
     }
 }
 
-void
-RotoPanelPrivate::setChildrenActivatedRecursively(bool activated,
-                                                  QTreeWidgetItem* item)
-{
-    item->setIcon(COL_ACTIVATED, activated ? iconVisible : iconUnvisible);
-    for (int i = 0; i < item->childCount(); ++i) {
-        setChildrenActivatedRecursively( activated, item->child(i) );
-    }
-}
-
 void
 RotoPanel::onItemLockChanged(int reason)
 {
@@ -1599,6 +1586,16 @@ RotoPanel::onItemLockChanged(int reason)
     }
 }
 
+void
+RotoPanel::onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item)
+{
+    TreeItems::iterator found = _imp->findItem(item);
+    if ( found != _imp->items.end() ) {
+        found->treeItem->setIcon(COL_ACTIVATED, item->isGloballyActivated() ? _imp->iconVisible : _imp->iconUnvisible);
+    }
+    _imp->context->emitRefreshViewerOverlays();
+}
+
 void
 RotoPanelPrivate::setChildrenLockedRecursively(bool locked,
                                                QTreeWidgetItem* item)
diff --git a/Gui/RotoPanel.h b/Gui/RotoPanel.h
index d8f37daf0c..3454aa2ad9 100644
--- a/Gui/RotoPanel.h
+++ b/Gui/RotoPanel.h
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 
     void onItemColorDialogEdited(const QColor & color);
 
+    void onItemGloballyActivatedChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);
     void onItemLabelChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);
     void onItemScriptNameChanged(const RotoItemPtr& item);