diff --git a/common/table.h b/common/table.h
index 21ce2d11..a7e2d8ff 100644
--- a/common/table.h
+++ b/common/table.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ extern int uiprivTableModelNumRows(uiTableModel *m);
 extern uiTableValue *uiprivTableModelCellValue(uiTableModel *m, int row, int column);
 extern void uiprivTableModelSetCellValue(uiTableModel *m, int row, int column, const uiTableValue *value);
 extern const uiTableTextColumnOptionalParams uiprivDefaultTextColumnOptionalParams;
+extern int uiprivTableModelCellEditable(uiTableModel *m, int row, int column);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/common/tablemodel.c b/common/tablemodel.c
index b1cd1e89..e1de4896 100644
--- a/common/tablemodel.c
+++ b/common/tablemodel.c
@@ -46,3 +46,20 @@ void uiprivTableModelSetCellValue(uiTableModel *m, int row, int column, const ui
 const uiTableTextColumnOptionalParams uiprivDefaultTextColumnOptionalParams = {
 	.ColorModelColumn = -1,
 };
+
+int uiprivTableModelCellEditable(uiTableModel *m, int row, int column)
+{
+	uiTableValue *value;
+	int editable;
+
+	switch (column) {
+	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
+		return 0;
+	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
+		return 1;
+	}
+	value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(m, row, column);
+	editable = uiTableValueInt(value);
+	uiFreeTableValue(value);
+	return editable;
+}
diff --git a/darwin/tablecolumn.m b/darwin/tablecolumn.m
index 7dac3304..4b3eb11d 100644
--- a/darwin/tablecolumn.m
+++ b/darwin/tablecolumn.m
@@ -34,23 +34,6 @@
 
 @end
 
-static BOOL isCellEditable(uiTableModel *m, NSInteger row, int modelColumn)
-{
-	uiTableValue *value;
-	int editable;
-
-	switch (modelColumn) {
-	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
-		return NO;
-	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
-		return YES;
-	}
-	value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(m, row, modelColumn);
-	editable = uiTableValueInt(value);
-	uiFreeTableValue(value);
-	return editable != 0;
-}
-
 struct textColumnCreateParams {
 	uiTable *t;
 	uiTableModel *m;
@@ -272,7 +255,7 @@ struct textColumnCreateParams {
 		uiFreeTableValue(value);
 		[self->tf setStringValue:str];
 
-		[self->tf setEditable:isCellEditable(self->m, row, self->textEditableModelColumn)];
+		[self->tf setEditable:uiprivTableModelCellEditable(self->m, row, self->textEditableModelColumn)];
 
 		color = nil;
 		if (self->textParams.ColorModelColumn != -1) {
@@ -307,7 +290,7 @@ struct textColumnCreateParams {
 			[self->cb setState:NSOffState];
 		uiFreeTableValue(value);
 
-		[self->cb setEnabled:isCellEditable(self->m, row, self->checkboxEditableModelColumn)];
+		[self->cb setEnabled:uiprivTableModelCellEditable(self->m, row, self->checkboxEditableModelColumn)];
 	}
 }
 
@@ -558,7 +541,7 @@ struct textColumnCreateParams {
 	uiFreeTableValue(value);
 	[self->b setTitle:str];
 
-	[self->b setEnabled:isCellEditable(self->m, row, self->editableColumn)];
+	[self->b setEnabled:uiprivTableModelCellEditable(self->m, row, self->editableColumn)];
 }
 
 - (IBAction)uiprivOnClicked:(id)sender
diff --git a/unix/table.c b/unix/table.c
index 010b1b39..9e659163 100644
--- a/unix/table.c
+++ b/unix/table.c
@@ -49,21 +49,14 @@ static void applyColor(GtkTreeModel *m, GtkTreeIter *iter, int modelColumn, GtkC
 
 static void setEditable(uiTableModel *m, GtkTreeIter *iter, int modelColumn, GtkCellRenderer *r, const char *prop)
 {
-	GValue value = G_VALUE_INIT;
+	GtkTreePath *path;
+	int row;
 	gboolean editable;
 
-	switch (modelColumn) {
-	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
-		editable = FALSE;
-		break;
-	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
-		editable = TRUE;
-		break;
-	default:
-		gtk_tree_model_get_value(GTK_TREE_MODEL(m), iter, modelColumn, &value);
-		editable = g_value_get_int(&value) != 0;
-		g_value_unset(&value);
-	}
+	// TODO avoid the need for this
+	path = gtk_tree_model_get_path(GTK_TREE_MODEL(m), iter);
+	row = gtk_tree_path_get_indices(path)[0];
+	editable = uiprivTableModelCellEditable(m, row, modelColumn) != 0;
 	g_object_set(r, prop, editable, NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/windows/tabledraw.cpp b/windows/tabledraw.cpp
index d8ab07e9..33eeb700 100644
--- a/windows/tabledraw.cpp
+++ b/windows/tabledraw.cpp
@@ -197,18 +197,7 @@ static HRESULT drawCheckboxPart(HRESULT hr, struct drawState *s)
 	value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->checkboxModelColumn);
 	checked = uiTableValueInt(value);
 	uiFreeTableValue(value);
-	switch (s->p->checkboxEditableModelColumn) {
-	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
-		enabled = 0;
-		break;
-	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
-		enabled = 1;
-		break;
-	default:
-		value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->checkboxEditableModelColumn);
-		enabled = uiTableValueInt(value);
-		uiFreeTableValue(value);
-	}
+	enabled = uiprivTableModelCellEditable(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->checkboxEditableModelColumn);
 
 	theme = OpenThemeData(s->t->hwnd, L"button");
 	if (theme != NULL) {
@@ -414,18 +403,7 @@ static HRESULT drawButtonPart(HRESULT hr, struct drawState *s)
 	value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->buttonModelColumn);
 	wstr = toUTF16(uiTableValueString(value));
 	uiFreeTableValue(value);
-	switch (s->p->buttonClickableModelColumn) {
-	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
-		enabled = 0;
-		break;
-	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
-		enabled = 1;
-		break;
-	default:
-		value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->checkboxEditableModelColumn);
-		enabled = uiTableValueInt(value);
-		uiFreeTableValue(value);
-	}
+	enabled = uiprivTableModelCellEditable(s->model, s->iItem, s->p->buttonClickableModelColumn);
 
 	theme = OpenThemeData(s->t->hwnd, L"button");
 
diff --git a/windows/tableediting.cpp b/windows/tableediting.cpp
index 00b07992..7bbb450c 100644
--- a/windows/tableediting.cpp
+++ b/windows/tableediting.cpp
@@ -232,18 +232,8 @@ HRESULT uiprivTableHandleNM_CLICK(uiTable *t, NMITEMACTIVATE *nm, LRESULT *lResu
 		// don't even ask for info if it's too soon to edit text
 		goto done;
 
-	switch (editableColumn) {
-	case uiTableModelColumnNeverEditable:
+	if (!uiprivTableModelCellEditable(t->model, ht.iItem, editableColumn))
 		goto done;
-	case uiTableModelColumnAlwaysEditable:
-		break;
-	default:
-		value = uiprivTableModelCellValue(t->model, ht.iItem, editableColumn);
-		editable = uiTableValueInt(value);
-		uiFreeTableValue(value);
-		if (!editable)
-			goto done;
-	}
 
 	if (text) {
 		hr = openEditControl(t, ht.iItem, ht.iSubItem, p);