diff --git a/include/MidiPort.h b/include/MidiPort.h
index e9cba39ed2f..acf95992fad 100644
--- a/include/MidiPort.h
+++ b/include/MidiPort.h
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ class MidiPort : public Model, public SerializingObject
 
 	int realOutputChannel() const
 	{
-		return outputChannel() - 1;
+		// There's a possibility of outputChannel being 0 ("--"), which is used to keep all
+		// midi channels when forwarding. In that case, realOutputChannel will return the
+		// default channel 1 (whose value is 0).
+		return outputChannel() ? outputChannel() - 1 : 0;
 	}
 
 	void processInEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& time = MidiTime() );
diff --git a/src/core/midi/MidiPort.cpp b/src/core/midi/MidiPort.cpp
index 52e0a522362..4e97a6713cb 100644
--- a/src/core/midi/MidiPort.cpp
+++ b/src/core/midi/MidiPort.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ MidiPort::MidiPort( const QString& name,
 	m_midiEventProcessor( eventProcessor ),
 	m_mode( mode ),
 	m_inputChannelModel( 0, 0, MidiChannelCount, this, tr( "Input channel" ) ),
-	m_outputChannelModel( 1, 1, MidiChannelCount, this, tr( "Output channel" ) ),
+	m_outputChannelModel( 1, 0, MidiChannelCount, this, tr( "Output channel" ) ),
 	m_inputControllerModel( 0, 0, MidiControllerCount, this, tr( "Input controller" ) ),
 	m_outputControllerModel( 0, 0, MidiControllerCount, this, tr( "Output controller" ) ),
 	m_fixedInputVelocityModel( -1, -1, MidiMaxVelocity, this, tr( "Fixed input velocity" ) ),
@@ -151,8 +151,9 @@ void MidiPort::processInEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& time )
 
 void MidiPort::processOutEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& time )
 {
-	// mask event
-	if( isOutputEnabled() && realOutputChannel() == event.channel() )
+	// When output is enabled, route midi events if the selected channel matches
+	// the event channel or if there's no selected channel (value 0, represented by "--")
+	if( isOutputEnabled() && ( outputChannel() == 0 || realOutputChannel() == event.channel() ) )
 	{
 		MidiEvent outEvent = event;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/InstrumentMidiIOView.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/InstrumentMidiIOView.cpp
index 56047d5e677..62d1dbb1828 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/InstrumentMidiIOView.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/InstrumentMidiIOView.cpp
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ InstrumentMidiIOView::InstrumentMidiIOView( QWidget* parent ) :
 	midiOutputLayout->setSpacing( 6 );
 
 	m_outputChannelSpinBox = new LcdSpinBox( 2, m_midiOutputGroupBox );
+	m_outputChannelSpinBox->addTextForValue( 0, "--" );
 	m_outputChannelSpinBox->setLabel( tr( "CHANNEL" ) );
-	m_outputChannelSpinBox->setEnabled( false );
 	midiOutputLayout->addWidget( m_outputChannelSpinBox );
 
 	m_fixedOutputVelocitySpinBox = new LcdSpinBox( 3, m_midiOutputGroupBox );
@@ -108,8 +108,6 @@ InstrumentMidiIOView::InstrumentMidiIOView( QWidget* parent ) :
 	midiOutputLayout->addWidget( m_fixedOutputNoteSpinBox );
 	midiOutputLayout->addStretch();
 
-	connect( m_midiOutputGroupBox->ledButton(), SIGNAL( toggled( bool ) ),
-			m_outputChannelSpinBox, SLOT( setEnabled( bool ) ) );
 	connect( m_midiOutputGroupBox->ledButton(), SIGNAL( toggled( bool ) ),
 		m_fixedOutputVelocitySpinBox, SLOT( setEnabled( bool ) ) );
 	connect( m_midiOutputGroupBox->ledButton(), SIGNAL( toggled( bool ) ),
diff --git a/src/tracks/InstrumentTrack.cpp b/src/tracks/InstrumentTrack.cpp
index 52fb1044a27..7e2e17d4c10 100644
--- a/src/tracks/InstrumentTrack.cpp
+++ b/src/tracks/InstrumentTrack.cpp
@@ -393,6 +393,12 @@ void InstrumentTrack::processOutEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& t
 	const MidiEvent transposedEvent = applyMasterKey( event );
 	const int key = transposedEvent.key();
 
+	// If we have a selected output midi channel between 1-16, we will use that channel to handle the midi event.
+	// But if our selected midi output channel is 0 ("--"), we will use the event channel instead.
+	const auto handleEventOutputChannel = midiPort()->outputChannel() == 0
+		? event.channel()
+		: midiPort()->realOutputChannel();
+
 	switch( event.type() )
 	{
 		case MidiNoteOn:
@@ -403,10 +409,10 @@ void InstrumentTrack::processOutEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& t
 			{
 				if( m_runningMidiNotes[key] > 0 )
 				{
-					m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOff, midiPort()->realOutputChannel(), key, 0 ), time, offset );
+					m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOff, handleEventOutputChannel, key, 0 ), time, offset );
 				}
 				++m_runningMidiNotes[key];
-				m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOn, midiPort()->realOutputChannel(), key, event.velocity() ), time, offset );
+				m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOn, handleEventOutputChannel, key, event.velocity() ), time, offset );
 
 			}
 			m_midiNotesMutex.unlock();
@@ -419,7 +425,7 @@ void InstrumentTrack::processOutEvent( const MidiEvent& event, const MidiTime& t
 
 			if( key >= 0 && key < NumKeys && --m_runningMidiNotes[key] <= 0 )
 			{
-				m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOff, midiPort()->realOutputChannel(), key, 0 ), time, offset );
+				m_instrument->handleMidiEvent( MidiEvent( MidiNoteOff, handleEventOutputChannel, key, 0 ), time, offset );
 			}
 			m_midiNotesMutex.unlock();
 			emit endNote();