diff --git a/NEWS.txt b/NEWS.txt
index 72fefcc27..a45ecca9d 100644
--- a/NEWS.txt
+++ b/NEWS.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
  * New Composer Sort Order tag (variable %composersort%).
  * Improve the Other Releases list to prioritise and separate releases which match the correct number of tracks
    and your Options / Metadata / Prefered Releases settings for Country and Format.
+ * New %_absolutetracknumber% variable numbering tracks sequentially regardless of disc structure
+   (so you can numbers tracks on multi-disc releases without a disc number)
 
 Version 1.2 - 2013-03-30
  * Picard now requires at least Python 2.6
diff --git a/picard/album.py b/picard/album.py
index bd2c2cab9..8cc654b86 100644
--- a/picard/album.py
+++ b/picard/album.py
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
 
         if not self._tracks_loaded:
             totalalbumtracks = 0
+            albumtracknumber = 0
             va = self._new_metadata['musicbrainz_albumartistid'] == VARIOUS_ARTISTS_ID
 
             djmix_ars = {}
@@ -218,6 +219,8 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
                     tm = track.metadata
                     tm.copy(mm)
                     track_to_metadata(track_node, track)
+                    albumtracknumber += 1
+                    tm["~absolutetracknumber"] = albumtracknumber
                     track._customize_metadata()
 
                     self._new_metadata.length += tm.length