diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
index cf8015d8ea..0d91ec21f2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include "RageSound.h"
 #include "RageLog.h"
 #include "RageTimer.h"
+#include "RageSoundReader_Preload.h"
+#include "Foreach.h"
 
 #include "arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver.h"
 
@@ -97,8 +99,30 @@ void RageSoundManager::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 {
 	FlushPosMapQueue();
 
+	/* Scan m_mapPreloadedSounds for sounds that are no longer loaded, and delete them. */
+	g_SoundManMutex.Lock(); /* lock for access to m_mapPreloadedSounds, owned_sounds */
+	{
+		map<CString, RageSoundReader_Preload *>::iterator it, next;
+		it = m_mapPreloadedSounds.begin();
+		
+		while( it != m_mapPreloadedSounds.end() )
+		{
+			next = it; ++next;
+			if( it->second->GetReferenceCount() == 1 )
+			{
+				LOG->Trace( "Deleted old sound \"%s\"", it->first.c_str() );
+				delete it->second;
+				m_mapPreloadedSounds.erase( it );
+			}
+			else
+				LOG->Trace( "Kept sound \"%s\" (%i)", it->first.c_str(),
+					it->second->GetReferenceCount() );
+
+			it = next;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* Scan the owned_sounds list for sounds that are no longer playing, and delete them. */
-	g_SoundManMutex.Lock(); /* lock for access to owned_sounds */
 	set<RageSound *> ToDelete;
 	for( set<RageSound *>::iterator it = owned_sounds.begin(); it != owned_sounds.end(); ++it )
 	{
@@ -256,6 +280,41 @@ void RageSoundManager::DeleteSoundWhenFinished( RageSound *pSound )
 	g_SoundManMutex.Unlock(); /* finished with owned_sounds */
 }
 
+/* If the given path is loaded, return a copy; otherwise return NULL.
+ * It's the caller's responsibility to delete the result. */
+SoundReader *RageSoundManager::GetLoadedSound( const CString &sPath_ )
+{
+	LockMut(g_SoundManMutex); /* lock for access to m_mapPreloadedSounds */
+
+	CString sPath(sPath_);
+	sPath.MakeLower();
+	map<CString, RageSoundReader_Preload *>::const_iterator it;
+	it = m_mapPreloadedSounds.find( sPath );
+	if( it == m_mapPreloadedSounds.end() )
+		return NULL;
+
+	return it->second->Copy();
+}
+
+/* Add the sound to the set of loaded sounds that can be copied for reuse.
+ * The sound will be kept in memory as long as there are any other references
+ * to it; once we hold the last one, we'll release it. */
+void RageSoundManager::AddLoadedSound( const CString &sPath_, RageSoundReader_Preload *pSound )
+{
+	LockMut(g_SoundManMutex); /* lock for access to m_mapPreloadedSounds */
+
+	/* Don't AddLoadedSound a sound that's already registered.  It should have been
+	 * used in GetLoadedSound. */
+	CString sPath(sPath_);
+	sPath.MakeLower();
+	map<CString, RageSoundReader_Preload *>::const_iterator it;
+	it = m_mapPreloadedSounds.find( sPath );
+	ASSERT_M( it == m_mapPreloadedSounds.end(), sPath );
+	
+	m_mapPreloadedSounds[sPath] = (RageSoundReader_Preload *) pSound->Copy();
+}
+
+
 /* Don't hold the lock when we don't have to.  We call this function from other
  * threads, to avoid stalling the gameplay thread. */
 void RageSoundManager::PlayOnce( CString sPath )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
index 8131f03a36..7b5a242e34 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class RageSound;
 class RageSoundBase;
 class RageSoundDriver;
 struct RageSoundParams;
+class SoundReader;
+class RageSoundReader_Preload;
 
 class RageSoundManager
 {
@@ -46,6 +48,9 @@ public:
 	void DeleteSound( RageSound *pSound );
 	void DeleteSoundWhenFinished( RageSound *pSound );
 
+	SoundReader *GetLoadedSound( const CString &sPath );
+	void AddLoadedSound( const CString &sPath, RageSoundReader_Preload *pSound );
+
 	void PlayOnce( CString sPath );
 
 	RageSound *PlaySound( RageSound &snd, const RageSoundParams *params = NULL );
@@ -60,7 +65,9 @@ private:
 
 	/* A list of all sounds that currently exist, by ID. */
 	map<int,RageSound *> all_sounds;
-	
+
+	map<CString, RageSoundReader_Preload *> m_mapPreloadedSounds;
+
 	RageSoundDriver *m_pDriver;
 
 	/* Prefs: */