diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
index 068dc315a4..fead91cac0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
@@ -517,6 +517,18 @@ bool BitmapText::EarlyAbortDraw() const
 	return m_wTextLines.empty();
 }
 
+#define DRAW_STROKE \
+bool bUsingStrokeTexture = !!m_vpFontPageTextures[0]->m_pTextureStroke; \
+if( bUsingStrokeTexture  &&  m_StrokeColor.a > 0 ) \
+{ \
+	RageColor c = m_StrokeColor; \
+	c.a *= m_pTempState->diffuse[0].a; \
+	for( unsigned i=0; i<m_aVertices.size(); i++ ) \
+		m_aVertices[i].c = c; \
+	DrawChars( true ); \
+}
+
+
 // draw text at x, y using colorTop blended down to colorBottom, with size multiplied by scale
 void BitmapText::DrawPrimitives()
 {
@@ -543,6 +555,14 @@ void BitmapText::DrawPrimitives()
 			DISPLAY->PopMatrix();
 		}
 
+		//
+		// render the stroke
+		//
+		if( m_pFont->GetStrokeIsUnder() )
+		{
+			DRAW_STROKE;
+		}
+
 		//
 		// render the diffuse pass
 		//
@@ -633,14 +653,9 @@ void BitmapText::DrawPrimitives()
 		//
 		// render the stroke
 		//
-		bool bUsingStrokeTexture = !!m_vpFontPageTextures[0]->m_pTextureStroke;
-		if( bUsingStrokeTexture  &&  m_StrokeColor.a > 0 )
+		if( !m_pFont->GetStrokeIsUnder() )
 		{
-			RageColor c = m_StrokeColor;
-			c.a *= m_pTempState->diffuse[0].a;
-			for( unsigned i=0; i<m_aVertices.size(); i++ )
-				m_aVertices[i].c = c;
-			DrawChars( true );
+			DRAW_STROKE;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Font.cpp b/stepmania/src/Font.cpp
index bb8c71f9c8..30027e06ae 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Font.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Font.cpp
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ Font::Font()
 	m_bRightToLeft = false;
 	m_fFontBaseZoom = 1;
 	m_DefaultStrokeColor = RageColor(1,1,1,1);
+	m_bStrokeIsUnder = true;
 }
 
 Font::~Font()
@@ -695,6 +696,7 @@ void Font::Load( const RString &sIniPath, RString sChars )
 		RString s;
 		if( ini.GetValue( "main", "DefaultStrokeColor", s ) )
 			m_DefaultStrokeColor.FromString( s );
+		ini.GetValue( "main", "StrokeIsUnder", m_bStrokeIsUnder );
 	}
 
 	{
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Font.h b/stepmania/src/Font.h
index 3048e620c3..5a068136bf 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Font.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Font.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ public:
 	bool IsRightToLeft() const { return m_bRightToLeft; };
 	float GetFontBaseZoom() const { return m_fFontBaseZoom; };
 	const RageColor &GetDefaultStrokeColor() const { return m_DefaultStrokeColor; };
+	const bool GetStrokeIsUnder() const { return m_bStrokeIsUnder; };
 
 private:
 	/* List of pages and fonts that we use (and are responsible for freeing). */
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ private:
 
 	float m_fFontBaseZoom;
 	RageColor m_DefaultStrokeColor;
+	bool m_bStrokeIsUnder;	// draw stroke under if true, over if false
 
 	/* We keep this around only for reloading. */
 	RString m_sChars;