diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
index 55c9484dd5..7eef6ba278 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,14 @@ Actor* MakeActor( CString sPath )
 		CString sFileName;
 		ini.GetValue( "Actor", "File", sFileName );
 		
-		Actor* pActor = MakeActor( sDir+sFileName );
+		CString sNewPath = sDir+sFileName;
+
+		if( !DoesFileExist(sNewPath) )
+			RageException::Throw( "The actor file '%s' references a file '%s' which doesn't exist.", sPath.c_str(), sNewPath.c_str() );
+
+		sNewPath = DerefRedir( sNewPath );
+
+		Actor* pActor = MakeActor( sNewPath );
 
 		float f;
 		if( ini.GetValueF( "Actor", "BaseRotationXDegrees", f ) )	pActor->SetBaseRotationX( f );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
index 3960d3dc62..48f6fffa05 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
@@ -554,6 +554,10 @@ CString DerefRedir(const CString &path)
 	CollapsePath( path2 );
 
 	ResolvePath( path2 );
+
+	if( !DoesFileExist(path2) )
+		RageException::Throw( "The redirect '%s' references a file '%s' which doesn't exist.", path.c_str(), path2.c_str() );
+
 	return path2;
 }