diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
index 3a695d0dce..55f6e987ed 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.cpp
@@ -127,15 +127,19 @@ void NoteDataUtil::LoadFromSMNoteDataString( NoteData &out, CString sSMNoteData
 	out.Convert2sAnd3sToHoldNotes();
 }
 
-CString NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString(NoteData &in)
+void NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString( const NoteData &in_, CString &out )
 {
-	in.ConvertHoldNotesTo2sAnd3s();
+	NoteData in;
+	in_.Get2sAnd3s( in );
 
 	float fLastBeat = in.GetLastBeat();
 	int iLastMeasure = int( fLastBeat/BEATS_PER_MEASURE );
 
-	CString sRet = "\n"; /* data begins on a new line when written to disk */
+	CString &sRet = out;
 
+	sRet = "\n"; /* data begins on a new line when written to disk */
+	sRet.reserve( 1024*32 );
+	
 	for( int m=0; m<=iLastMeasure; m++ )	// foreach measure
 	{
 		NoteType nt = GetSmallestNoteTypeForMeasure( in, m );
@@ -170,10 +174,6 @@ CString NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString(NoteData &in)
 
 		sRet.append(1, ',');
 	}
-
-	in.Convert2sAnd3sToHoldNotes();
-
-	return sRet;
 }
 
 float NoteDataUtil::GetRadarValue( const NoteData &in, RadarCategory rv, float fSongSeconds )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.h b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.h
index 65ebca5c14..e6f73c2a5e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/NoteDataUtil.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace NoteDataUtil
 {
 	NoteType GetSmallestNoteTypeForMeasure( const NoteData &n, int iMeasureIndex );
 	void LoadFromSMNoteDataString( NoteData &out, CString sSMNoteData );
-	CString GetSMNoteDataString(NoteData &in);
+	void GetSMNoteDataString( const NoteData &in, CString &out );
 
 	float GetStreamRadarValue( const NoteData &in, float fSongSeconds );
 	float GetVoltageRadarValue( const NoteData &in, float fSongSeconds );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Steps.cpp b/stepmania/src/Steps.cpp
index ce2ec8523f..d9a5e1c13c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Steps.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Steps.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ CString Steps::GetSMNoteData() const
 	if(!notes_comp)
 	{
 		if(!notes) return ""; /* no data is no data */
-		notes_comp = new CString(NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString(*notes));
+		notes_comp = new CString;
+		NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString( *notes, *notes_comp );
 	}
 
 	return *notes_comp;
@@ -195,7 +196,8 @@ void Steps::Compress() const
 	if(!notes_comp)
 	{
 		if(!notes) return; /* no data is no data */
-		notes_comp = new CString(NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString(*notes));
+		notes_comp = new CString;
+		NoteDataUtil::GetSMNoteDataString( *notes, *notes_comp );
 	}
 
 	delete notes;