diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageException.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageException.cpp
index 5772aeca6c..23a93af483 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageException.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageException.cpp
@@ -18,13 +18,38 @@ RageException::RageException( const char *fmt, ...)
     va_list	va;
     va_start(va, fmt);
     m_sError = vssprintf( fmt, va );
-#ifdef _DEBUG
-	MessageBox( NULL, m_sError, "Fatal Error", MB_OK );
-	DebugBreak();
-#endif
+    va_end(va);
+}
+
+RageException::RageException( const char *fmt, va_list va)
+{
+    m_sError = vssprintf( fmt, va );
 }
 
 const char* RageException::what() const throw ()
 {
 	return m_sError;
 }
+
+RageException::ThrowFatal(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list	va;
+    va_start(va, fmt);
+    CString error = vssprintf( fmt, va );
+    va_end(va);
+
+#if defined(WIN32) && defined(DEBUG)
+	MessageBox( NULL, error, "Fatal Error", MB_OK );
+	DebugBreak();
+#endif
+
+	throw RageException("%s", error);
+}
+
+RageException::ThrowNonfatal(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list	va;
+    va_start(va, fmt);
+
+	throw RageException(fmt, va);
+}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageException.h b/stepmania/src/RageException.h
index b7ff52e064..50fb6517f0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageException.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageException.h
@@ -12,17 +12,27 @@
 */
 
 #include <exception>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 
 class RageException : public exception
 {
 public:
 	RageException( const char *fmt, ...);
+	RageException( const char *fmt, va_list va);
 
 	virtual const char *what() const throw();
 	virtual ~RageException() throw() { }
 
+	/* The only difference between these is that ThrowFatal triggers debug
+	 * behavior, and Nonfatal doesn't.  Nonfatal is used when the exception
+	 * happens normally and will be caught, such as when a driver fails to
+	 * initialize. */
+	static ThrowFatal(const char *fmt, ...);
+	static ThrowNonfatal(const char *fmt, ...);
+
 protected:
 	CString m_sError;
 };
 
+
 #endif