diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteSkinManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/NoteSkinManager.cpp
index c02a57f09c..2a470414be 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteSkinManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteSkinManager.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ CString NoteSkinManager::GetMetric( CString sNoteSkinName, CString sButtonName,
 {
 	sNoteSkinName.MakeLower();
 	CString sReturn;
+	ASSERT( m_mapNameToData.find(sNoteSkinName) != m_mapNameToData.end() );	// this NoteSkin doesn't exist!
 	NoteSkinData& data = m_mapNameToData[sNoteSkinName];
 	if( data.metrics.GetValue( sButtonName, sValue, sReturn ) )
 		return sReturn;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenEdit.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenEdit.cpp
index e578a958ca..4fcf504ccc 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenEdit.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenEdit.cpp
@@ -297,7 +297,10 @@ ScreenEdit::ScreenEdit( CString sName ) : Screen( sName )
 
 
 	GAMESTATE->m_PlayerOptions[PLAYER_1].Init();	// don't allow weird options in editor.  It doesn't handle reverse well.
-	GAMESTATE->m_PlayerOptions[PLAYER_1].m_sNoteSkin = "note";	// change noteskin back to default before loading player
+	// Set NoteSkin to note if available.
+	// Change noteskin back to default before loading player.
+	if( NOTESKIN->DoesNoteSkinExist("note") )
+		GAMESTATE->m_PlayerOptions[PLAYER_1].m_sNoteSkin = "note";
 	GAMESTATE->ResetNoteSkins();
 
 	m_Player.Load( PLAYER_1, &noteData, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL );