diff --git a/stepmania/src/Actor.h b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
index 137ed5a9ae..f29a24d36f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Actor.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
@@ -66,10 +66,15 @@ public:
 
 
 
-	CString m_sName;
+	CString m_sName, m_sID;
 
-	CString GetName()			{ return m_sName; };
-	void SetName( CString n )	{ m_sName = n; };
+	CString GetName() const		{ return m_sName; };
+	CString GetID() const		{ return m_sID; };
+	/* m_sName is the name actors use to look up internal metrics for themselves, and for
+	 * filenames.  m_sID is the name parents use to look up their own metrics for an actor
+	 * (usually via ActorUtil).  (This is experimental; see DifficultyMeter.cpp for more
+	 * information.) */
+	void SetName( const CString &sName, const CString &sID = "" ) { m_sName = sName; m_sID = (sID.size()? sID:sName);  };
 
 
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
index 25b6ef7d19..24bb0d8631 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorUtil.cpp
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ void IncorrectActorParametersWarning( const CStringArray &asTokens, int iMaxInde
 
 void UtilSetXY( Actor& actor, CString sClassName )
 {
-	ASSERT( !actor.GetName().empty() );
-	actor.SetXY( THEME->GetMetricF(sClassName,actor.GetName()+"X"), THEME->GetMetricF(sClassName,actor.GetName()+"Y") );
+	ASSERT( !actor.GetID().empty() );
+	actor.SetXY( THEME->GetMetricF(sClassName,actor.GetID()+"X"), THEME->GetMetricF(sClassName,actor.GetID()+"Y") );
 }
 
 float UtilCommand( Actor& actor, CString sClassName, CString sCommandName )
@@ -153,11 +153,11 @@ float UtilCommand( Actor& actor, CString sClassName, CString sCommandName )
 	// (Do "playcommand" anyway; BGAs often have no name.)
 	if( sCommandName=="Off" )
 	{
-		if( actor.GetName().empty() )
+		if( actor.GetID().empty() )
 			return ret;
 	} else {
-		ASSERT( !actor.GetName().empty() );
+		ASSERT( !actor.GetID().empty() );
 	}
 
-	return max( ret, actor.Command( THEME->GetMetric(sClassName,actor.GetName()+sCommandName+"Command") ) );
+	return max( ret, actor.Command( THEME->GetMetric(sClassName,actor.GetID()+sCommandName+"Command") ) );
 }