diff --git a/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.cpp b/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.cpp
index fd5199abfe..acc7fc96b0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.cpp
@@ -1,51 +1,74 @@
 #include "global.h"
 #include "LocalizedString.h"
 #include "Foreach.h"
-#include "LuaFunctions.h"
-#include "LuaManager.h"
-#include "ThemeMetric.h"
 #include "RageUtil.h"
+#include "SubscriptionManager.h"
 
-class LocalizedStringImpl : public ThemeMetric<RString>
+static SubscriptionManager<LocalizedString> m_Subscribers;
+
+class LocalizedStringImplDefault: public ILocalizedStringImpl
 {
 public:
-	LocalizedStringImpl( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName ) :
-		ThemeMetric<RString>( sGroup, sName )
+	static ILocalizedStringImpl *Create() { return new LocalizedStringImplDefault; }
+
+	void ILocalizedStringImpl::Load( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName )
 	{
-		// Ugly.  Our virtual method Read() isn't yet set up when Read gets
-		// called through the constructor.  Read again explicitly.
-		Read();
+		m_sValue = sName;
 	}
 
-	virtual void Read()
-	{
-		if( m_sName != ""  &&  THEME  &&   THEME->IsThemeLoaded() )
-		{
-			THEME->GetString( m_sGroup, m_sName, m_currentValue );
-			m_bIsLoaded = true;
-		}
-	}
+	const RString &GetLocalized() const { return m_sValue; }
 
+private:
+	CString m_sValue;
 };
 
+static LocalizedString::MakeLocalizer g_pMakeLocalizedStringImpl = LocalizedStringImplDefault::Create;
+
+void LocalizedString::RegisterLocalizer( MakeLocalizer pFunc )
+{
+	g_pMakeLocalizedStringImpl = pFunc;
+	FOREACHS( LocalizedString*, *m_Subscribers.m_pSubscribers, l )
+	{
+		LocalizedString *pLoc = *l;
+		pLoc->CreateImpl();
+	}
+}
+
 LocalizedString::LocalizedString( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName )
 {
-	m_pImpl = new LocalizedStringImpl(sGroup,sName);
+	m_Subscribers.Subscribe( this );
+
+	m_sGroup = sGroup;
+	m_sName = sName;
+	m_pImpl = NULL;
+
+	CreateImpl();
 }
 
 LocalizedString::~LocalizedString()
 {
+	m_Subscribers.Unsubscribe( this );
+
 	SAFE_DELETE( m_pImpl );
 }
 
+void LocalizedString::CreateImpl()
+{
+	SAFE_DELETE( m_pImpl );
+	m_pImpl = g_pMakeLocalizedStringImpl();
+	m_pImpl->Load(  m_sGroup, m_sName );
+}
+
 void LocalizedString::Load( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName )
 {
-	m_pImpl->Load( sGroup, sName );
+	m_sGroup = sGroup;
+	m_sName = sName;
+	CreateImpl();
 }
 
 const RString &LocalizedString::GetValue() const
 {
-	return m_pImpl->GetValue();
+	return m_pImpl->GetLocalized();
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.h b/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.h
index 6e06a308d2..bf03c19912 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/LocalizedString.h
@@ -3,7 +3,13 @@
 #ifndef LocalizedString_H
 #define LocalizedString_H
 
-class LocalizedStringImpl;
+class ILocalizedStringImpl
+{
+public:
+	virtual ~ILocalizedStringImpl() { }
+	virtual void Load( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName ) = 0;
+	virtual const RString &GetLocalized() const = 0;
+};
 
 class LocalizedString
 {
@@ -14,8 +20,13 @@ public:
 	operator const RString &() const { return GetValue(); }
 	const RString &GetValue() const;
 
+	typedef ILocalizedStringImpl *(*MakeLocalizer)();
+	static void RegisterLocalizer( MakeLocalizer pFunc );
+
 private:
-	LocalizedStringImpl *m_pImpl;
+	void CreateImpl();
+	CString m_sGroup, m_sName;
+	ILocalizedStringImpl *m_pImpl;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
index 8657e4f1a3..4dd016b0e3 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,34 @@ static IniFile *g_pIniMetrics;
 #include "SubscriptionManager.h"
 static SubscriptionManager<IThemeMetric> g_Subscribers;
 
+class LocalizedStringImplThemeMetric : public ILocalizedStringImpl, public ThemeMetric<RString>
+{
+public:
+	static ILocalizedStringImpl *Create() { return new LocalizedStringImplThemeMetric; }
+
+	void ILocalizedStringImpl::Load( const RString& sGroup, const RString& sName )
+	{
+		ThemeMetric<RString>::Load( sGroup, sName );
+	}
+
+	virtual void Read()
+	{
+		if( m_sName != ""  &&  THEME  &&   THEME->IsThemeLoaded() )
+		{
+			THEME->GetString( m_sGroup, m_sName, m_currentValue );
+			m_bIsLoaded = true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	const RString &GetLocalized() const
+	{
+		if( IsLoaded() )
+			return GetValue();
+		else
+			return m_sName;
+	}
+};
+
 void ThemeManager::Subscribe( IThemeMetric *p )
 {
 	g_Subscribers.Subscribe( p );
@@ -318,6 +346,9 @@ void ThemeManager::SwitchThemeAndLanguage( const RString &sThemeName_, const RSt
 		UpdateLuaGlobals();
 	}
 
+	// Use theme metrics for localization.
+	LocalizedString::RegisterLocalizer( LocalizedStringImplThemeMetric::Create );
+
 	// reload subscribers
 	if( g_Subscribers.m_pSubscribers )
 	{