diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
index dcf8ab4bcd..3541bd1ce3 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ static ThemeMetric<float> SECONDS_BETWEEN_COMMENTS	("ScreenGameplay","SecondsBet
 /* Global, so it's accessible from ShowSavePrompt: */
 static float g_fOldOffset;  // used on offset screen to calculate difference
 
-AutoScreenMessage( SM_PlayReady )
 AutoScreenMessage( SM_PlayGo )
 
 // received while STATE_DANCING
@@ -572,11 +571,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::Init()
 //		}
 	}
 
-	m_Overlay.Load( THEME->GetPathB(m_sName,"overlay") );
-	m_Overlay->SetDrawOrder( DRAW_ORDER_OVERLAY );
-	this->AddChild( m_Overlay );
-
-	
 	if( !GAMESTATE->m_bDemonstrationOrJukebox )	// only load if we're going to use it
 	{
 		m_Ready.Load( THEME->GetPathB(m_sName,"ready") );
@@ -1250,10 +1244,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 			m_pSoundMusic->Play( &p );
 
 			UpdateSongPosition(0);
-
-			//We need to artifically trigger the sm_playeready so we can end game
-			//We want to post so this happens only after we're done what we're doing.
-			SCREENMAN->PostMessageToTopScreen( SM_PlayReady, 0.0 );
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -1271,8 +1261,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 			 */
 
 			/*float delay =*/ StartPlayingSong( fMinTimeToNotes, fMinTimeToMusic );
-
-			m_In.StartTransitioning( SM_PlayReady );
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -2081,7 +2069,7 @@ void ScreenGameplay::StageFinished( bool bBackedOut )
 void ScreenGameplay::HandleScreenMessage( const ScreenMessage SM )
 {
 	CHECKPOINT_M( ssprintf("HandleScreenMessage(%i)", SM) );
-	if( SM == SM_PlayReady )
+	if( SM == SM_DoneFadingIn )
 	{
 		SOUND->PlayOnceFromAnnouncer( "gameplay ready" );
 		m_Ready.StartTransitioning( SM_PlayGo );
@@ -2411,7 +2399,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::TweenOnScreen()
 		ON_COMMAND( m_DifficultyIcon[p] );
 		ON_COMMAND( m_DifficultyMeter[p] );
 	}
-	m_Overlay->PlayCommand("On");
 
 	if (m_ShowScoreboard)
 		FOREACH_NSScoreBoardColumn( sc )
@@ -2420,6 +2407,8 @@ void ScreenGameplay::TweenOnScreen()
 
 void ScreenGameplay::TweenOffScreen()
 {
+	ScreenWithMenuElements::TweenOffScreen();
+
 	OFF_COMMAND( m_sprLifeFrame );
 	OFF_COMMAND( m_sprStage );
 	OFF_COMMAND( m_sprCourseSongNumber );
@@ -2448,7 +2437,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::TweenOffScreen()
 		OFF_COMMAND( m_DifficultyIcon[p] );
 		OFF_COMMAND( m_DifficultyMeter[p] );
 	}
-	m_Overlay->PlayCommand("Off");
 
 	if (m_ShowScoreboard)
 		FOREACH_NSScoreBoardColumn( sc )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.h b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.h
index f556058e4e..05db700035 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.h
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ protected:
 	Transition	m_Toasty;	// easter egg
 	Transition	m_Win[NUM_PLAYERS];
 	Transition	m_Draw;
-	AutoActor	m_Overlay;
 
 	BitmapText			m_textSurviveTime;	// used in extra stage
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenMessage.h b/stepmania/src/ScreenMessage.h
index 1a59764b8d..ae43fe459a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenMessage.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenMessage.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ enum ScreenMessage {
 	SM_DoneOpeningWipingLeft,
 	SM_DoneOpeningWipingRight,
 	SM_MenuTimer,
+	SM_DoneFadingIn,
 	SM_BeginFadingOut,
 	SM_GoToNextScreen,
 	SM_GoToPrevScreen,
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.cpp
index ece2015613..33d0659efa 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void ScreenWithMenuElements::Init()
 	m_Cancel.SetDrawOrder( DRAW_ORDER_TRANSITIONS );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Cancel );
 
-	m_In.StartTransitioning();
+	m_In.StartTransitioning( SM_DoneFadingIn );
 }
 
 ScreenWithMenuElements::~ScreenWithMenuElements()
@@ -164,6 +164,25 @@ void ScreenWithMenuElements::ResetTimer()
 }
 
 void ScreenWithMenuElements::StartTransitioning( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone )
+{
+	TweenOffScreen();
+
+	m_Out.StartTransitioning(smSendWhenDone);
+
+	/* Ack.  If the transition finishes transparent (eg. _options to options),
+	 * then we don't want to send the message until all of the *actors* are
+	 * done tweening.  However, if it finishes with something onscreen (most
+	 * of the rest), we have to send the message immediately after it finishes,
+	 * or we'll draw a frame without the transition.
+	 *
+	 * For now, I'll make the SMMAX2 option tweening faster. */
+	/* This includes all of the actors: */
+//	float TimeUntilFinished = GetTweenTimeLeft();
+//	TimeUntilFinished = max(TimeUntilFinished, m_Out.GetLengthSeconds());
+//	SCREENMAN->PostMessageToTopScreen( smSendWhenDone, TimeUntilFinished );
+}
+
+void ScreenWithMenuElements::TweenOffScreen()
 {
 	if( m_bTimerEnabled )
 	{
@@ -183,19 +202,6 @@ void ScreenWithMenuElements::StartTransitioning( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone )
 
 	SCREENMAN->PlaySharedBackgroundOffCommand();
 
-	m_Out.StartTransitioning(smSendWhenDone);
-
-	/* Ack.  If the transition finishes transparent (eg. _options to options),
-	 * then we don't want to send the message until all of the *actors* are
-	 * done tweening.  However, if it finishes with something onscreen (most
-	 * of the rest), we have to send the message immediately after it finishes,
-	 * or we'll draw a frame without the transition.
-	 *
-	 * For now, I'll make the SMMAX2 option tweening faster. */
-	/* This includes all of the actors: */
-//	float TimeUntilFinished = GetTweenTimeLeft();
-//	TimeUntilFinished = max(TimeUntilFinished, m_Out.GetLengthSeconds());
-//	SCREENMAN->PostMessageToTopScreen( smSendWhenDone, TimeUntilFinished );
 }
 
 void ScreenWithMenuElements::Cancel( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
index 627fe9557a..050ad40361 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ public:
 	void StopTimer();
 	void ResetTimer();
 
+	void TweenOffScreen();
+
 protected:
 	virtual void StartPlayingMusic();