diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
index a6e905a525..e134263ece 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,19 @@ void BitmapText::SetText( CString sText, CString sAlternateText )
 	BuildChars();
 }
 
+void BitmapText::SetTextMaxWidth( float MaxWidth, const CString &text, const CString &alttext )
+{
+	this->SetText(text, alttext);
+
+	/* Avoid division by zero. */
+	const int Width = GetWidestLineWidthInSourcePixels()+1;
+
+	/* Never decrease the zoom.  Important: make sure you reset zoom before
+	 * changing text with this function. */
+	const float Zoom = min( GetZoom(), MaxWidth/Width );
+	this->SetZoomX( Zoom );
+}
+
 bool BitmapText::StringWillUseAlternate(CString sText, CString sAlternateText) const
 {
 	ASSERT( m_pFont );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
index da66a3359a..e0026c9be3 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ public:
 	bool LoadFromNumbers( CString sTexturePath )	{ return LoadFromTextureAndChars(sTexturePath,"0123456789%. :x"); };
 	bool LoadFromTextureAndChars( CString sTexturePath, CString sChars );
 	void SetText( CString sText, CString sAlternateText = "" );
+	void SetTextMaxWidth( float MaxWidth, const CString &text, const CString &alttext = "" );
 
 	int GetWidestLineWidthInSourcePixels() { return m_iWidestLineWidth; };
 	void CropToWidth( int iWidthInSourcePixels );