diff --git a/src/Actor.cpp b/src/Actor.cpp
index 25df41bd1c..39fb4ec406 100644
--- a/src/Actor.cpp
+++ b/src/Actor.cpp
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ Actor::Actor( const Actor &cpy ):
 
 #define CPY(x) x = cpy.x
 	CPY( m_sName );
+	CPY(alias_);
 	CPY( m_pParent );
 	CPY( m_FakeParent );
 	CPY( m_pLuaInstance );
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ Actor &Actor::operator=(Actor other)
 	using std::swap;
 #define SWAP(x) swap(x, other.x)
 	SWAP( m_sName );
+	SWAP(alias_);
 	SWAP( m_pParent );
 	SWAP( m_FakeParent );
 	SWAP( m_pLuaInstance );
@@ -336,6 +338,14 @@ Actor &Actor::operator=(Actor other)
 	return *this;
 }
 
+
+bool Actor::IsAlias(const std::string& name) {
+	if (alias_.empty()) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return name == alias_;
+}
+
 /* XXX: This calls InitCommand, which must happen after all other
  * initialization (eg. ActorFrame loading children).  However, it
  * also loads input variables, which should happen first.  The
diff --git a/src/Actor.h b/src/Actor.h
index 76569ad0ef..66719d2793 100644
--- a/src/Actor.h
+++ b/src/Actor.h
@@ -297,10 +297,16 @@ public:
 	 * @brief Retrieve the Actor's name.
 	 * @return the Actor's name. */
 	const RString &GetName() const			{ return m_sName; }
+	const std::string& GetAlias() { return alias_; }
+
+	// IsAlias checks first if the Actor's alias isn't empty, and if it isn't,
+	// does a simple compare against the provided name.
+	bool IsAlias(const std::string& name);
 	/**
 	 * @brief Set the Actor's name to a new one.
 	 * @param sName the new name for the Actor. */
 	virtual void SetName( const RString &sName )	{ m_sName = sName; }
+	virtual void SetAlias(const std::string alias) { alias_ = alias;  }
 	/**
 	 * @brief Give this Actor a new parent.
 	 * @param pParent the new parent Actor. */
@@ -631,6 +637,13 @@ public:
 protected:
 	/** @brief the name of the Actor. */
 	RString m_sName;
+
+	// Alias is an alternate name for the actor. The name of the actor is
+	// allowed to be empty, whereas if the alias is empty, it is ignored. The
+	// point of the alias is to help maintain backward compatability with lua
+	// in case an actor name changes
+	std::string alias_;
+
 	/** @brief the current parent of this Actor if it exists. */
 	Actor *m_pParent;
 	// m_FakeParent exists to provide a way to render the actor inside another's
diff --git a/src/ActorFrame.cpp b/src/ActorFrame.cpp
index 460332d55b..dc4e5c6c1e 100644
--- a/src/ActorFrame.cpp
+++ b/src/ActorFrame.cpp
@@ -171,8 +171,9 @@ Actor* ActorFrame::GetChild( const RString &sName )
 {
 	for (Actor *a : m_SubActors)
 	{
-		if( a->GetName() == sName )
+		if (a->GetName() == sName || a->IsAlias(sName)) {
 			return a;
+		}
 	}
 	return nullptr;
 }
@@ -411,7 +412,7 @@ void ActorFrame::PushChildTable(lua_State* L, const RString &sName)
 	int found= 0;
 	for (Actor *a: m_SubActors)
 	{
-		if(a->GetName() == sName)
+		if (a->GetName() == sName || a->IsAlias(sName))
 		{
 			if (found == 0)
 			{
diff --git a/src/EditModePlayerManager.cpp b/src/EditModePlayerManager.cpp
index 3dc671421e..2c3d905344 100644
--- a/src/EditModePlayerManager.cpp
+++ b/src/EditModePlayerManager.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ void EditModePlayerManager::AddPlayers(const NoteData& note_data) {
 		player->Init("Player", GAMESTATE->m_pPlayerState[pn], nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr);
 		player.Load(note_data);
 
+		// We set the actor alias here instead of the name to maintain
+		// backward compatability with scripted stepcharts that expect
+		// the Player's actor frame to be unnamed.
+		player->SetAlias("Player" + PlayerNumberToString(pn));
+
 		player->CacheAllUsedNoteSkins();
 		GAMESTATE->m_pPlayerState[pn]->m_PlayerController = PC_HUMAN;
 		player->SetY(SCREEN_CENTER_Y);