diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
index d745d5764f..c1f78e640c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ PrefsManager::PrefsManager()
 	m_fGlobalOffsetSeconds = 0;
 	m_bForceLogFlush = false;
 	m_bLogging = true;
+	m_bShowBeginnerHelper = false;
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	m_bShowLogWindow = true;
 #else
@@ -266,6 +267,7 @@ void PrefsManager::ReadGlobalPrefsFromDisk( bool bSwitchToLastPlayedGame )
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "ForceLogFlush",				m_bForceLogFlush );
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "Logging",					m_bLogging );
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "ShowLogWindow",				m_bShowLogWindow );
+	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "ShowBeginnnerHelper",		m_bShowBeginnerHelper );
 	ini.GetValue ( "Options", "Language",					m_sLanguage );
 
 
@@ -379,6 +381,7 @@ void PrefsManager::SaveGlobalPrefsToDisk()
 	ini.SetValueI( "Options", "ProgressiveLifebar",			m_iProgressiveLifebar );
 	ini.SetValueI( "Options", "ProgressiveStageLifebar",	m_iProgressiveStageLifebar );
 	ini.SetValueI( "Options", "ProgressiveNonstopLifebar",	m_iProgressiveNonstopLifebar );
+	ini.SetValueB( "Options", "ShowBeginnerHelper",			m_bShowBeginnerHelper );
 	ini.SetValue ( "Options", "Language",					m_sLanguage );
 
 	/* Only write these if they aren't the default.  This ensures that we can change
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
index 92231cdcec..d5142ace10 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ public:
 	int				m_iProgressiveLifebar;
 	int				m_iProgressiveStageLifebar;
 	int				m_iProgressiveNonstopLifebar;
+	bool			m_bShowBeginnerHelper;
 	CString			m_sLanguage;
 
 	// course ranking
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenBackgroundOptions.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenBackgroundOptions.cpp
index 7e4cedd945..ad776a2200 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenBackgroundOptions.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenBackgroundOptions.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ enum {
 	BO_BRIGHTNESS,
 	BO_DANGER,
 	BO_DANCING_CHARACTERS,
+	BO_SHOW_BEGINNER_HELPER,
 	BO_RANDOM_BACKGROUNDS,
 	NUM_BACKGROUND_OPTIONS_LINES
 };
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ OptionRow g_BackgroundOptionsLines[NUM_BACKGROUND_OPTIONS_LINES] = {
 	OptionRow( "Brightness",			"0%","10%","20%","30%","40%","50%","60%","70%","80%","90%","100%" ),
 	OptionRow( "Danger",				"HIDE","SHOW" ),
 	OptionRow( "Dancing\nCharacters",	"DEFAULT TO OFF","DEFAULT TO RANDOM" ),
+	OptionRow( "Show Beginner\nHelper",	"OFF","ON" ),
 	OptionRow( "Random\nBackgrounds",   "5","10","15","20" ),
 };
 
@@ -57,11 +59,12 @@ ScreenBackgroundOptions::ScreenBackgroundOptions() :
 
 void ScreenBackgroundOptions::ImportOptions()
 {
-	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_MODE]				= PREFSMAN->m_BackgroundMode;
-	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_BRIGHTNESS]			= (int)( PREFSMAN->m_fBGBrightness*10+0.5f ); 
-	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANGER]				= PREFSMAN->m_bShowDanger ? 1:0;
-	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANCING_CHARACTERS]	= PREFSMAN->m_bShowDancingCharacters? 1:0;
-	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_RANDOM_BACKGROUNDS] = clamp((PREFSMAN->m_iNumBackgrounds/5)-1, 0, 3);
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_MODE]					= PREFSMAN->m_BackgroundMode;
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_BRIGHTNESS]				= (int)( PREFSMAN->m_fBGBrightness*10+0.5f ); 
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANGER]					= PREFSMAN->m_bShowDanger ? 1:0;
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANCING_CHARACTERS]		= PREFSMAN->m_bShowDancingCharacters? 1:0;
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_SHOW_BEGINNER_HELPER]	= PREFSMAN->m_bShowBeginnerHelper? 1:0;
+	m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_RANDOM_BACKGROUNDS]		= clamp((PREFSMAN->m_iNumBackgrounds/5)-1, 0, 3);
 }
 
 void ScreenBackgroundOptions::ExportOptions()
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ void ScreenBackgroundOptions::ExportOptions()
 	PREFSMAN->m_fBGBrightness			= m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_BRIGHTNESS] / 10.0f;
 	PREFSMAN->m_bShowDanger				= m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANGER] == 1;
 	PREFSMAN->m_bShowDancingCharacters	= m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_DANCING_CHARACTERS] == 1;
+	PREFSMAN->m_bShowBeginnerHelper		= m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_SHOW_BEGINNER_HELPER] == 1;
 	PREFSMAN->m_iNumBackgrounds			= (m_iSelectedOption[0][BO_RANDOM_BACKGROUNDS]+1) * 5;
 }