diff --git a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
index 9d2d881c05..8f29d0fbb4 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
@@ -688,8 +688,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	{
 		// throw up a pretty error dialog
 		ErrorDialog *d = MakeErrorDialog();
-		d->SetErrorText(g_sErrorString);
-		d->ShowError();
+		d->ShowError( g_sErrorString );
 		delete d;
 	}
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog.h b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog.h
index c6c9caa418..6ee12a11a8 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog.h
@@ -2,16 +2,11 @@
 #define ERROR_DIALOG_H
 
 class ErrorDialog {
-	CString ErrorText;
-
 public:
-	void SetErrorText(const CString &error) { ErrorText = error; }
-	CString GetErrorText() const { return ErrorText; }
-
 	/* This is used for showing errors from exceptions, so it might be used
 	 * before SDL has been initialized (or SDL may have failed to init); don't
 	 * use SDL.  If the window has been opened, it'll be hidden or closed. */
-	virtual void ShowError() = 0;
+	virtual void ShowError( const CString &error ) = 0;
 	virtual ~ErrorDialog() { }
 };
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.cpp
index 1a3fe28c8c..5f119d8da7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "../../resource.h"
 
 #include "../../archutils/Win32/GotoURL.h"
+#include "../../archutils/Win32/AppInstance.h"
 
 #include "ErrorDialog_Win32.h"
 
@@ -90,10 +91,11 @@ BOOL CALLBACK ErrorWndProc( HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam )
 }
 
 
-void ErrorDialog_Win32::ShowError()
+void ErrorDialog_Win32::ShowError( const CString &error )
 {
-	g_sErrorString = GetErrorText();
+	g_sErrorString = error;
  	// throw up a pretty error dialog
+	AppInstance handle;
 	DialogBox(handle.Get(), MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_ERROR_DIALOG),
 		NULL, ErrorWndProc);
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.h b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.h
index 052b54a5e1..33a68f125a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_Win32.h
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@
 #define ERROR_DIALOG_WIN32_H
 
 #include "ErrorDialog.h"
-#include "../../archutils/Win32/AppInstance.h"
 
 class ErrorDialog_Win32: public ErrorDialog
 {
-	AppInstance handle;
-
 public:
-	void ShowError();
+	void ShowError( const CString &error );
 };
 
 #undef ARCH_ERROR_DIALOG
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_null.h b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_null.h
index 835e6c9b1b..7af26c83f4 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_null.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_null.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 class ErrorDialog_null: public ErrorDialog
 {
 public:
-	void ShowError() { }
+	void ShowError( const CString &error ) { }
 };
 
 #undef ARCH_ERROR_DIALOG
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.cpp
index 8aad66d2cc..df4a30b62d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #include "../../global.h"
 #include "ErrorDialog_stdout.h"
 
-void ErrorDialog_stdout::ShowError()
+void ErrorDialog_stdout::ShowError( const CString &error )
 {
 	/* Simplest "dialog" ever. */
-	printf("Error: %s\n", GetErrorText().c_str());
+	printf("Error: %s\n", error.c_str());
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.h b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.h
index cd7d719f2f..8ee6cf79a8 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ErrorDialog/ErrorDialog_stdout.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 class ErrorDialog_stdout: public ErrorDialog
 {
 public:
-	void ShowError();
+	void ShowError( const CString &error );
 };
 
 #undef ARCH_ERROR_DIALOG