diff --git a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
index 3035d37b6c..4e7f7c72dc 100644
--- a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
+++ b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ The StepMania 5 Changelog covers all post-sm-ssc changes. For a list of changes
 from StepMania 4 alpha 5 to sm-ssc v1.2.5, see Changelog_sm-ssc.txt.
 ________________________________________________________________________________
 
+2016/06/28
+----------
+* [Gameplay] Moved pause menu logic to a script in _fallback.  Added
+  documentation to help other themes implement a pause menu.
+
 2016/06/24
 ----------
 * [Gameplay] Added UsePauseMenuInsteadOfGiveUp theme metric.  If this metric
diff --git a/Docs/Themerdocs/pause_menu.md b/Docs/Themerdocs/pause_menu.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ced1c7b86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Docs/Themerdocs/pause_menu.md
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+# Purpose
+
+The pause menu controller actor encapsulates the logic for when to activate
+the pause menu so that themes can have identical behavior.
+
+Creating an interactive menu for the player to use is still left for the
+theme to do.
+
+
+# Functionality
+
+## Pausing Logic
+
+Two buttons are recognized as usable for pausing: Select, Back
+
+If one of those buttons is pressed twice, the pause menu appears.
+
+As the pause menu provides choices for exiting or restarting the song,
+holding Start, Select, or Back to exit the song in the old way is ignored.
+
+If the presses are more than 1 second apart, or less than 0.1 seconds apart,
+it does not count.  If any other button is held down or pressed at the same
+time, it does not count.
+
+### Secondary method
+
+Pressing MenuLeft and MenuRight at the same time is another way to pause.
+
+
+# Theme Logic
+
+### Metric
+Set the ScreenGameplay::UsePauseMenuInsteadOfGiveUp theme metric to true to
+disable the normal backing out logic.  Then it won't interfere with using the
+pause menu.
+
+## Overview
+
+To use the pausing logic provided by _fallback, the theme must call the
+pause_controller_actor() function to create the actor on ScreenGameplay.
+```lua
+t[#t+1]= pause_controller_actor()
+```
+
+When the actor detects the pause menu conditions, it broadcasts the message
+PlayerHitPause.  Make a handler for this message to take care of pausing the
+game and presenting the menu.  The params table for the message has two
+fields:  ```pn``` and ```button```
+```lua
+PlayerHitPauseMessageCommand= function(self, params)
+	gameplay_pause_count= gameplay_pause_count + 1
+	screen_gameplay:PauseGame(true)
+	old_overlay_visible= screen_gameplay:GetChild("Overlay"):GetVisible()
+	screen_gameplay:GetChild("Overlay"):visible(true)
+	local fg= screen_gameplay:GetChild("SongForeground")
+	if fg then
+		old_fg_visible= fg:GetVisible()
+		fg:visible(false)
+	end
+	prompt_actor:playcommand("Hide")
+	show_menu(params.pn)
+end
+```
+
+
+## Prompting
+
+It can be useful to display a prompt so the player knows how to pause the
+game.  When a pause button is pressed, the ShowPausePrompt message is
+broadcast, with the player number and button (similar to the PlayerHitPause
+message).
+```lua
+ShowPausePromptMessageCommand= function(self, params)
+	prompt_actor:playcommand("Show", {text= prompt_text[button]})
+end
+```
+
+When something else is pressed, the HidePausePrompt message is broadcast.
+```lua
+HidePausePromptMessageCommand= function(self)
+	prompt_actor:playcommand("Hide")
+end
+```
+
+## Other Considerations
+
+### Tracking pausing
+Some people consider it cheating to pause during a song.  So increment a
+counter when pausing the game and display it on the evaluation screen.
+
+### Foreground effects
+Hide the foreground when showing the pause menu to make the menu usable.
+Unhide it when unpausing.
+
+### Overlay
+If something hid the overlay, or whatever layer the pause menu actor is in,
+unhide it.  Optionally restore its status when unpausing.